I still remember the day when a salesman from Parramatta Marine delivered my 5.0m Quintrex FishMaster to my home in 1981. It was a great relief to see it delivered and needless to say, I was very late for work that day.

Gary, my younger brother by 7 years, and I inspected the boat from bow to stern prior to the first trip on the water. We were more than impressed. This was my biggest purchase to date and as a 19 year old, I was hoping I didn’t over commit myself, especially as I even had to have my parent’s guarantee the loan to buy the boat. The next doubt was whether I would get enough use out of it, but as events transpired, I needn’t have worried about that one. 

I had two boats before the FishMaster, and both influenced the purchase of the Quintrex. My first boat was a 12 foot De Havilland Seabird, which was appropriately named Shrimpy. On a particularly nice calm day, I decided to see how good Shrimpy was, so I took it out the heads at Broken Bay.... How much fun was that? It was fantastic. Driving up and down the swells…I had a ball. That is, until I saw a boat coming rapidly towards me, and with a sinking heart, realised that my dad was inside that boat. . . Let’s just say he wasn’t happy to see me out there, and told me in no uncertain terms to head back in. So Shrimpy was sold so I could buy a bigger boat to fish outside the heads.

A 15 foot De Havilland Offshore with a 40hp Mercury was purchased next to enable me to fish offshore safely. Unfortunately, on one fishing trip out from Broken Bay we were hammered by a storm. We made it back inside the heads, but the boat took a beating. The end result was that more than a few ribs on the boat had to be re-welded and support brackets placed in the front of the boat, as the aluminium in the bow would buckle when you hit a swell. After that trip in the storm I wasn’t confident of the strength or safety of that boat in a big sea.

It was time to upgrade to a bigger, stronger and safer boat. But the big question involved trying to decide which was the right boat for me. I narrowed it down to one of the new Quintrex 5.0m boats.

Decisions, Decisions

Quintrex had released a range of 5.0m boats and they were receiving plenty of good reviews. These boats were way ahead of their time. They offered the fisherman all the extras as standard, in a very seaworthy boat. I was a member of the Umina Aquatic Club, and several members had purchased these boats. They were all very happy with their boats, and recommended them highly.

Quintrex heavily promoted the positive foam flotation in their boats and showed their 5.0 metre boats with bungs out, full of water - and they were still sitting high in the water. (Remember, this was in 1977, and the National Marine Safety Council was still 29 years away!) These boats were big enough for me to handle easily on my own and also had very low running cost, which was very important to me. I also saw a special on TV where Malcolm Douglas travelled up the east coast of Australia to New Guinea in one of these 5.0m boats. That proved that this 5.0m Quinnie had the right hull for me.

I consulted with my dad who had many years of experience as a boat owner, and discussed the pros and cons. The FishMaster had the better driving position with the cabin wrapping around your side, with the steering wheel in front of your chest. On my previous two boats, I found that I invariably stood up to look over the windscreen when driving offshore, or in rough or choppy water. Sometimes, if you hit a wave you can loose balance, as you cannot brace yourself on the steering wheel. These issues were removed in the Fishmaster as the helm was ergonomically friendly i.e. it was actually designed with hand grips in all the right places by people who obviously had a great deal of experience of working offshore in small boats.  

I also liked the idea of having a high cabin in front to keep the water out if the weather turns nasty and you’re driving into a big sea. The cabin was also a good place to keep things dry if you are caught out in the rain. The decision was made, and I chose the “FishMaster”.

For the next year or so my brother Gary and I fished regularly out of Broken Bay. We loved fishing wide on the 36 fathom reef for snapper, and if the current was too strong we would troll for pelagics.

It was always an adventure to tow the FishMaster with my 1.2L Toyota Corolla to the Terrigal Haven boat ramp for the interclub competitions. In those days it was nothing to see 50(+) trailer boats in the Haven waiting for the starting time. Before heading out to sea for a day of fishing, seeing so many boats heading out all at one time was always exciting. Gary was quite a good junior fisherman and won several Junior Competitions in the FishMaster.

Moving To Queensland

Times were changing, and the family was moving to Brisbane. Gary and I often fished Moreton Bay but never ventured out past the South Passage bar. We had a look once and saw the bar on a nasty day. We decided that we were not ready to tackle a bar crossing, so we stuck with bay fishing. Twelve months after we moved up to Brisbane we moved down to the Gold Coast, and we’ve been fishing and boating here ever since. Now this place is paradise.

Gary and I had missed the adventure of chasing pelagics so we joined the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club. We spoke to a few of the experienced skippers who gave us valuable advice on bar crossings. Every weekend, subject to the weather we would go out from the Southport bar and venture back out to sea

"In those days, there was no seawall and the channel was constantly changing. The FishMaster handled the bar crossings well"

Many of the tournaments and competition days I fished with the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club were on a Mariner game boat, but my brother and I occasionally fished the tournaments in my 5.0m Quinnie. Our FishMaster was always the smallest boat in the gamefleet and did not look like your typical game boat. This was highlighted when my brother and I fished the Bayview Harbour tournament. After the day’s fishing we were advised to tie up to the marina at Bayview Harbour. Most of the game fleet consisted of Bertrams, Mariners, PowerCats, Randells, etc from 25 to 50 foot LOA.

When I drove the FishMaster into the marina I was asked to leave by security, as “the marina was reserved only for game boats in the Tournament.” We did eventually convince him that my FishMaster was indeed a game fish boat - albeit a small one!  

Between 1983 and 1985 we had a very good run in the FishMaster and won the following trophies in the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club:

1983-84 Champion Boat (Mid Week)
1984-85 Champion Boat (Mid Week)
1983-84 Champion Angler
1984 Champion Tag and Release
1984 Champion Junior

Billfish & Bars

On one trip, we went out from Currumbin Creek for a troll off the coast. We headed due east until we saw the blue water and decided to troll up the coast. It was a slow day and we were just about to bring in our lines to ensure an easy, good tide crossing of the Currumbin Bar...

"Then it happened....A big marlin hit the lure on the 15kg rod." "It gave Gary and I the best aerial performance you could ask for (where was the camera when you need it?)."

After one and half hours and being taken way out to sea, we finally had the marlin beside the boat. It was big and still very green. We had been trying for years to catch a marlin and now that I had one beside the boat, I didn’t know whether to gaff or tag her.

We decided to tag it as it would have been dangerous to gaff such a big fish that still had plenty of zip in her, and we were running out of time as it was late afternoon. However, before we could stick the tag in, the marlin went for a big run and her beak finally wore through the wire trace as the fish gave one last aerial display. She still had plenty of energy and left Gary and I completely awestruck. It happened all those years ago yet I still remember it like it was yesterday.

Then another big advantage of the FishMaster was shown. Due to the extra time that was spent on the marlin, and being taken out to sea, it was now almost low tide on Currumbin Creek bar and there was no way of driving though it. Luckily the wave break was only around two foot on the bar. I drove the boat until we came up to the sand (bar) which was right across the mouth of the creek. We stopped the boat and raised the motor, jumped out of the boat ensuring we did not end up under the boat, and let the waves carry the boat over the sand bar. We were soaked from head to tail, and the boat would get slapped on the side by each wave that came through. The waves eventually pushed the boat past the sand bar and back in deep water in the creek. If we were in a bigger, heavier boat we would never have been able to cross.

Tangalooma Storms

On one occasion, Brisbane was hit by what some described as a ‘Claytons’ cyclone, and the bay crossing was very rough. The steep, high chop in the bay seemed to go on forever. There was never any danger, it was just a very slow, wet ride and my bilge pump got plenty of work. When I got to Tangalooma I was amazed that the storm had some of the big boats washed up on the beach. Seeing 40+ foot boats stranded on the beach in front of the resort was eye opening.

The FishMaster was at home trolling with the big boys in the Tangalooma tournament around Flinders Reef and Hutchinson Shoals. The swells were big, but were not breaking and were quite fishable. I didn’t fish all five days of the competition due to the restriction that I had on fuel, but I managed a couple of days out.

Each morning one of the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club members brought out a foam esky full of food supplied by the resort for the tournament fisherman each day. I was eating like a king on a shoestring budget, and it sure beat the alternative - canned baked beans! They were the best holidays and the FishMaster was great to camp in.

Lazy, Hazy Days

 In 1988 all the talk was on the Tall Ships coming to Sydney Harbour. Linda, my girlfriend at the time (and now my wife) and I decided to drive down to Sydney and spend a few days on the harbour. We spent the nights anchored off Rose Bay and made sure we met the Tall Ships off Sydney Heads.

Along with thousands of other boats we followed the Tall Ships into the harbour. Amazingly, we didn’t come into contact with another boat but we did see a few collisions that day. The FishMaster was in a photo taken by the Sun Newspaper for their major celebration issue. I phoned the Sun to confirm the registration on the boat in the picture, and yes, it was mine!

All In The Family

Getting married, and then with my 2 kids coming on the scene, the last 15 years has seen the FishMaster change from a predominately outside fishing boat, to a river fishing boat with my occasional solo outside trip.

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My wife Linda definitely likes the smooth waters. She loves fishing and catching the big ones offshore but always seems to get seasick. So smooth water fishing it is. Now I have replaced my game rods and big tackle box with a mattress, pillows, towels and a bag full of toys.

We all enjoy spending a day on the water cruising and fishing the river at Jumpin Pin, as a family. Having lunch at Tipplers Resort and then cruising back to the boat ramp after an afternoon fish.

In the cabin the kids would always entertain themselves. It is amazing what kind of a cubby house you can turn the cabin into with towels and blankets thrown over the front seats. Entry into their cubby house was by invitation only. It was their domain. The kids would always have a midday nap in the cabin after a fun filled morning while mum and dad continued to fish and enjoy a day on the water.

Fishing with my 6 y.o. daughter Michelle is a problem. All legal size fish are placed in a large fish box in the boat and my daughter has me change the water on a regular basis to ensure they are kept healthy. She also gives the fish names (Penelope is a popular name for a bream) and pats them and generally plays with them. At day’s end she tells me that they all look sad and should be returned back to the water to join their friends. She then proceeds to net the fish and place them back into the water. After she saved the fish and returned them to the water she has a smile from ear to ear. 

My 10 year old son Mark is now my main deckie, replacing my wife who is unable to come out on every trip, and my brother who now lives in Gosford. Mark does the trailer duties at the boat ramp, assisting launching and retrieval.

I have taught him (Mark) to start the motor and change gears, showed him how to trim the motor and drive the boat. He probably drives the boat (under close supervision) more than me nowadays.

I feel this is a good safety measure to have him familiar with the boat’s operation. Mark and I have recently spent an overnight fishing trip on the boat and we will definitely have more. It was ‘boys only’ trip and we had a good time away from the girls. 

I have had only one pin hole in the hull which appeared recently and was caused by a metal part of a kid’s toy which somehow found its way under the floor in the cabin. I assume one of my kids smuggled the toy aboard when I was not looking. Since then all toys that go on the boat have to pass my inspection.

The pin hole was welded up in exchange for a carton of beer by the local aluminium welder. I also welded up the old transducer screw holes. That is the beauty of aluminium. You can weld up any holes and it will be as good as new. After each trip I remove the bungs from the boat and I take great delight to see no water in the bilge. After all these years this boat is still as dry as when it was new.

" I can not speak highly enough about my FishMaster." "It has done it all for me and then some."

 I have travelled on the boat to places including Hervey Bay, Caloundra, Bribie Passage, Moreton Bay, Jumpinpin, Southport Broadwater, Tweed River, Port Stephens, Terrigal, Gosford Broadwater, Broken Bay, Hawkesbury River, Pittwater, Cowan Creek and Sydney Harbour.

My only criticism is that it is not a sleek looking boat, but it is functional, strong, safe and very seaworthy. The 5.0m range built by Quintrex from the late 70’s and into the 80’s was a very popular boat with many thousands being made during their production life, yet when I peruse the classifieds I am amazed at the lack of these boats on the second hand market. Those that are for sale command a premium price. 

"I know a lot of these boats are 20+ years old, but as they are almost bullet proof, they are still a long way off boat heaven." "I would like to think that there are plenty of satisfied owners like me out there."

With my kids getting bigger I can see the day when I will have to sell my beloved FishMaster and upgrade to a 6-6.5 metre trailer boat. The FishMaster has been my perfect trailer boat for the past 27 years. It has enabled me to do everything from chasing pelagics on the 40’s and 50’s with my younger brother to catching bream and whiting in the river with my wife and kids.

Thank you, Mr Quintrex.

If you have a special Quintrex story you would like to share,
email your story and any pictures to feedback@quintrex.com.au.