Meet the Team

Peter Phelps

Quietly spoken, yet outgoing in his angling insights and on the water, Peter is a thinking man’s angler. Honing much of his fishing acumen on the bass fishing tournament trail Peter finds fishing satisfaction on and off a bass lake.

While impoundment bass fishing was his driving passion in his early days, today Peter looks a little more seaward and loves fishing offshore for pelagics and chasing estuary species with his young family.

About Peter

Name:

Peter Phelps

Location (City/State):

Branxton NSW

Profession/Job:

Electricity Production Operator

Favourite angling location?

I've been lucky enough to fish all over the world in my travels. But for convenience close to home and plenty of willing fish to eat a lure all year round, it's hard not to pick Lake St Clair in the Hunter Valley.

Favourite species to chase?

I've grown up chasing bass in my early lure fishing adventures but of late I am really enjoying chasing saltwater species with my family and live baiting for pelagics.

Favourite style of angling?

Lure casting for any species.

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

I guess it's always been there. My parents always had me outdoors when I was young. Growing up on a farm, camping, hunting, and fishing and we would holiday on the coast. As soon as I could hold a rod and fish by myself, I would spend hours by the water's edge catching anything I could.

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

I was head over heels for fishing, but my family couldn't afford to buy me a lot of gear. I learnt to adapt with what I had. I used to find a springy branch and tie on a short length of line and tiny hook for catching bait fish. I had one rod and a hand reel. I’d grab a couple of slices of bread for bait fish. I’d put a livie on the hand reel and slab up some bait fish for the rod. This would keep me entertained for hours. Usually, the only thing driving me back home would be the hunger pains creeping in.

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

Once I'm on the water nothing else matters. The phone usually goes away. All the noise from the outside world just stops and those few hours can feel like pure freedom. Put that with being outside amongst nature, you see some pretty special things. Fishing is also a universal language. Being able to connect with anyone over the world who shares the same passion has been great for me.

Who or what inspires your angling?

The unknown. We never truly know when the next big fish or moment is going to come. We hope, we prepare, we adjust, we strive but sometimes we don't succeed. This lights the fire inside to do better next time. It makes those moments when it all comes together so much sweeter.

What has been your favourite moment/memory in fishing?

Tournament bass fishing has dominated my goals during my early years. I've been fortunate enough to win some special ones, travel overseas and meet some amazing people. It's hard to place one exact moment. That's one of the things I love about fishing.

What’s your angling goals for the future?

It's forever changing but last season was an inshore marlin with my family. We got close a couple of times; I'm hoping it's our turn this summer.

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

Enjoy the moment. I can only imagine with today's age of social media that we have changed our way of thinking about fishing. While it's great to have so much untapped information at your fingertips. Life’s not a competition. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Remember the reason why you started fishing in the first place.

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

Be responsible for your actions. We all want there to be plenty of fish in the future and we don't want any more restrictions to the sport we love doing most. Clean up after yourself. Take your rubbish with you. Don't take under size fish or too many. Treat the fish and their environment with respect.

What does the Daiwa brand mean to you?

Long before I was a part of the Daiwa team, I always held the brand as the best in the market. Fast forward years from then I can't believe how far it's come along. I stand proud by every product, knowing the whole team put in 100% on every detail. I have total faith that every aspect would have been considered and anyone wondering if they should buy the Daiwa brand, I know they won't be disappointed.