Shaun Karlik holding a big dusky flathead out over the side of the boat in choppy water at the 2025 Mallacoota Flatty Classic

Should have zigged when we zagged

A father-and-son crew named after an old Port Phillip radio call sign, one centimetre off the top of the 2025 largest-flathead board, and one last session they're still thinking about.

Words by Shaun Karlik

Second on the 2025 largest-flathead board — 89cm

The Marine Boyz crew is myself and the old man John, the name for starters comes from many moons ago when dad used to fish for snapper on port Phillip bay and he had the call sign over the radio of Marine Boy, and it just stuck

We ended up entering as I seen some online advertisement I'm very familiar with flatty fishing, Mallacoota wasn't somewhere I had fished the vibes and hype seemed high and knew it was something I didn't wanna miss

Best moment on the water

The best moment would have been placing first day 1, to come out with a 90cm the first day fishing in the most ordinary conditions and just having 100% faith in what I was doing

Worst moment

The worst moment was actually when the comp ended we decided to head back out and smack a mid 80's fish that would have deffinetly moved us onto the podium, we went against our gut on the last session we should have zigged when we zagged

What surprised us

I think just the pure excitement people had who were involved, the pride people wore that represented the comp and the enjoyment and knowledge sharing everyone had

Back in 2026

We are deffinetly back in 26 and would be shocked if my name didn't pop up first with payment, biggest tip I can give is it's not a 1 style/method lake fish can appear anywhere in the deep on the flats on platstics or on hards have faith in your ability, that and look out cause Marine Boyz are coming for that Bell in 26!

Look out cause Marine Boyz are coming for that Bell in 26!

Shaun Karlik, Marine Boyz

more stories from 2025 are coming...

The invite's out to the rest of the crews. All stories

That's one crew's weekend.

The 2025 page has every board and every team, and the rest of the stories are told by the crews who fished against them.