Meet the Team

Jack Gillespie

With an insatiable appetite for time on the water Jack’s spoilt for choice when it comes to angling options. A Tassie local, Jack found his love for fishing when he was young, chasing flathead with his father and grandfather in the nearby bay.

Today, Jack’s angling adventures are more diverse with squid, snapper, and bream in the salt keeping him in touch with his angling roots, while the lure of the fresh sees him walking his local Tassie streams for trout or heading to the mainland to fish Victoria’s Lake Eildon for Murray cod.

About Jack

Name:

Jack Gillespie

Location (City/State):

Bridport, TAS

Profession/Job:

Mechanic

Favourite angling location?

Tough, but I would have to say Lake Eildon in Victoria.

Favourite species to chase?

Murray cod and snapper.

Favourite style of angling?

Light tackle soft plastics fishing for bream and snapper or throwing oversized lures at structure for Murray cod.

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

Fishing was something I got into at a very young age growing up by the ocean. Some of my earliest memories are being out in the tinny with my father and grandfather.

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

Bottom bashing for flathead out in the bay. It's very simple fishing and I still go back to it time to time.

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

Fishing is definitely a form of an escape for me but it is also a very calming hobby being so in touch with Mother Nature. My favourite places to fish are where no one else is and there’s no trace of anyone being there recently.

Who or what inspires your angling?

Many factors keep me motivated when heading off fishing. Sometimes it’s fishing a new area, heading off on a big trip or simply just trying to get that next big bite.

What has been your favourite moment/memory in fishing?

That’s an extremely tough question because I have so many fond memories while fishing. I could say my first big Murray cod while fishing solo at Lake Eildon or catching my PB flathead with a couple of close mates last summer.

What’s your angling goals for the future?

100kg plus bluefin tuna is my goal for the rest of 2025.

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

That’s easy, just enjoy yourself. Fish how you want to fish and don’t worry about how anyone else goes about it.

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

Take care of the environment, get familiar with proper fish handling techniques. Take your rubbish home with you and leave no trace you were ever there!

What does the Daiwa brand mean to you?

Friendship, quality and reliable. I’m extremely honoured to be part of such a great team and feel very lucky I can endorse such quality gear!