Jamie McKeown

My earliest childhood memory is fishing with my father. I can’t recall how old I was but one of my 1st fishing experiences I remember was I standing waist deep in water at Bribie Island, Qld fishing for whiting and dart. We used to use beach worms big long heavy rods and alvey reels. From there fishing has been a major part of my life. Growing up in the Sunshine Coast it was never computer games or phones after school or on weekends, it was all about fishing. Me and a few mates would jump on our bikes and go fishing, crabbing or prawning from the banks and not be home until dark. Sadly something my kids will probably never get to experience.

I continued to fish regularly into my adult years and even worked for a few years commercially line fishing chasing reef fish like snapper, pearl pearch and spanish mackerel. I then joined Qld Police and in 2012 a friend from work introduced me to lure fishing. I was well and truely hooked immediately although it did take a while for me to hook some fish. I pretty much just fished small surface lures all the time because that was just so addictive, catching mostly whiting and bream and the odd jack.

From there I went and entered an ABT as a non boater but missed out due to numbers. So to avoid that happening again I bought my 1st bassboat a Skeeter ZX250. I’ve spent ever since doing the ABT circuit and other team events when I can fit them in. I’ve had multiple podium finishes but the most important thing ABT has given is a network of mates that I consider will be lifelong friends.

I find myself these days more and more passionate about tournament fishing and the drive is ignited by failures mostly, not embarrassment or anything like that but the questions I ask myself on long drives home of how I could have done that better and a burn to get back there to do it better is what is constantly pushing me.

My greatest achievements to date would be winning the double header in the same year 2019. I won the 2019 Qld Open and the 2019 Australian Open, I was able to break the biggest overall bag record in the Australian open and it was all done using the 5.9g Cranka Crab the entire 3 days. I do truely love the single angler long format of the opens. I’m the sort of guy that if I’m close I’ll back myself to adjust and get closer to the front. I put a lot of my success down to the Cranka Crab, knowing what it does and where it needs to be to get the bites is what keeps me in the hunt. There’s no other big fish lure on the market it’s as simple as that.

Best Tournament Results

Brisbane Boat Show Invitational 2014 – 1^st place.
Gold Coast ABT Qualifier 2014 – 2^nd place,
Mallacoota ABT Qualifier 2016 – 2^nd place.
Gold Coast ABT Qualifier 2017 – 1^st place.
Port Macquarie ABT Grand Final 2017 – 2^nd place.
Gippsland Lakes ABT Qualifier 2018 – 2^nd place.
South West Rocks ABT Qualifier 2018 – 5^th place.
Hobie Gold Coast Round 2018 – 1^st place.
QLD Team Series 2018 – Series Champion.
John Dunphy Memorial Invitational 2018 – 1^st place.
QLD Bream Open 2019 – 1^st place.
Australian Bream Open 2019 – 1^st place.
Gold Coast ABT Grand Final 2019 – 5^th place.
ABT Mercury Cup Champion 2019.
Gippsland Lakes ABT Qualifier 2020 – 4^th place.
Bribie Island ABT Qualifier 2020 – 2^nd place.
QLD Bream Open 2020 – 6^th place,
Gladstone ABT Qualifier 2020 – 3^rd place.
QLD Team Series 2020 – Champion Team.
ABT No 1 Ranked Angler of The Year 2020.
Lake Macquarie ABT Qualifier 2021 – 1^st place.
Australian Bream Open 2021 – 2^nd place.
Gold Coast SFTA 2021 – 1^st place.
Tweed Heads SFTA 2021 – 1^st place.