Profish 4.7

There is a well-worn adage that says "when you're on a good thing, stick to it!" Unfortunately, sometimes you can't, and that was the case when we gave away the Trailer Boat Trailcraft 5m Profish in October last year. It signified the end of a great relationship, with yours truly having enjoyed more than a few hours in it, fishing the bass impoundments of south-east Queensland, dams in New South Wales, Lake Mulwala in Victoria and the stormy waters north of Fraser Island to name but a few regular haunts. As an all-rounder it was tops, but all good things must come to an end.

PEAS AND CARROTS
As Trailcraft's new 4.7m Profish slid off the trailer into the glassy waters of Deception Bay in Queensland, I had a few flashbacks to those trips and some of the fish that came in over the side of its bigger sister.

Looking cosmetically similar to the 5m model, the 4.7m model measures about 300mm shorter, 5mm narrower in the beam and 70kg lighter than its sibling.

Jumping aboard and idling out into the bay, the reduced length seemed to make little difference compared to our old project boat. Other than a refined side console set to starboard, an alteration to the seat locations and some of the add-ons that we had in the old boat, the new model felt very similar in comparison.

This boat was powered by Mercury's 60hp EFI four-stroke, and with the author and one lightweight passenger aboard, the engine seemed very well matched. There was no neck-snapping holeshot, but rather a gradual climb onto the plane; the point of achieving the plane was difficult to detect.

At 3200rpm the GPS displayed 17kmh, while full throttle at 5900rpm gave us a speed over the ground of 58kmh. If three adults or a family of four were to regularly fish from this platform, a few more horses might be advisable in order to maintain peak performance. With maximum horsepower of 75 bolted on the transom, it certainly would be a top performer in its class.

RED RIDER
With no waves to spoil a perfect morning, we were content to make our own and, as expected, we remained totally dry.

Amy, my 11-year-old daughter, was even able to handle the helm with ease during tight high-speed turns, which is the result of correct engine height set-up and good quality mechanical steering.

As far as open plate alloy fishing boats go, they don't come much more serious than the Trailcraft. Low profile bowrails on gunwales that rise 450mm off deck level provide extra security when standing on casting deck with room for two. From here you access an open well that holds a large Danforth anchor and more than enough rope for most estuary fishing situations. A solid bowsprit extends from the bow, and aft of the anchor well a large bollard is welded to the deck.

Stepping off the forward carpeted casting platform, the gunwale comes up to a comfortable, stable and safe 600mm on the legs, and handrails in the aft quarters further add to passenger safety.

TOUGH AS NAILS
In the aft end of the casting platform a flush-fitting hatch opens on a gas strut revealing a huge kill tank, which is bunged externally through the bottom of the hull. This allows easy filling and drainage of water to keep your catch alive - or, as an ice slurry tank, to keep dead fish in prime eating condition.

Five seat spigot bases are fixed into the floor. One is on the forward casting deck and two are staggered just forward of the console line. The most important one is for the passenger adjacent to the skipper, allowing two people to stay aft in rough water while remaining on the plane.

With a fully-carpeted, welded aluminium deck covering a 120lt fuel tank filled from the port gunwale, this rig has all the hallmarks of a workhorse.

The console is very practical with a large fenced area on top for tools and so on. On a sloping facia below there's an aperture for stowing personal effects out of the weather, and a four-switch panel is also located here.

There is a flat section in front of this aperture that would allow for further electronics on gimbals to be mounted if the room on top were insufficient or used for another purpose. Below that, another sloping section holds the wheel and gauges to the starboard side of it. Below that again is the main entrance to the console, with a shelf large enough to hold three lifejackets and a marine radio.

The floor section of the console has a fence rail across the front to prevent gear sliding out during bumpy travel. All up, it's a workable design.

The console on this model is freestanding and fixed to the deck. It sits about 90mm out from the starboard gunwale and the space in between could serve no purpose, as the looms and steering cable within a convoluted tube pass out from that side of the console and run under the gunwale to the transom.

For the sake of added strength and extra useable space in the cockpit, it would be more practical to also weld the console to the gunwale.

With the wiring loom passing out of the transom in the starboard quarter, it crosses over the boarding platform, making the obvious choice for a ladder on the opposite side - which is exactly where it was located.

Should the serious angler wish to have an auxiliary engine mounted, the only place for it would be on the starboard side. The combination of the extra engine weight on this side with the console and skipper would make the vessel list uncomfortably. If contemplating auxiliary power, a centre console setup like the 5m Profish would help in the balancing act and be the author's choice.

NICE REAR END
The transom sported a large, sturdy bait preparation station that featured a pair of rodholders. Below that was an optional livebait tank installed in the top of the transom bulkhead.

A shelf below held the battery box that was fixed closer to the starboard side. Moving this more central to the bowline would also address any weight imbalance. I stress at this point that we did not experience any list in the attitude of the boat, but once you start piling heavy gear into small boats, its attitude and performance can be affected.

Access out onto the boarding platform and onto the fold down ladder is gained via a door swinging on a sturdy pipe hinge over a sill of about 150mm, in which a scupper is installed along with one further over in the stern. A collapsible canopy over the helm area added to the creature comforts and would be a blessing in warmer climates.

BULLETPROOF HULL
The overall construction of this boat is heavy duty, the bottom being 4mm plate with 3mm sides - pretty substantial for a 4.7m boat. Generally the soft, stable ride offered by Trailcraft boats (and we've been in a few) even in lousy sea conditions - as we experienced in our former project boat - is one of the brand's highlights.

In the production-line aluminium fishing boat market, quality construction, along with spaciousness and miles of potential when it comes to serious sportfishing fitouts, puts the Trailcraft 4.7 in the front line.