Georgia Poyner

Name:

Georgia Poyner

Location (City/State):

Narooma, NSW 

Profession/Job: 

Charter boat skipper, commercial fisherman.

Favourite angling location?  

It’s hard to beat home. Narooma has such a diverse range of locations to fish, from creeks and estuaries; beaches and rocks; to Montague Island and offshore. It’s only a couple of hours drive to chase trout out of the Snowys and not much further if you want to target cod or yellowbelly. In saying that I do love my barra fishing and most years try to do a trip up north. 

Favourite species to chase?  

Australian Bass will always have a special place in my heart. The bites are epic, they go hard, and they live in some of the most beautiful places. Striped marlin are very pretty fish and loads of fun to chase during the warmer months. Once summer wears off it’s time for tuna. Southern bluefin on the cube or top water yellowfin is a favourite although I don’t appreciate how much they make my back hurt on stick bait gear. Then, once again big barra. 

Favourite style of angling? 

I love all types of fishing but anything visual, especially topwater, is my favourite. 

When did the love of fishing grab you and was there someone that got you into it? 

My dad was the one who got me into fishing. He had me in a little backpack taking me fishing everywhere when I was born. He put in a lot of time and effort for us, and most weekends were spent fishing. 

What was the style of fishing that you did when your first started fishing? 

Some of the main fishing I did as a kid was walking the beaches flicking lures for salmon. In the beginning my dad would be casting and hooking fish for my siblings and I to pull in. As we got bigger though we wanted to do it ourselves and it was a great way for us to develop our skills in casting. Another favourite for us kids was fishing with floats for mullet and garfish. We lived near a lake so dad would walk us down with the canoe to fish out of together. As I got a bit older my dad bought a little sea wasp and would take us fishing in the inlet. My goal was to catch a mulloway and we’d spend most weekend nights freezing our bums off trying to catch them. We never had much luck on mulloway, but I did catch a few monster flathead. When I was five my dad started taking us out in the ocean where we’d fish the shallow inshore reefs. At that age we didn’t care anything of size, but we had fun new and colourful fish. Eventually with the introduction of short parabolic style rods I was able to catch bigger and more powerful fish like kingfish, and from there my fishing addiction just kept growing and growing. 

What (e.g. escapism, competition, connection with people/nature) does angling give you?  

Fishing isn’t just a hobby it’s more of a way of life, to the point it’s what I make my living from. I was always told when I was younger to never make your passion your work because you’ll end up hating it but seven years on, I still love my job and I still love fishing. I go to work to go fishing and in my down time I go fishing. I love taking people out and see them get so much enjoyment from being on the water and at the same time I still love going off by myself to fish or fishing with mates. 

Who or what inspires your angling?

I don’t really need much inspiration to go fishing. I’m terrible at sitting still and fishing is what makes me happy. 

What has been your favourite moment/memory in fishing?

I have too many favourite fishing moments to list and strive to make good memories each time on the water. Not all involve trophy fish but some of my best captures would have to be a 125cm wild barramundi, a decent topwater yellowfin tuna and big wild bass. 

What’s your angling goals for the future?

I have a few different species and adventures in mind. I’d like to improve on targeting mulloway. I’ve caught a few now but I’d like to get better and catch bigger ones. Over the last couple of years, I’ve acquired all my gear for backpack hunting which I’d also like to put to use for some cod drifts. I have yet to get a cod on surface, so I’d really love to get them off the top too. Big flatties on surface and swimbaits seem to be a bit of a nemesis of mine so I really want to crack them.  Finally I want to catch more big barra.  

What advice would you give to new anglers entering the sport?  

Just to enjoy the process and not have too much emphasis on the end result. Fishing is more than just about catching fish, it’s about everything that’s involved to achieve it. The places it takes you, the emotions they evoke and the people you get to meet along the way. 

What can we do as anglers to make our sport and the industry better in the future?  

I think to make our industry better for the future. It’s important to recognise the significance you can make as an individual. It’s important to lead by good example because your actions aren’t just a reflection of you but the fishing community. Respect the environment. Picking up our rubbish and trying to leave the place how we found it. I’m a believer in karma and always feel I get good mojo for picking up rubbish I do find. 

Respecting your catch. I love eating fish and it’s important to always look after fish you’re going to keep, as well as fish you’re to let go properly. Humanly dispatching and having adequate ice to look after the fish & not taking more than you need.  Lastly be considerate of other people and other anglers.

What does the Daiwa brand mean to you?  

Growing up I’ve always held Daiwa of high stature. Daiwa strives to always provide the utmost quality, which instils confidence in anglers – and when you have confidence in the gear you’re using, you have confidence in being able to catch fish. I feel extremely proud to be a part of Daiwa and their continuous pursuit to produce anglers with the best.