Bait to Plate

Kev Collins

Well known Restauranter and co-owner of Fish D'vine & The Rum Bar in Airlie Beach. When Kev's not working he's out fishing in the amazing food bowl of the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park or in his tinnie in the estuaries crabbing! His blog imparts wisdom, tales and info on all things fishing and food.

Blogging again and the new "RV"

It has been a while since I have posted but a lot has changed in the last 10 months. Work/life balance has had a radical shift, fishing has taken a bit of a back seat and cooking remains a big part of who I am and will remain so. This the first of 2 quick posts, mainly because  lot is going on and a lot of photos will be tagged. I have become, or am about to be become a "Grey Nomad". I have officially retired from day to day operation of our business and now really only have 1 employee, our CEO, who is now vested with the responsibility of our entire operation, the 300,000 meals a year we prepare and all the issues of staffing, cost control and marketing but  think we have spent the best part of the last year getting the people and systems in place so that Fish D'Vine and D'Vine Catering & Events will still be thriving in 20 years time. It is just so rewarding seeing other people step up, all with passion and pride in our company and ready to continue doing what we have been doing for 14 years. Make people happy, serve great food, answer yes to every question.

Back to the Grey Nomad "thing", we are doing it a little differently. Our big "RV" floats. Every "camp ground" we pull up in will be absolute waterfront and I don't have to pay camping fees, nor will we have next door neighbors right beside us.. I can tow a fishing boat behind without needing a trailer or ramp to launch on. (on that subject google "bubbas boat test" on you tube....& no this is not what I mean about not needing a trailer).

I am going to start blogging a lot. As I have researched becoming a water-bound grey nomad it is clear that most of what is written and posted is about yachts and sailing. I don't think the average "yachty" knows much about fishing. Throwing a lure over the back on 100 lb handline while sailing is NOT fishing. So as we travel and fish I am going to go into specifics. Creeks, tides, fish, lures, baits. I will GPS them and try to give specific detailed information on the North Queensland Coast on what is caught, how they are caught, where and when. I won't have any (or at least not many) "secret spots" unless I have been given them by others who want them kept private. But, if I find them myself, they will be published. I hope the spend the next 5 years cruising, fishing, cooking and blogging between maybe Great sandy Straights and Princess Charlotte Bay, maybe even further north. If you are a reader and want the low down on a specific area, send me a message & I'll see if I can fit it into future plans. I will mainly fish inshore. Creeks, rivers, bays and islands. I have a lovely little lightweight Cross Country X fishing boat on the back with a 40 HP Merc 4 stroke. Motor Guide electric and top range hummingbird sounder. This will do for this post. I will have a lot to "bang on about", including a recent fly fishing trip to South Andros...1 pic above and everything is right in the world. Cheers