Bream Mad

Hot Session Mate You know you are in for a good day when you first cast best nailed on the drop Bream must be running hot at the moment, caught 4 yesterday in one hour, biggest was close to 30cm. Cheers BM

On Gulps in general the pumpkinseed minnow grub's in 2" and 3" are deadly on bream and anything else around . Only problem is they are not that durable. I don't fish the worms much because it is too much like bait fishing for my liking (slow) and hookup rate is poor, but they do pull whiting when you are after a feed

That is a great bream mate Just goes to prove that if you consistently put in the hours you will eventually come across a monster!! Cheers BM

It took me a while to find a decent spot, I have probably walked upstream and downstream 3km searching for likely water. I find that the muddy flats with structure (weed, rocks)fish the best and on a a falling tide. There are also a few rock platforms i like to fish that are quite deep and hold a few suprises. I look forward to exploring more once the Yak is purchased. BM

Hey Matt, When i started fly fishing 3yrs ago i brought a gillies combo for about $250. It is 6/7 weight 9'. Came with a graphite reel and the action can best be described as SLOW, but it was perfect for me when i started out and i still use it on accasions despite owning more expensive models. I have heard the innovator combo's are pretty good as well. Combo's usually come with a WF floating line of some sort so you realy just need a tapered leader 9', tippet material and flys. I would suggest getting some instruction on casting either from a guide, video or from someone who knows how to do it. I joined the Sydney flyrodders Club and this provided immense help in finding fish and learning to fly fish. What species do you want to target? Cheers BM

Hi Raiders, After watching AFC round 1 I could not resist having a crack at my own Hawkesbury Bream. After finally getting my young daughter and off to sleep I snuck down to crosslands for a flats session. On the way 'punter' brought up his ton and i was feeling good rigging up a Watermelon BM on a 1/32 jig. When i reached the water i found the tide was still running out at 4pm, talk about slow!!. Anyway there were still many boils and baitfish so i waded out and cast into the deepest part along the weed edges. The hits came thick and fast but mostly from the small baitfish, then a series of 6" flatties engulfed my 3" BM (gotta love flatties for their guts), after releasing 4 i changed to a 2" gulp minnow p/seed and soon had my first bream for the session at 27cm He was released Then as time was running out a good flatty nailed my BM and went hard in the shallow water tearing off drag, eventually she settled down for a few pics, and i sent for on her way. She measured 55cm . All in all a top little session so close to home

Great looking fish there mate, Sounds like you had a good time in your yak. Do you troll or cast for those natives? BM

SP's work at night the same way they work in the day. Gulps would probably be more effective because of their stronger sent. Fish use sent and movement much more at night to locate prey. The only problem with this all this is we humans can't detect strikes because we can't see the line move, this means you have to feel for stikes and use a tight line, which trust me, decreases your hookup ratio. So yes you will get the same number (if maybe a few more) strikes at night, but you won't convert these into hookups as often as you would during the day. Cheers BM

Hi Raiders, Had a few short sessions last two weeks here is a summary: LCR: Fished Fig Tree Pylons on the last run out without a touch , so moved to the flats which were alive with baitfish and scored 4 flatties 30-50cm in about 40min Fished the mangrove tree snags for bream ,result three hookups, zero fish landed All fish just nailed me within 2 secs of hookup, upgraded leader to 10pound still no sucess yet. Berowa Creek: Found great flat with thick weed beds and abundant baitfish , so far landed 60cm flatty at my feet (scared the life out of me!) and two bream, one went 27cm . Have not yet hit it at high tide, only fished it on low, stay tuned. Cheers BM

I am still working on my theory but some rules i will always use are: 1. Try to imagine what the conditions are in the area the plastic is being fished and choose a colour to suit. eg. deep water, mud bottom, low light = dark plastic or shallow water, sand bottom, sunny=light plastic with flash to use the sunlight to full effect, dirty or discoulored water=fluoro plastic. 2. Match the Hatch: try to match the general colour and size of the prey in the area you are fishing eg. if fishing shallow flats for lizards prey will be small whiting and bream, therefore use a small lightly coloured plastic and fish as the prey would move on the flats. 3. When fishing in full shade i can't see the value in using a light, flashy plastic, however a pearl watermelon BM does work in these situations so i guess you could deduce that shape and movement are much more important than colour alone. cheers BM

Well done 1975, 60cm is a very good lizard and on an SP as well I sure the guys on this site agree, when it comes to catching flatties there is not any more efficient methods than a well worked SP. Flatties just go nuts for them Cheers BM

I too have been very interested in buying a mirage sport fisherman because of the advantages of being able to cast and maintain position. They (Hobie) recon that the pedal system is much more efficient than using a paddle is that true in your opinion? Cheers BM

Nice Catch Dave, What does a flounder taste like? can't remember the last time i ate one. Caught a solid one in LCR but sensibly put it back. These 2" shrimp you talk about, who makes them and what colours do they come in ? I have gone off gulp worms because of the low hook up rates, and are looking for a small SP for shallow flat work. Cheers BM

Well Done Jay, That is just an awesome capture!!!!! All of us that cast lures around dream of catching a Jew like that !!!. cheers BM

Just thought i might add this, Catching bream consistently on SP's is very difficult when you first begin, to increase your chance here are some tips that i have used successfully. 1. Use small plastics such as 2" p/seed grubs on 1/16 or 1/32 #4 jigs when you first begin. Even small bream will nail this plastic, and it will give you confidence to upsize to a 3" BM for bigger breambo's. 2. Cast to structure, structure, and more structure!!!!. Bream don't like being out in the open away from cover so if you want to catch them, cast were they live!!! including pylons, wharfs, rock walls, snags, weed beds, oyster leases ect. 3. Pause your retrieve. Bream 'mostly' will follow a fluttering plastic, but only eat it after it is paused sitting on the bottom!!. Please understand this and incorporate some slack in your line and watch for signs of a bite. Bites are sometimes only little twitches in the line when you see anything STRIKE!!. Cheers BM

I have to agree on all levels. 2" or 3" p/seed gulp minnow grubs are deadly on flatties but not very durable. Just see how many you go though when toads are around #3 squidgy wrigglers in bloodworm have so far nailed my best flatties (50+cm). I have not tried squidgy fish but i recon they also would be good I thing to consider is that gulps actually sink as apposed to normal plastics that mostly float. Spending more time on the may increase there effectiveness as far as flatties are concerned. cheers BM

Trout Boy, I have been flyfishing for about 3yrs mostly for trout and can't realy see any value in tying your own leaders. I generally use RIO 'Trout" 5X leaders because i like the long butt section that helps turn over weighted flies (bead heads ect.). From that i simply attach my tippet usually two feet of SA 4lb for streams, or 6lb Rio Fluro for dams. One leader usually lasts me about 40hrs of fishing so i don't go though that many in a season mabye two or three. Tippet rolls usually about 2 per season. However if you do want to tie your own, use mason hard nylon for the butt (3ft), then use probably two more sections (2ft each) of smaller diameter mono, then end in tippet. Problem is lots of knots that catch all kinds of crap, not to mention wind resistance. Trust me companies go to great length to produce perfectly tapered leaders and they work great. Cheers BM

Last time i fished H&C Bay there was this old guy soaking baits, whilst i was fishing he landed this massive eel. After winching it up the wall he promply slit its throat and put in his boot to take home I guess this guy was pretty old and still alive I certainly would not eat anything out of there Cheers BM

Good Session, Any session when you score and EP and a 65cm flatty is pretty dam good When you see that flash of silver you think bream, but once you find it is an EP it is always pretty special Pity about the flatty fight though but that's flatties, some go hard and other just don't cheers BM

Hello and Bails!, Great first report and good to see you are catching those Bream and Lizards. cheers BM

Very Funny Randall what did you catch him on?

Hi Raiders, Yesterday on high tide finally had my first fish at the famous HC Bay and i was not disapointed. NE was blowing its nut off, so headed to the northern shore on Jewy's advice. Started with a pumkin BM and made my way round towards the bridge. Bites were hard to detect under the heaving swell but sure enough close to the wall my first HC Bream scoffed my offering and fought hard. As i continued round the wind seem to pick up, so after a few unsucessful flicks under the trees i headed back towards the start. Changed to a 3'minnow grub in watermelon and almost instantly the resident flatties were climbing all over it After landing three smallish flatties i felt a heavy and soon had this good sized lizard Then to end the trip my new PB bream just nailed the minnow grub at my feet and went balistic tearing off drag. Eventually he settled down and i took a few happy snaps, and sent the old man on his way. A serious bream and very well fed by the look of him . Yes Raiders Hen and Chicken Bay is indeed the real deal. And what about all those big mullet jumping all over the place, has any body hooked one?,they would be fun.

Nice Flatty Mate , I recon Fig tree is pretty good at the end of the runout when casting into the middle pylon. Had plenty of fun here, only problem is the rowers think they own the whole bloody river Well done again BM

Hi Raiders, Alright i have now had two donut sessions in a row and i need a breamski pronto Tommorow i have got a few hours after lunch between lectures so it is time to give the famous H&C a go on the rising tide . So raiders can you help me on where to start fishing as i am a H&C virgin. I don't need to know all your best spots, just a reliable spot full of 30 ish bream would be nice Cheers BM ps. anyone know where i can get watermelon BM's from, does Otto have them in stock

Top Session Guys Great Bream there mate 38cm and fat as HC Bay realy goes off, i will have to come over a give it a go, sooner rather than later. I fished practically the same time but at my EP spot for a big fat donut, had many small bream follow the plastic, but they would not even touch it on the pause Well done again BM