_{Bream bite well, fight well and taste good…that’s a winning combination and it’s proven by the numbers of anglers who chase them all year round!}

_{Some years ago anglers found that bream will chase lures and this sparked a whole movement of angler who targeted them. It got so popular that fishing tournaments started that focused solely on bream and lure makers got in on the act with soft plastics that drove bream wild….}

_{….they became a national fishing resource.}

_{Bream have a deep body that allows them to turn into a current of water and create a lot of resistance to any angler trying to pull them in. They are strong for their size and are great scrapers….they well and truly punch above their weight.}

_{You can find black bream in estuaries all round the country and at times they are there in large numbers.}

_{You hear some anglers talk about how difficult they are to catch, how they play with a bait and won’t pick up anything when they feel any weight. I have never found this to be true. In my experience they will hit a well presented bait hard and don’t mess about….they swallow and run.}

_{The key to catching bream comes down to tide, bait presentation and berley. Get these wrong and you’ll go home empty handed….}

_{…but get them right and you’ll have a lot of fun!}

_{Bream like the rising tide… and like many salt water fish – the last couple of hours leading up to high tide seem to be the best. This is when they feed best….it doesn’t mean you can’t catch them at other times but you’ll improve your chances if you target the rising tide.}

_{Getting bream to bite is the next challenge. They might be hungry but they ain’t stupid….well, not the big ones anyway!}

_{Bait presentation is the key. This just means using the right bait on the right hook on the right line….and light weight gear is the way to go.} 

_{Bream don’t get that big and when you catch a kilo size fish you’re getting into the big ones. For this reason you can use light gear. A light weight 2 to 4kg rod, 2000 series reel, and line to match works well. I like monofilament line when I chase bream….cos bream like hanging near sharp rocks and patches of oyster. Use braid in these areas and you can get a lot of break offs!}

_{A bream’s mouth is small. I usually don’t use any hook larger than a size 8 and will go down to a size 14 depending on the bait I’m using….}

_{….and when it comes to bait, there are a couple that can really turn the bream on.} 

_{You can do REAL well, when fishing an estuary, than using live yabbie, fresh peeled prawn tail, pippin and maggots. Small crabs also work real well, they’re just harder to get hold of. A mate of mine says the best bait ever is sandworm and he wont go fishing without it…..I guess it comes down to what you are comfortable with.} 

_{Match your hook to the bait….yabbies and prawn tail on size 8… and maggots on size 14.}

_{The key to these baits working, even the really small baits like maggot, is using berley to bring the fish to them. Bream are attracted to berley so you’ll do a lot better if you use it.}

_{A simple berley recipe is simple –  breadcrumbs mixed with water… add a bit of hook bait, and you’re ready to go!}

_{The only challenge with using berley is it can bring in a lot of small fish. The good news is you’ll probably catch something. The bad news is it’ll mainly be small…but that’s OK…cos lots of small fish activity generally gets the big fish interested.}

_{To hook the bigger bream you have to play it smart….and let’s face it, those bigger bream didn’t grow that big by being dumb!}

_{If you ever get a chance to watch film of bream, or any fish, feeding – take it. I’ve seen a few videos and it’s amazing how the big smart fish hang off in the distance while all the dumb little fish rush in to graze on the berley…and your hook bait. The big ones have to convince themselves ” it’s safe” before they move in….but once they’re sure…..they’ll hit your bait like an express train….}

_{So, if you get the small ones feeding there’s a fair chance that big ones will  be watching….and the competition for food sometimes makes, even the wisest fish, take risks.}

_{Every 15 minutes or so cast out to the side of where you have been putting your berley. Either cast beyond, in front of, or to either side of your berley. A big one could be waiting and this will give you a chance of hooking one!}

_{Another method is to cast a nice big bait, like a good size prawn tail or live yabbie, down stream of where you have been casting and placing your berley. The bigger  bait should  be far enough from the small fish to avoid being picked at. You’ll also get the benefit of your berley doing its work and  ” advertising” food. Those  fish further down stream will be attracted and….you might just get the odd “daddy” bream.}

_{Bream are active all year round but the big breeders are very active in the late winter breeding season.  Targeting bream at this time  gives you a good chance of bigger fish – but remember, these are breeding stock so only take your bag limit and make sure they are regulation size.}

_{One other “trick” you can use to improve your hook up rate is to adjust your hook. Bream have hard mouths and while they can bite hard they can also throw hooks because the hook doesn’t penetrate deep into the mouth.}

_{I press down the barb of the hook with a pair of pliers….this actually helps hook up. The barb can sometimes stop the hook going in deep so it can drop out. With the barb pushed down this problem is avoided – but this only works if you hold your rod and strike as soon as you get a bite.}

_{Bream really like shellfish and crustaceans. They hang around places where oysters and muscles grow, and prawns and crabs feed….find places like these and you might bag some descent fish.}

_{You can check how good a spot might be by visiting at low tide. You’ll see oyster shells, crab holes or even the animals themselves….if you can find them, you will find the bream.}

_{And lastly… you don’t have to cast too far out to hook into good size bream. If there are rocks and other places for oysters and muscles to grow and crabs and prawns to hide the bream won’t be far behind.}

_{Many estuaries have rocky banks that extend into the water, or small jetties with pylons…these attract bream and even if they only extend a few metres out, there can be bream near them….its always worth a cast close in to see if the fish are hanging nearby.}

_{Bream are a great fish. You can catch them in estuaries all through Melbourne and along the coast. They are around in good numbers, fight well and taste good…}

_{….pretty much an urban anglers dream!}

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