Queensland-based commercial photographer, Kenny Smith, is a keen fly fisho and regular traveller. When he’s not travelling or fishing the pristine streams of New Zealand’s South Island (where he owns High Country Cabin – @highcountrycabin), he’s often fishing the local waters south of the Gold Coast onboard his trusty Sea-Doo FishPro.
The FishPro allows Kenny to easily tow, launch, and single handedly fish the coastal waters. The area is well-known for its run of mackerel and snapper which are easily accessible along the inshore waters. In addition, there are the common small tuna species, all of which Kenny enjoys chasing and turning into tasty, sustainable meals.
“I really like the ease of the Sea-Doo as a one-man-craft. I’m usually just ducking out for a solo fish to fill the fridge, so in terms of getting it on the car and down to the ramp, in and out of the water, plus the after fish maintenance, it’s super easy and quick,” says Kenny.
Personal Water Craft have several advantages over traditional boats. They’re seaworthy and well suited to small, tricky bar crossings and beach launches.
“Generally, since I mainly use it to source my protein, I want to get out there when there aren’t many other anglers out. When it’s a perfect day with easy tides to cross the bar and a small swell, there could be 100s of other craft out. That’s when I’ll have a sleep in. When it’s less than ideal conditions, enough to keep most anglers out of the water, that’s when the FishPro really shines. I find with the right gear the visceral style of the Fish Pro makes rough conditions a little more bearable than on a boat.”
The FishPro is also light and easy to tow. Kenny has taken it on road trips north and towed it between the dunes on Moreton Island and further north around Hervey Bay.
“Fuel Economy is also great. I recently did a side-by-side comparison with a mate who has a “regular” ski. Same year model and both Sea-Doos. We went pretty far so it was a great side-by-side comparison. I managed about 30% better fuel consumption which was surprising for a ski with a bigger engine. It’s just really well tuned for the type of driving that you do when fishing,” says Kenny.
What’s onboard? Fishing from a SeaDoo means there’s more water and everything needs to be ready and within reach.
“I’ve found the Penn Slammer series of reels to be perfect for the fish pro. I pair them with Ugly Stick rods. Just simple, inexpensive setups that can get wet and salty a with some care keep coming back. No matter how hard you try things do get very wet, and accidents happen. So for me this gear is a great price point matched with quality and robustness.
“I’ve learn the hard way to lanyard all rods. I don’t know how but I’ve lost rods when in transit and it’s devastating. I just use a simple bungee wound through all rods when moving at speed. There are purpose made lanyards, but I haven’t bothered with them to date,” says Kenny.
Kenny has purchased extra rod holders and places them “everywhere”. “It’s so handy to be able to put a rod down no matter what position you’re in. When there’s a fish on, or you need to rig up, or move a rod out of the way, I like to have a rod holder in arms reach from everywhere on the craft.
“Same with scissors and or pliers, I have them everywhere on the craft, in the forward compartment, the cooler pocket, and tethered to all my tackle bag handles. It pays to have them right there all the time. I also have fly fishing snips tethered to my lifejacket like you would a fly-vest,” says Kenny.
FishPro specs
Kenny’s Sea-Doo is a 2021 FishPro with 170hp engine. The FishPro range features a few models including the Scout, Sport and the Trophy.
The FishPro is designed to be stable and roomy. As Sea-Doo says, it features the “the ultimate combination of power and fuel efficiency”.
It can carry up to three passengers and features a large swim platform with LinQ attachment points.
It comes standard with five rod holder, Garmin fishfinder and GPS, bench seat, ice box, trolling mode and gunwale foot rests.
Fishing from a Sea-Doo may not suit everyone, but for Kenny and so many others, having a simple solo fishing machine at the ready is ideal.
Much of Australia’s coastline lends itself to this style of fishing and our busy lives make quick trips offshore a necessity.
Seafood & Sea-Doo
Kenny loves fresh seafood and the Sea-Doo has been instrumental in capturing a feed of fresh, sustainable fish. Fish such as mack tuna, a species often regarded as inedible, have been caught and turned into delicious meals.
“Almost every food has its limitations in terms of how it’s harvested and cooked. Step outside these limitations and things don’t turn out right. In my opinion almost all tuna doesn’t cook well and mack tuna is no different. Handle it well, balance its gamier flavour with ponzu and serve it up as poke or sashimi and I think it’s great.” says Kenny.
“Is it a junk fish or are we expecting it to cook like another fish? In the spirit of sustainability, can we afford to overlook a prolific, local species?”
Check out the Sea-Doo range at sea-doo.com.
