Mark Gercovich, as most of you know, writes for VFM and is another keen angler from the Victoria’s south west.

1. Name, age and where’s home?

Mark Gercovich. 34. I live in Warrnambool.

2. How long have you been fishing – can you remember your very first fish?

My first fish was a redfin at Lake Wendouree when I was five.

3. How many days a year do you fish on average?

If you count half a dozen flicks in the river on the way to and from work – about 100-130 days per year.

4. What’s your favourite lure/bait?

For trout, EP and bass I favour a pearl olive Rapala 7cm minnow lure and a Team Daiwa Vibe Au bibless minnow. For bream I prefer Ecogear SX40 302 hard-bodied lures or a Gulp Turtleback worm. My favourite baits are fresh squid, live mullet and gudgeon.

5. Who are the three most influential or admired people who contributed to your angling addiction?

I have always enjoyed Steve Starling’s articles – I even remember ‘borrowing’ a couple of his one-liners for a year 12 assignment!

I also admire what Kaj ‘Bushy’ Busch and Steve have done for light line sportfishing.

Chris Wright is the benchmark that all tournament anglers are chasing at the moment.

6. If you had three wishes, what would change about today's fishing world?

Fisheries to stock a lake in secret for 1-2 years and then open it up. That would be fun.

Remove extreme greenies. They give anyone who genuinely cares for the environment a bad name.

Stop the overexploitation of some species by commercial harvesting.

7. List some of your PBs.

Bream – 47cm

EP – 50cm

Brown trout – 63cm

Mulloway – 98cm

GT – 20kg

Yellowfin tuna – 60kg

8. You’ve got one month left to live – where and how do you now fish your last days?

That depends on what month it is! I’ve never fished for impoundment barra so that would be good. I also love kings and silvers so some time on Lord Howe Island would be good. I would go back to the Kimberlys happily too.

9. When you’re six foot under, what will other anglers best remember you for?

As someone who enjoyed fishing and sharing good times with mates.

10. What’s been your worst fishing experience?

I went all the way to Croker Island on a barra trip only to discover that the fish had stopped biting the week before.

11. What are some of your hottest sessions or greatest memories on the water?

It’s a very tough call. A friend and I once scored 14 mulloway to 7.5kg in a short morning session on the Glenelg. I always enjoy catching kings and big sambos out of a small boat. My best tournament memory is getting into the ABT Grand Final (top 5) and landing the heaviest bag on the last day.

12. What are you reading at the moment and favourite music?

I don’t read much aside from the newspaper and fishing magazines. My favourite music is heavy rock from the 80s – Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and Van Halen.

13. It’s easy to criticise, moan or complain, but over the last few years, what are three big positive outcomes or developments in our sport of angling?

A: I think the movement away from the ‘kill and grill’ mentality has been excellent.

B: The boom in the quality of light line sportfishing tackle.

C: The lift in the profile of angling amongst young people in the past decade.

14. You’re a fishing tragic and totally obsessed – how have you stayed in a relationship?

I visit websites such as bouy weather to pick the best times to go fishing. That way valuable brownie points are not wasted on fishing crap conditions.