ACCORDING to Victoria Point’s Craig Chapman, every fisherman has his day.
But a great fishing day is when the 54-year-old brings home his fishing limit, with a haul of snapper, parrot fish and pearl perch.
Craig aims to fish most weekends, although he does experience some lulls, most caused by weather restrictions and weekend activities.
“If conditions aren’t right, we don’t want to risk it. It’s uncomfortable and can be dangerous,” he said.
“I like to go offshore, out to the South Passage bar and then head up to Agnes Water three or four times a year and fish the Fitzroy Reef,” he said.
Craig said the “holy grail” of fish was the red emperor, although up north he also looked for coral trout and red throat.
“We are very particular about our fish. Straight away, the fish are put in an ice slurry then we cryovac,” he said.
Craig has two boats, a 12-foot tinnie and a Cruise Craft Explorer 625. The tinnie is used for crabbing, which he does over a four-day period, regularly hauling in about six every time he checks the pots.
“You might get eight in a pot every time you check, but you can’t keep the females and some might be undersized, so you only get to keep one or two,” he said.
Craig said his preferred bit was mullet or whiting, and said one catch fed the next.
“I use the mullet to catch the snapper and pearlies. Then I use the snapper frames in the crab pots. Nothing goes to waste,” he said.
Craig said he also used a mixture of bait and soft plastic lures offshore, depending on what fish were running.
And he said he always fished with “a bunch of mates”.
“We mostly met through playing rugby league when we were younger. We all have similar interests, and hanging with your mates is part of it,” he said.
