You don't have to be a brain surgeon, or even a fisho, to guess that the Quintrex Top Ender range was born in the Territory.

Since then these popular aluminum boats have firmly established themselves throughout the country, or wherever there's a chance of a feed of fish. Like many long-lived designs, the Top Ender has received the odd upgrade over the passage and last year saw several significant changes - in response to customer feedback - to keep the model at the head of the fleet.

Quintrex Top Ender design changes

All Top Enders received new side-pocket designs and those from the 470 up gained a new transom and a more angular rear deck.

Compared to the superseded model, the new pockets are deeper and look to be double in size so there should be ample space for even the magpie fisherman to store everything from rods to gear. As well as providing more stowage, these new aluminum pockets seem to have the visual benefit of tidying up the interior of the boat.

Only a boat watcher would pick the changes to the rear deck on the 470 through to 560 models, but Quintrex thinks it looks sleeker and offers more rear-deck space.

The boat on test had a nifty 60hp Yamaha four-stroke bolted on the back and Quintrex reckon you'd be nuts to use anything more powerful. Certainly the smooth-running Yammy delivered plenty of bang for the bucks. Top speed was hard to check on a GPS whose battery decided to quit at the same time the throttle was opened.

But Frank, the owner of the boat, and a man not prone to exaggeration other than when it comes to the size of the fish he lands, claims he's had it out to 50kmh for a brief burst with a couple of solid blokes and their gear on board. Sounds about right.

Quintrex Top Ender In the driving seat

The boat comes both as a tiller-steer or a console model with a wheel.

Buy the console boat, because it's a smart setup on an alloy base with a moulded top that's bolted to the starboard gunwale, backed up by a solid deck strut and with a screen that deflects wind from the helmsman.

Frank has fitted a Garmin plotter/fishfinder on the rail and an Icom VHF on the console and there still looked to be space for other odds and sides among the usual gauges.

There's an open anchor well up front and a decent sized kill tank just aft of the forward casting deck as well as a compartment capable of stowing plenty of boat "stuff".

Down back there's a livebait tank above the transom bulkhead, and room for the battery and bits and pieces.

Even blokes should be capable of finding the fuel filter which is fitted in the engine tilt well along with the battery isolator switch. Neat.

Quintrex Top Ender Verdict

The proof is in the fishing and Frank reckons his catch is up since he got his Top Ender. Even allowing for a fisho's usual exaggeration, there's no doubt this tidy little package places no obstacle in the way of tight lines.