Supertank: A Fish-eye View

There’s plenty of entertainment to lure the crowd at this year’s Moreton Bay Expo with the return of a visually amazing fishing show.

The Berkley Supertank Fishing Show will appear several times daily during the three-day expo and the entertaining and educational experience is a must-see for keen anglers.

Supertank operator and seasoned angler Michael ‘Cookie’ Cooke will demonstrate lure and bait fishing techniques from on top of the enormous tank. 

“The tank is 12 metres long and 3.8 metres high and it holds 14 thousand litres of water,” Cookie said. “It is the biggest mobile fish tank in the southern hemisphere.”

The show offers something for everyone, from beginners to the more experienced angler. Expo-goers will learn catch and release techniques and how to preserve their catch for the dinner table, as well as seeing first-hand how the fish respond to different lures. Kids will also enjoy watching the fish swim around inside the impressive tank.

“The show is for the whole family,” Cookie said.

“Being a lure show and the tank having clear Perspex sides, the angler gets to see how the lures work and the action in the water.

“The fish we use are trained barramundi. In most shows they will chase and bite the lures as in a real life situation. As with other years I have some of the newest and best lures to demonstrate to the audience. We don’t use any hooks so as not to hurt the fish.”

Cookie has more than 60 years fishing experience and has been presenting the Berkley Supertank Fishing Show for over 18 years. He said the tank had been at almost every major show or event in Australia including the Moreton Bay Expo.

“We’ve been at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and every major boat show including the Sydney Boat Show and Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, and every major field day, caravan and camping show, and hundreds of agricultural shows throughout Australia,” he said.

“With two tanks we were doing up to 70 events a year before COVID.”

Demonstrations go from 15 to 20 minutes with a short break in between.

Berkley Supertank Fishing Show with Cookie
Friday, 18 February to Sunday, 20 February, 9am, 10am, 12pm and 2pm with an additional 3.30pm show on Saturday
Redcliffe Showgrounds