Bill Kill

from STABIMAG 02

by stabimag

BLOODLINES

STABIWORKMAN

BILL KILL

BILL DIMITROPOULOS, AKA BILLY DEE, BOSSMAN AT

ZEIKEL FISHING AUSTRALIA,

COULDN’T FIND THE PERFECT BOAT. HE OWNED AND SOLD 25 RIGS BEFORE

FINDING HIS PERFECT MATCH IN A STABICRAFT

2050 FRONTIER.

Interview: STABIMAG Images: Billy Dimitropoulos

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SEE THE VIDEO AT YOUTUBE.COM/ STABICRAFTNZ

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www.thecaptain.tv64

STABIWORKMAN

CHILLIN’ AND GRILLIN’: When Billy Dee isn’t dragging wahoo over the gunwales of his Frontier, he’s hanging out at his fishing lodge in North Queensland.

STABIMAG: Welcome to STABIMAG, Billy Dimitropoulos. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Call me Billy Dee, for short. I’m 40 years old, with four kids, two chihuahuas and a house in Sydney. Prior to starting my Zeikel fishing tackle business, I ran a creative agency called Deep Digital.

Sounds painful. When did you first start growing gills?

My old man got me addicted to fishing when I was four. He’d wake me up every Sunday morning and we’d take the tinnie down to Rose Bay in Sydney. We’d paddle out to Shark Island where we’d fill the bucket with flatties and take them home for a feast. I bought my first boat when I was 14 — a centre console, naturally. Since then, I’ve always owned some type of boat.

Tell us about the Zeikel brand.

It just happened, it really wasn’t planned at all. I’ve always been involved in creating brands, so that part was easy. I wanted an online business and coupling that with my love for fishing, I thought, “Hey, here’s an idea!” I researched manufacturers in China, sent a few emails around and within no time it all just happened. I wasn’t expecting it to take off like it did — it’s been mental.

Where did the name come from? Zeikel sounds like the zit that turns into a freckle.

I get asked that a lot — wish I had a better story. I was sitting in my office with the team trying to come up with a name. We went back and forth for ages until one of the

boys called out from the back of the office, “What about Zeikel?” That was his name — Zeikel — and he was such a strange dude. He’d come to work in a suit and no shoes, different but unique. I liked it and the name stuck.

Our other halves get angry when we leave a couple of fishing rods in the lounge room. How did you convince yours to let you turn your entire house into a tackle shop?

My partner is a legend. She’s pretty patient, given we have so much shit lying around the place. But she’s involved in the business, so understands it’s all part of the gig.

We hear there’s also a Zeikel Fishing Lodge. Where is it and how many rods do we have to buy to score an invite?

I reckon I can hook you up. The lodge is in North Queensland, about an hour north of Townsville. It’s on the cusp of the Hinchinbrook and an epic place to fish.

Describe your work in five words.

Epic, fun, rewarding, painful (sometimes).

Run us through your boating history — from the first tinnie you ever owned to the battleship you cruise around in now.

My first boat was a 14ft (4.3m) Horizon CC tinnie with a 40HP Force outboard. She didn’t last long. As I got older and could muster up more coin, I flipped so many damn boats. I can’t remember how many, but way over 25. I always struggled to find the perfect one until I jumped into my Stabicraft Frontier for the first time.

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Sydney, Australia

“I ALWAYS STRUGGLED TO FIND THE PERFECT BOAT UNTIL I JUMPED INTO MY STABICRAFT FRONTIER FOR THE FIRST TIME.”

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STABIWORKMAN

KING STING: Billy bicep curls a solid kingy caught out of his Frontier.

SUNSET SESSIONS: Billy heads for the horizon aboard his 2050 Frontier.

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Why did you choose a Frontier?

Because it was exactly what I’d been searching for — epic big hull, alloy (we treat ’em mean up north), aggressive, soft-riding, lots of freeboard, layout and safety. I could go on and on. We travel wide up north — the closest reef is about 40nm, and we fish anywhere up to 120nm offshore. The Frontier is just the perfect boat for what we do — pop and jig.

So it’s all about sportfishing, eh? Can we interest you in 2750 Centrecab?

Funny you should say that, I just might have something in the works. :)

What other Stabi models have you been running?

I also owned a 2100 Supercab, awesome rig!

What are your favourite Stabi features?

Aesthetics. Yes, it’s true. I just love the look of them — they’re so tough.

If you could change one thing on a Stabi, what would it be?

I’d like somewhere to tuck my toes into when jigging. No big deal, but it’s the one thing.

Duly noted — are you reading this, Mike Stenton? What would the ultimate Stabi look like?

It would look like a 2750 Centrecab (insert drool emoji).

What outboards do you run?

We love our Hondas for their fuel-efficient reliability and mega warranty. We also like the extra weight. Strange, I know, but it’s not an issue for the Frontier, and it cushions out your landing a bit more — in most boats, anyway.

“AESTHETICS. YES, IT’S TRUE. I JUST LOVE THE LOOK OF THEM — THEY’RE SO TOUGH.”

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STABIWORKMAN

What about the electronics department?

We’ve run Raymarine for years. It’s an innovative company that continues to produce great gear.

What other fruit do you have on the Frontier?

She’s pretty much standard. I went with the extra-long casting platform because we do a lot of sportfishing. She’s running on a wicked Transtyle trailer that has done about 10,000km (6,213mi) without any maintenance. We added some Deck Armour to the floor, which makes all the difference in the heat. There’s a 150HP Honda and a couple of Axiom displays. She’s pretty standard, other than that.

Most memorable trip on a Stabicraft?

A couple of times a year we take the Frontier on board the mothership Big Cat off the coast of Queensland. These trips would have to be by far the most memorable. Being able to scoot around the Coral Sea, 250nm off the coast in a 20ft (6m) boat is just nuts!

Most memorable catch?

I have too many, seriously. I get excited catching anything. There are so many people trying to catch bigger and better fish — all those wannabe Instafamous fishos lose sight of what fishing is all about. I love every one of my catches.

How romantic. Any scary moments at sea?

Oh yeah! I once flipped a tender 250nm out to sea. They call me Flipper Skipper now. And no, it wasn’t a Stabi.

If you could only chase one species for the rest of your life, what would it be?

That’s a hard ask. I’d have to say trout off the flats.

What trip would you love to do next?

Watch this space. The next few trips will be epic. They will be far and wide — and they will not be on board a mothership.

Thanks Billy. We’ll be monitoring our inbox closely waiting for that North Queensland invitation to arrive.

www.thecaptain.tv

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DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: Billy micro jigs a donkey diamond trevally from the 2050’s casting platform.

“ALL THOSE WANNABE INSTAFAMOUS FISHOS LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT FISHING IS ALL ABOUT.”

BOAT SPECS

STABICRAFT 2050 FRONTIER Length: 6.2m (20ft) Beam: 2.24m (7ft) Deadrise: 17 degrees Seating capacity: 7 Dry hull weight (approx): 650kg (1433lb) Fuel capacity: 200L (53gal) Standard HP: 115HP Maximum HP: 175HP ELECTRONICS Raymarine Axiom units RV-100 RealVision Transducer ENGINE SPECS Model: Honda BF150 Type: DOHC four cylinder with VTEC Displacement: 2.35L Weight: 220kg (485lb) PRICE New Zealand: $89,995