Back to bream school

[WetDreams]

Firstly hello to all,

My name is Jay and I was lucky enough to have been introduced to fishing 22 years ago soaking baits with my uncle down at our local - the mighty maribyrnong.

About 5 years ago i was introduced to the wonderful world of plastics by a friend from canberra on the majestic waters of mallacoota catching duskies and bream. From there i have not looked back migrating there yearly with a bunch of friends for a weeks worth of flicking and banter.

last year in mallacoota i caught my first EP (40cm) up the genoa on a HB (bassday kanguku shad) and can honestly say that that would be my biggest fishing achievement to date.

which brings me to my point or quest for help!

I have been trying to catch a bream on SP and HB in the maribyrnong now for the last 2 weeks and have been registering donuts every session. Having searched through this wealth of knowledge (breammaster forum) and applying the tactics and tips suggested in past post on how to catch a bream in the maribyrnong but i still am unable to entice a nong bream with a SB or HB. What am i doing wrong?

my gear:
shimano stradic Ci4 1000
shimano 1-3kg 7' rod
4lb braid
4lb FC leader rod length + 30cm

what I've tried:
2.5inch Zman grub watermelon 1/20 - 1/28 tt jig head
80mm Squidgy wrigglers bloodworm 1/20 - 1/28 tt jig head
2inch Gulp shrimp pepper prawn 1/20 - 1/28 tt jig head

clear bassday Kanguku shad
green back and silver belly bassday sugar deep
shrimp colour jackall chubby crank

i have been mainly fishing dawn session 2 hours before high tide and some afternnon 4:30 to 6:30 session run in tide, i have also tried to fish the run out tide just to increase my chances.

flicking about 15m in front and 2m from bank, slowly working lure back with twitches and long pauses in between.

My target area has been from the foots crazy rd bridge to the dynon rd bridge concerntrating my effects around the rubbish trap and under dynon rd bridge. I have seen alot of bream around the areas mention but cannot hook up!

so here I am ready for school!
Any advise will be greatly appreciated

[WetDreams]

Oh and my point.....

If I do happen to snag a nong bream I think given the time and effort it would over take my EP!!

mmhhzz well come close

[Simonosy]

Sounds like your doing all the right things to me. Might be worth trying to tee up a fish with someone else who can give you a live 'how-to'. Maybe someone else from BM in the area?

[WetDreams]

I would be happy to learn a trick or 2 off a BMaster if any is willing

[Sloth]

Quite honestly - You're doing everything right as far as I can see.

It took me months to get my first Nong bream. I find it a bit hit and miss still and at the moment seem to get more pinkies than bream. I tried last night and it was so shutdown it wasn't funny - none to sight, no baitfish, cold, windy. Eventually got onto a couple of bream -- by moving to a different river

Generally with the Nong I fish the banks in low light conditions (morning and last-light) around the high tide. During the day or on a low I will fish the bridges. I've had most success around last light and during the day.


If you can sight them on the banks then you're in with a chance putting your lures where you described you put them. I've also had success casting straight out and at 45 degrees out, so don't rule that out either (I tend to do 3 casts ..... close to bank, 45 deg and straight out then I move).

Also try moving around a bit. Plenty of areas to try. I tend to mix it up and hit the lower, middle and upper stretches. Usually ones firing better than the others...

Lure wise 2.5inch grubs (Edit: 1/24 or 1/16 jighead) and strike pro pygmys have worked for me.

If in a few weeks if you still haven't got one, PM me and you can tag along with me and a mate when we go - not that that is any great promise of success!

[Simonosy]

Originally Posted by Sloth

Quite honestly - You're doing everything right as far as I can see.

It took me months to get my first Nong bream. I find it a bit hit and miss still and at the moment seem to get more pinkies than bream. I tried last night and it was so shutdown it wasn't funny - none to sight, no baitfish, cold, windy. Eventually got onto a couple of bream -- by moving to a different river

Generally with the Nong I fish the banks in low light conditions (morning and last-light) around the high tide. During the day or on a low I will fish the bridges. I've had most success around last light and during the day.


If you can sight them on the banks then you're in with a chance putting your lures where you described you put them. I've also had success casting straight out and at 45 degrees out, so don't rule that out either (I tend to do 3 casts ..... close to bank, 45 deg and straight out then I move).

Also try moving around a bit. Plenty of areas to try. I tend to mix it up and hit the lower, middle and upper stretches. Usually ones firing better than the others...

Lure wise 2.5inch grubs and strike pro pygmys have worked for me.

If in a few weeks if you still haven't got one, PM me and you can tag along with me and a mate when we go - not that that is any great promise of success!

That right there, is what bream master should be all about. Genuine and helpful discussion. Good on you man.

[WetDreams]

Originally Posted by Sloth

Quite honestly - You're doing everything right as far as I can see.

It took me months to get my first Nong bream. I find it a bit hit and miss still and at the moment seem to get more pinkies than bream. I tried last night and it was so shutdown it wasn't funny - none to sight, no baitfish, cold, windy. Eventually got onto a couple of bream -- by moving to a different river

Generally with the Nong I fish the banks in low light conditions (morning and last-light) around the high tide. During the day or on a low I will fish the bridges. I've had most success around last light and during the day.


If you can sight them on the banks then you're in with a chance putting your lures where you described you put them. I've also had success casting straight out and at 45 degrees out, so don't rule that out either (I tend to do 3 casts ..... close to bank, 45 deg and straight out then I move).

Also try moving around a bit. Plenty of areas to try. I tend to mix it up and hit the lower, middle and upper stretches. Usually ones firing better than the others...

Lure wise 2.5inch grubs and strike pro pygmys have worked for me.

If in a few weeks if you still haven't got one, PM me and you can tag along with me and a mate when we go - not that that is any great promise of success!

Thanks Sloth,

it is some what reassuring to know i'm not way off the mark. I will keep at it and try dfifferent things till i break the duck.

will try for a quicky tomorrow morning.

I will continue to post my results...

[WetDreams]

I forgot to mention that I fish 90% of the time facing and casting into current and working the lure with the tide with the logic that the bream would be facing the same way waiting for any stugglers being swept pass.

could this be a disadvantage as sometimes the tide is flowing to fast meaning the lure is travelling too fast spooking them?

Is it best to fish with or against current?

[Sloth]

Originally Posted by WetDreams

I forgot to mention that I fish 90% of the time facing and casting into current and working the lure with the tide with the logic that the bream would be facing the same way waiting for any stugglers being swept pass.

could this be a disadvantage as sometimes the tide is flowing to fast meaning the lure is travelling too fast spooking them?

Is it best to fish with or against current?

I do like the way you think

http://www.breammaster.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62528

[Tambo_Junkie]

Originally Posted by WetDreams

I forgot to mention that I fish 90% of the time facing and casting into current and working the lure with the tide with the logic that the bream would be facing the same way waiting for any stugglers being swept pass.

could this be a disadvantage as sometimes the tide is flowing to fast meaning the lure is travelling too fast spooking them?

Is it best to fish with or against current?

I fish the opposite way, however as per the thread above - everyone has a different idea.

[Simonosy]

Interesting. Sometimes the tide and wind dictate which direction you can fish, but by preference I would cast against the tide and bring it down with the tide. Instead of cranking, I'd be twitching the lure by tapping contact on the line and only using the reel to take up the slack.

[Sloth]

Got to say ... since that thread ... I've done both. And caught using both.

Theoretically though I can't let go of the feeling predators should face into the current and bait should go with the current

I still lean towards going with it .... up until the point where it gets too hard to maintain contact and control with the lure.

[WetDreams]

spot on mr Sloth,

that was a good read...

maybe 90% is too much time spent on one angle and im losing sight of what fishing is about - trying different things till you find something that works.

i will have to learn to read the river and try different tactis for different conditions.

So much to learn and try never enough time!

[WetDreams]

Originally Posted by Simonosy

Interesting. Sometimes the tide and wind dictate which direction you can fish.

that is another reason why I fish SP with current because given the fact that you need to go super light weight with jigheads i find i lose contact with the bottom when going against.

[nereus]

Originally Posted by WetDreams

that is another reason why I fish SP with current because given the fact that you need to go super light weight with jigheads i find i lose contact with the bottom when going against.

try a heavier jighead,the light as possible thing only applies to certain circumstances.