My name is Craig Beck, some of my mates I fish with call me Cracka but for all the forums I go by the name Bassassin, which is what will appear on my boats. I have a canoe which I nearly sink these days, an 11ft tinny, a smaller fibreglass boat and a tender vessel I am doing up. I intend to have a boat for all occasions.

I was born in Nowra and still live in Nowra, I am single and don't have any issues about being able to go fishing except when the budget doesn't allow it.

My father, Richard, and his mate, Leo Massey (a descendant from the professional fishing family that spread across the country like a plague of carp in the early days) set in motion my destiny to have a rod in my hands as they were keen anglers themselves and both carpenters/builders.
From an early age I was dragged around the country, across the country and up and down the country not to forget in and out of country. I was thrown over banks in boats in crocodile infested waters just in case the boat got away by surprise. Yay for me!

I have fished the top end from the Whit Sunday Islands in the mangroves for Mangrove Jack through the Gulf at Karumba then Kakadu and inland North Western Australia across to Broome for Barra and from Broome to Exmouth to Shark Bay for Golden Trevally and Snapper.
I have grown up fishing the South East coastal regions from Nowra to Johnsons Reach at Mallacoota for bream as my home ground prior to all this travel and inland to Lake Jindabyne, Lake Eucumbene and around Tumut. I have also fished out the back Bourke for the almighty Murray Cod and all this by the age of 15.

I have a passion for sweet water. I enjoy the serenity of the surrounds and the abandonment of the general rat race. As a young fellow I have fished places you can't get to today and places that didn't have bitumen roads leading to them back in the day.

I recently started on the fly rod in 2007 and have caught Bass only. At the moment I can't get enough fishing but still seem to be doing a lot of it. I practise catch and release a lot these days, which isn't all that hard. Just unhook the fish and plop him back in! I only seem to bring home the odd rusty fish such as flathead and bream. Oh and I've smoked a trout or two.

I don't mind the odd competition due to my competitive nature and I'm not bothered about losing them as I enjoy fishing itself and seeing what others can catch.

I currently own and manage a skate shop in Nowra which I started with $1000 and am over the constant grind of it all and am looking for a career move to be able to pursue my favourite thing of all more often, fishing and the outdoors.

My regular reports will be on the chat page under the South East NSW report topic, month by month and more than likely I'll be involved in other topics stirring the pot as I don't mind a debate either.

You can email him at Craig.Beck[at]sweetwaterfishing.com.au