Local man Corey Watson is an avid fisherman and inventor who lives and works on the Cooloola Coast.
He is committed to changing what we put into our oceans and has developed biodegradable fishing products under his business EcoFish and will launch them on 1 November 2022.
Corey is a quiet achiever who loves nothing more than throwing in a line at Tin Can Bay or Rainbow Beach while sitting beside his two dogs.
It was while doing this he realised he could make his recreational sport more environmentally friendly and set about ways to develop products that are biodegradable and sustainable for all our waterways.
Corey said he wants to make leisure activities become more environmentally friendly because “we have moved to a place in society where we have the technology to create biodegradable products.”
“As printer technology has evolved, we are now able to use bio resins which is essentially corn starch.
“We just have to change our mindset about how we produce our lures and tackle and I know it will take time to accept this as the new norm.”
He said for thousands of years, we have not appreciated our waterways. We have used them as a dumping ground for materials that are not sustainable or biodegradable.
“Our company is using modern technology to change the way we fish with no more putting line, sinkers, tackle, nets into our oceans that are not sustainable or biodegradable.
His products began with SandSinka which is a lead-free product that can behave as a float, sinker, burley bucket or extra weight (wet sand) for casting, which will be dispersed once the sinker hits the water.
With the connector added you can have a sinker or float with burley bucket, or a float with extra weight (wet sand) for casting, which will be dispersed once the sinker hits the water. All lead free and biodegradable.
EcoFish.com.au have also created the biodegradable multifunctional, lead-free lure. The lure can function as a surface lure, then when weight is added to the nose compartment, you can control the depth you want to fish.
The lure also can add burley to the tail section, so not only do you have a visual lure you have a lure that will trail burley in the water attracting your catch.
Corey said the design all started with a ‘Kinder Surprise’
“I couldn’t cast out far enough and didn’t want to add lead, so I found a plastic chocolate container and took it home, drilled it out, put sand into it, and I was able to get my casting distance without having to add extra lead onto the line.”
On November 1 he will launch his EcoFish sinker, swivel and lure and his website www.ecofish.com.au will go live.
There are five colours in the range, green, blue, dark blue, red, and white so you can mix and match to suit your fishing club colours or preferences.
Corey said, “I would encourage people to buy a few colours and mix it up or we can also produce custom colours if required.”
He said it has been a huge learning curve to go from an idea to a business and he has come a long way in the past year.
“I had a few meetings and then did a Founders course online, created a logo, got a grant through business basics, got a grant for a website and then had to patent the products, did more studying with TAFE and we are finally ready to launch.”
The production house is in Beerwah by RCD 3D and owned by James Russell.
Corey said James is an integral part of this business and it was James who got these products to the stage where they are now.
Corey will be launching six products on 1 November, the EcoFish sinker in three sizes, the lure in two sizes and a swivel.
There will be the option to buy bundles, custom club colours and he is launching the fluoro range before Christmas for great gift ideas.
Corey will be putting his products into local outlets and is looking for stockists now so now it’s all online.
To contact Corey find him on www.ecofish.com.au or via his phone 0435 852 321.
