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The test day was definitely not the best for assessing the rough water capabilities of the biggest Streaker Navigator in the range.

The acquisition of Melbourne based Streaker boats by iconic Brisbane boat builder Cruise Craft hasn’t attracted all that much attention. Maybe that’s a good thing and maybe it isn’t, but from a consumer’s point of view, having the brand under the Cruise Craft roof is nothing but positive.
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Extreme 645 Game King
Mark Saxon | July 2017

Looking from the rear you can see the Lectro Tabs, the walkthrough with grab rail and fold down boarding ladder

I couldn’t help but feel a little bit excited when I first laid eyes on the Extreme 645 Game King. It happened when I was standing on the main ramp in Port Macquarie, about to get a firsthand look and test run on the boat with Jason Herbert from Hastings Marine.
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The 530 Stealth Hornet is a pretty radical upgrade. With the Evinrude G2 E-Tec 150, it’s a rocket out of the hole and demonstrated great economy at cruising speeds.

Let’s face it, there has been a time in all of our fishing journeys when we wanted a Quintrex. If you were an offshore boater, it might have been a centre console, but if you were an inshore angler, it’d probably be a Hornet. For many years Hornets have been swarming in waterways across Australia.
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At 6.5m long and just under 2.5m wide, the Whittley CW2150 is a big, deep, beamy boat that’s just as comfortable offshore as it is inshore.

It’s not every day you get to test a boat that can be made into a configuration that allows the installation of a bow mounted machine gun. Granted, it’d be great for when you get to the secret snapper spot and your so-called ‘mate’ that you took fishing last week is anchored up, hooked up and pretends to not speak English.
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A smaller fibreglass fishing rig
Wayne Kampe | July 2017

The author’s former 5.5 Galeforce centre console. Watch this space for a photo of the newby in another issue.

In the last few articles I have emphasized the need for potential boat owners to have a very close look at their fishing needs prior to making a decision on a new boat. As part of the last article, I discussed the pros and cons of owning both alloy and glass craft and, in fact, I was actually drawing upon my own fishing life. Unable to decide exactly which boat would suit us best, we had two – glass and alloy!
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Stessco Breezeaway 480 is a breeze
Steve Morgan | July 2017

Stessco’s Breezeaway 480 is a really easy to use rig, whether you’re downsizing from a bigger boat or opting for a more comfortable option than an open tinnie.

What do you get when you cross arguably Australia’s most popular mid-range outboard with an aluminium hull configuration that’s favoured by recreational anglers Australia over? You get the Stessco Breezeaway 480 powered by Yamaha’s sensational F70 outboard.
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Brooker 420R Discovery 2017
Gary Brown | July 2017

Are you looking for a boat to take the family out for a fish in the freshwater chasing a few trout, bass, estuary and golden perch, or in the saltwater targeting bream, flathead and whiting? The Brooker 420R Discovery 2017 with a 30hp 2-stroke Mercury outboard is definitely a rig to have a look at.
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4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat
Gary Brown | July 2017

The unique 4.4m Sidewinder Micro Cat is an extremely versatile boat that will have you going over a bar and getting into very shallow water with ease – and this boat has been designed with the not just the angler in mind. It could be used by motor and quad bike users, hunters, campers, divers and for BBQs. Or you could stand and cast lures along the edge of mangroves, wash boards of oyster leases, wharves, mud and sand flats and weed beds. The list is endless.
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The complex hull shape of the Pioneer centre console is exclusive to fibreglass construction. Here it’s displacing water very cleanly in a turn to starboard.

In the last couple of issues I’ve cast the net pretty wide in regards to selecting the correct fishing craft for the job. Initially I covered vital issues such as freeboard, sea keeping capability, ride quality and fishing room, as these are essential considerations in selecting a just-right rig for most fishing activities an angler might have in mind.
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