Kiwi personal watercraft (PWC) fishing pioneer, entrepreneur and innovator Andrew Hill has been instrumental in the development of Sea-Doo’s FishPro range. Sea-Doo, part of Canada’s giant Bombardier Group, is the world’s leading manufacturer of personal watercraft.
Andrew Hill is a name not known to most outside of New Zealand’s sportfishing community. They also don’t know the impact Hill has had on the fishing and marine landscape globally.
Hill’s unique and invaluable contribution was marked on November 6 by the global release of a short film, the latest edition in Sea-Doo’s ‘Inspired By’ series.
The 15-minute film traces Hill’s personal PWC journey, the early years, fishing adventures, his health challenges, and the business of taking a grassroots concept and turning it into the global phenomenon that is the Sea-Doo FishPro. For Andrew Hill, that journey has culminated in becoming a Sea-Doo Global Brand Ambassador.
From a typical New Zealand childhood centred around water activities, Andrew grew up to develop a passion for PWC fishing, always encouraging others to join him in his adventures. Along the way, he and his mates worked out ways to make PWC fishing easier and safer.
Hill doesn’t fish just close to the mainland, often taking on big adventures in rugged, offshore conditions. The unpredictability of the elements is always a consideration for anyone involved in water sports. “We go fast in hard seas,” Hill says, “so I needed a PWC that could keep up.”
Through trial and error, rounds of development, and losing his day’s catch, chilly-bin, and rods to the sea on more than one occasion, the Ultimate Rod Holder was born. It revolutionised PWC fishing for jet-ski fishers around New Zealand and demand for Hill’s fishing systems soared.
Hill’s early DIY tinkering had developed into a highly successful business manufacturing, selling, and installing fishing equipment for personal watercraft. At the same time, he was building an impressive online presence and tirelessly promoting PWC fishing by organising events, fishing competitions, seminars and more. Hill’s children, Jayden, Cooper and Ava, often accompanied him out on the skis. They still do – passing down his fishing skills and sharing the experience and lifestyle with them is important to him.
The ripple effect of ski fishing was being felt across the pond in Australia, where its popularity was rising fast, and globally as well, particularly in the USA. People all over were kitting out their PWCs for the sport. Big players like Sea-Doo were beginning to sit up and take notice.
It took quite a few years, but the success of Hill’s innovative PWC fishing equipment solutions and his strong social media presence eventually caught the attention of Sea-Doo. They reached out to Hill part-way through a project to develop a factory-ready, fit-for-purpose sportfishing PWC – a world-first.
Sea-Doo Canada sent a lead engineer and a global product manager to New Zealand to see Hill. He took them fishing and they had a ball, despite crappy weather and rough seas. The Canadians were sold on PWC fishing – and Andrew Hill.
Later, Sea-Doo flew Hill to Canada to show him the prototype FishPro they were working on. In candid fashion, Hill told them what he thought needed changing or improving. The upshot was that Sea-Doo brought him into the project as a lead collaborator, working with their Global Product Strategy team developing the world’s first factory-fitted sportfishing PWC.
Launched in 2019, every FishPro in every Sea-Doo showroom around the world is the result of this collaboration – they’re quite literally inspired by Andrew Hill. Since its release a few years ago, the FishPro has been a hugely successful model for Sea-Doo, which continues to improve its equipment and specification with each model year.
For 2022, FishPro is available in three editions: the entry-level FishPro Scout 130, the longer and higher-powered FishPro Sport 170 and the flagship, fully kitted-out FishPro Trophy 170.
We had Sport and Trophy models to ride at a special press event to mark the release of the Andrew Hill film, both with 170hp Rotax four-stroke engines.
The two skis differ only in specification, the Sport making do with monochrome LED gauges, rather than the full colour displays on the Trophy, and a smaller Garmin fishfinder. The Sport (and Scout) also lacks the Trophy’s Quick-Connect live well and washdown system (brilliant), premium sound system (optional) and Intelligent Debris-free Pump System (optional). The Trophy’s dual battery system is optional on the Sport.
The Sea-Doo FishPro Sport/Trophy 170 is a great machine to ride – fast, responsive, excellent in the rough, and remarkably comfortable in most conditions. It’s also a stable and roomy platform, whether fishing solo or two-up. The model is rated for up to three passengers.
But it’s the fishing-specific features that really set the FishPro Series apart – and where Andrew’s influence is most visible. There’s the LinQ fishing cooler, reminiscent of Hill’s Ultimate Rod Holder, with multi-position, lockable rod holders and external tackle box storage; spray-protected, side-mounted Garmin MFD; the superb live well/washdown system; and the additional rod holders at the front of the PWC – perfect when re-rigging tackle or dealing with fish. The seat is also designed for fishing comfort – and there’s a genius drop-in fishing seat for the rear platform, which, while standard, will probably appeal most to the US market.
Sea-Doo’s LinQ attachment point system allows quick, easy connection of a large range of LinQ accessories, including fishing coolers, cargo boxes, bags, auxiliary fuel tanks, clips for gaff poles, nets, pliers, trace spools and so much more. The FishPro 170’s extended rear platform leaves not only more fishing room, but also more space for LinQ accessories.
The storage locker in the bow is easier to access – the handlebars hinge forward with the lid – and better organised than ever before too.
The Sea-Doo FishPro really is the only PWC that’s ready to fish straight off the showroom floor, whichever model you choose. And you can keep on adding more equipment and accessories, thanks to Sea-Doo’s LinQ system.
Sea-Doo FishPro – Andrew Hill’s handprints are all over it.
