Jack Cullen | Small Horsepower, Big Adventures

Biggest and flashiest boat is not always best

For 14-year-old Jack, having the freedom to get out on the water solo, or with his mates, and enjoy a day catching and tagging whatever species he decides to target, is what life is all about. For Jack, small horsepower delivers big adventures.

Jack’s been fishing for 11 years, which means he started when he was three years old, and he has the photos to prove it. Amazingly, he has had his own boat for nine of those years, and growing up on the water has made him comfortable with boat handling, confident with lure fishing, and impressively disciplined about water safety and caring for the environment for a young man of his age.

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His fishing story starts the way most do, with family guidance. Jack’s dad, James Cullen, owns Stones Corner Marine in Brisbane, Queensland, so Jack has grown up around tinnies, outboards, trailers and the kind of practical advice you get from people who spend their days keeping others safe and on the water.

“Dad has always fished, and he introduced me to fishing on family holidays,” Jack says. “Once you catch your first fish you just want another and another. I was addicted straight away, then I realised that if I was on the water and able to move from place to place I’d maximise my chances of hooking a fish, that’s what started the dream of fishing from a boat.”

Jack’s current setup is a Sea Jay 350 Creek Masta, bought second-hand and paid for with money earned mowing lawns. The way the boat is presented and maintained shows that Jack is keen to look after his investment. However, this is not Jack’s first boat. That was a 40-year-old, 10-foot Stacer dinghy that had been passed down through family connections. The progression from a basic dinghy to a purpose-built creek boat reflects the environment he likes to fish: shallow water, structure, and short runs between spots.

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Power is provided by a 6hp 1986 Yamaha 6CMS. The outboard has its own story. Jack says he and his father searched long and hard for a second-hand 6hp outboard. James was determined to find the right unit, and finally a customer who had an “as-good-as-new” 6hp agreed to part with it.

“He would only sell it to us if we agreed that the outboard was for me and not for Dad,” Jack explains. When they picked it up they discovered that “as-good-as-new” really meant never been used. “It even still had the original swing tags on the tiller, as well as the original invoice,” Jack says. The outboard and the way it was acquired are the perfect match for Jack’s boat and you can tell he’s super proud of the set-up he has.

Jack’s tinnie and outboard combo provide him with the sort of freedom teenage boys crave, especially those who love getting out into the environment, but on-water safety is paramount to the Cullen family. James instilled important safety lessons and procedures into Jack from a young age, and that has resulted in a mature and safety-focused approach on the water. A small-horsepower outboard and a matched tinnie keep everything manageable for anglers Jack’s age. Lower speeds, simple controls, and a boat that can be launched, handled and retrieved without drama also mean improved safety and peace of mind for parents.

“The independence of having my own boat has come with responsibility,” Jack says. “I’ve had to learn to read the water and weather, but also the waterway rules and boat safety.”

“Dad is huge on safety and responsibility,” Jack adds. “He has taught me most of what I know… from launching to starting and driving, anchoring and retrieving them onto the trailer.”

His favourite waterway is Tingalpa Creek, which is easy to access and has a wide variety of fish species to target. While working on this story, an impressive 62cm flathead was reeled in by Jack’s fishing companion and Jack made sure to remind his dad that the best he has done is in the 50cm range.

During school term Jack gets out on the water at least once a fortnight, and during holidays he can be found on the water up to three days a week if the weather is favourable. Jack has also fished Hinchinbrook in North Queensland, and freshwater spots such as Leslie Dam on the Darling Downs. More recently, he took his boat to Warwick to chase Yellowbelly and Murray cod with his uncle.

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Small boat fishing has also changed what’s possible for him geographically. “Having the ability to fish from a boat gives me the opportunity to fish many locations not accessible by land,” Jack says. “It is always an escape and an adventure too.”

Jack tags his fish through Suntag, a citizen science program. He records tag number, species, length, location and whether the fish was caught on lure or bait and he submits the information to a central database. He says he regularly recaptures the same fish and likes tracking growth and movement. “Amazingly, I once caught the same black spot rock cod four times in three months,” he says.

Lure fishing is Jack’s preference, both hard and soft baits. “I love catching and releasing nearly all my fish,” he says.

Jack’s advice to anyone else his age looking to follow his lead: “Don’t think you have to have the biggest or fastest or flashiest boat to have fun,” he says. “Work hard and get whatever you can to get out there and start enjoying it. Most important of all, learn everything you need to know to be safe on the water.”

Yamaha’s portable outboard line runs from 2.5hp through to 25hp. They are engines built for tinnies, tenders, car-topper dinghies and lightweight creek boats. They’re affordable, and straightforward to use which makes learning easy for new boaters. Like Jack says, little boats deliver big adventures.