For serious offshore fishing, Luke Ryan selects Mercury Verado

Local fishing pro Luke Ryan has selected a serious engine – a Mercury Verado 300 – to help him catch some serious fish along the W.A. coast and beyond.

Luke has recently overhauled his Haines Hunter Patriot 680, a specialist offshore fishing machine, with the biggest change being the powerhouse on the back.

“I wanted to replace what I had with an engine that would have more power, be more reliable and something modern,” he said.

“So I looked at what was available on the market, weighed up my options and decided the Mercury Verado 300hp was simply the best fit – and I can already see the benefits.”

“It feels as though I have a new boat”
Luke’s first impression was how smoothly the Verado starts, runs and accelerates with minimal vibration.

“The overall performance of my boat has well and truly increased, and to be completely honest it feels as though I have a new boat,” he said.

“The Verado is extremely quiet as well. Cruising at thirty knots, you can have a conversation in the cockpit without having to yell. At idle, you don’t even know the engine is on.”

The six cylinders Verado 300 also has all the power Luke needs to enjoy true bluewater fishing, along with the security of Verado’s famous reliability.

Active Trim

Along with the engine install Luke also opted for Mercury’s new Active Trim system – which was another huge winner.

“I have to admit, after using Active Trim for the very first time I was instantly a believer. Active Trim is hands down the best accessory I have had installed on my boat,” he said.

Mercury Marine’s Active Trim technology automatically and effortlessly trims an engine or engines, using a patented integrated GPS-based control system which takes into account both boat speed and rpm to deciding on the ideal trim position.

“I cannot believe how good it is. In fact, I can’t see myself owning a boat without Active Trim in the future,” Luke said. “It’s only early days for my Verado and I, but I can already see this relationship growing and I am looking forward to further exploring the W.A coastline with my renewed Haines Hunter Patriot.”