MY BOAT CUSTOM BAR CRUSHER 615XS^105
get wet in a side console. Anyone who tells
you otherwise has never owned one. It’s the
compromise that comes with having an open
boat that I’m more interested in. The water is
warm in the north-west and I own a good
spray jacket. The return for that sacrifice is
paid off once I’ve crossed the wind swept bay
and I’m fishing a protected f lat.
I mostly sportfish with about 75 per cent
of my time spent f ly fishing the f lats in and
around Dampier. The remaining 25 per cent
is made up popping for GTs and chasing
barra in the estuaries. The type of fishing
I do calls for an open boat. Preferably an
open boat with large, raised casting
platforms and less of the types of things
that catch and hang onto your f ly line,
always seemingly on the presentation cast.
Bar Crusher didn’t have anything in its
standard range that ticked all of my boxes
from a fishing sense. Luckily, after having a
chat to Bar Crusher director Peter Cleland,
we agreed on a design concept that worked
and my custom project was underway.Key features
With Bar Crusher’s Gen2 hull I have all of the
“sea worthiness” of a larger bluewater boat
combined with the best of an open sport
fishing boat. If the weather conditions change
I have the confidence in making those open
water crossings to another location.
Thanks to the deep vee hull, gone are the
days of a sore neck, knees and back at the end
of a long stint!
The 150hp Evinrude E-TEC on the back
is the maximum power rating for this hull.
The Gen2 hull, 150 E-TEC and stainless prop
combination provides me with great fuel
efficiency and power when I need it. A quick
bump on the throttle and I’m out of the hole
and planing.
Anther great feature is Bar Crusher’s Bar
Catch. Launching and retrieving has never
been easier and since a lot of my fishing is
done alone, it was another of the “deal
maker” accessories from the factory. The Bar
Catch is a stainless steel lever positioned onthe winch post that pivots and is designed to
catch on a welded winch eye on the bow of
the boat. Basically it enables you to drive
your boat on and off the Easy Tow trailer
solo. I encourage you to jump on the Bar
Crusher website and check it out – it really is
hassle free boating!
The forward casting platform and
underf loor storage system is the key feature
of this boat design and have been built to
provide a couple of solutions. Firstly, the
platform has been built up to gunwale
height. I have done this for two reasons.
The obvious one is that I get a much better
viewing point when I am patrolling the
f lats. The amount of fish you see from up
there is amazing in comparison to the
standard model. The second, less obvious
reason for such a large casting platform
becomes more apparent once I’m anchored
up for the night.
At 6.15m and with a 220L fuel tank under
f loor, this boat has a fantastic range. I can set
off camping around the archipelago for a
couple of days and not ever worry about
re-fuelling.
Night time in a boat up north can be very
uncomfortable at times, particularly during
the summer months.
The casting platform is high enough so that
it catches any night time breeze when I roll
the swag out on anchor. There’s plenty of
room up there for a double swag and a bit
more. Having that space and comfort has a
big impact on your mood the next day!
Catching a good night’s sleep up a river in theMAIN IMAGE: Caption x x x x
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BELOW LEF T: Caption x x x x
xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx.The versatilit y of
this boat allows
for shallow water
flats fishing.
It’s fit ted out
with the latest
in Lowrance
technology.