Congratulations to Martin and Sharon from Apollo Bay on their new purchase – a Haines Hunter 675 Enclosed!
On Tuesday, we made a special delivery of this beautiful boat and kicked it off with a fishing adventure! This was actually the first time Sharon had seen the boat, and she was impressed.
At first, she thought I should just spend time with Martin going through everything and explaining how it all works. But in the end, we convinced Sharon to join us – and she came fishing too!
We spent a good 40 minutes setting up Martin’s new rods, which he picked up from Mick at Hooked on Bait and Tackle. Thanks to our recommendation, Mick really looked after him and provided top-quality gear. The reels were already spooled, so all I had to do was tie the leader and connect a few rigs.
After cruising around for a bit, we spotted a seal diving – always a good sign – so we stopped to check if there were any fish about. The sounder showed a few bait balls, so we cast our lines and hoped for the best.
It didn’t take long before Sharon landed a nice flathead, followed by a dozen more. Martin also caught a few on the other side of the boat, and both were thrilled – dinner was sorted!
As a nice surprise, Sharon managed to reel in a small gummy shark! It was just under a meter, but it put up a solid fight. We landed the fish, snapped a few photos, and then went back to chasing flathead. They weren’t massive, but we managed a good feed with fish in the 35–48 cm range.
After the quick fishing session, it was time to head back and retrieve the boat. Martin had a little practice and then drove the boat onto the trailer with ease. I showed him how to fillet the fish, and then I was on my way back to Geelong.
This is a great example of what it’s like when you buy a new boat at Geelong Marine World – you’re never on your own!
Cheers, Tibby
