When Paul Worsteling dropped his fishing line off the Rye pier as a 12yearold back in 1986 little did he know the first fish he ever caught would start a life long career in the sport.
From those humble beginnings 20 years ago, to the lights and cameras of a nationally screened television show, the 32yearold Berwick resident has seen a great deal in such a short time.
The eventful journey begun with Paul catching a small flathead on a year seven school excursion and has today developed into the man being known worldwide for his fishing exploits.
But before people from Denmark, Italy and Sweden knew about Paul, he was giving advice to the local fishermen through his job in the sports department at KMart in Cranbourne.
“My first job was in the gardening section but I didn’t know a thing about plants.
“One day I sold one of the managers a fishing rod and he realised I was wasted in gardening so he got me moved to the sport sections,” said Paul.
That decision proved to be a pivotal point in Paul’s career and was greeted with delight by the many anglers that visited KMart just to speak to the youngster and find out where the fish were biting in the area.
But KMart was to only be a stepping stone in the ambitions of the then 15yearold and he quickly moved on to the local bait and tackle shop in Cranbourne where he worked on a casual basis for seven years.
While his love for fishing insured he went to work full of enthusiasm, Paul laboured through the last few years of secondary school dreaming that he was out on the water casting a line.
“I hated secondary school with a passion but I persevered, just hung in there and tried my best and ended up getting pretty good results.
“But then I had to decide what to do next so I applied for a physical education teaching course at Deakin University and during those four years I had the best time, learnt heaps and made heaps of friends.”
But Paul was to spend more years studying than actual days teaching after he realised that a day in the classroom just didn’t compare to a day of fishing.
“I spent three days as a teacher at Eummerring Secondary College and during that short stint I would set the students class work and then I wrote my fishing articles,” laughed Paul.
Although the teaching degree didn’t get used for its intended purpose, Paul was able to gain invaluable life experience from his time at university and he has tried to bring those skills into his fishing adventures.
“What it taught me was how to teach and I have been able to take that into my public speaking, as well as addressing the customers that come into my shop.” The customers that Paul talks about are the lifeblood of his two specialised fishing stores, the first one in Cranbourne bought when he was 22 years old and his Berwick shop bought only a few years ago.
“I will never forget the day my old boss rang me and said I need to talk to you, he then went on to tell me he was getting out and he wanted me to buy the shop.”
He said he was in two minds about his future.
“It was a really bizarre situation where I never ever thought I could do it but I never doubted that I would.”
But the dream would never be realised with just the savings and financial history of a young man straight out of university and any request for funds from a bank was met with a firm ‘no’.
“The banks just kept telling me that I needed bricks and mortar, so my mum and dad made a massive decision and put their house up against the money I borrowed to buy the business.”
That courageous decision by Paul’s parents would signal the start of a thriving business that now attracts customers from all over the world for some of the best fishing advice and equipment.
“Along with the customers that come in from all over Australia and the world, I also have the locals I have been dealing with for about 16 years who use to come in and see me as a 15yearold at KMart.”
But the work in his two tackle shops is only the start of Paul’s fishing commitments, which also extend to the television, print and radio mediums.
“The media work I do has been great for my business as it has given me a profile out there which people can trust and as a result that makes them want to come into the shop.”
Paul has grown that profile over the years and being able to work with the master of all things fishing, Rex Hunt, has only helped him in establishing his fishing identity.
“I have worked with Rex on 3AW for the last nine years and also appeared on his television show for four years so that has really helped me in learning the trade.”
Paul has now taken centre stage with his close friend Lee Rayner and the two have launched IFISH, a Channel 10 fishing show that combines fishing education with action packed footage of them both catching fish in a number of different environments.
Paul’s love for fishing also brought him across his other great love, his wife, Cristy, who he met while working at the Cranbourne tackle shop as a teenager.
“We have known each other for about 15 years and she has been such a great support for me in so many ways.”
The two share their love for fishing and Cristy always drops a line in and joins Paul when he travels throughout Australia filming his television show.
“It’s great that we both share a passion for fishing and there is nothing better than when we can spend a weekend away fishing together somewhere.”
While nearly every fisherman can sit down and tell you a tell, the story that Paul Worsteling can tell is as entertaining and exciting as you are likely to hear.
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