- Acanthopagrus australis (Yellowfin or Black Bream)
- Acanthopagrus butcherii (Southern Bream)
Overview[]
Bream are favourite targets of many AKFF'ers. Legal specimen's can range from 25cm up to 50+cm. Bream inhabit estuary waters right around Australia. Bream take an extraordinarily long time to mature, so many AKFF members feel that catch and release is the way to go when big specimens are hooked.
Techniques[]
They can be targeted off rocky points, boat pontoons, oyster leases or any structure.
Bream are reknowned for 'fighting above their weight' - that is, anglers fishing light gear rate them hightly as a sportsfish because they pull hard, and often are lost in the structure they so like to inhabit.
Bream can be taken easily on baits - but most kayak fisherpeople target them using either small soft plastic or hard body lures.
Trolling[]
Some kayakers are successful at targeting bream while trolling smaller hard bodied lures. Generally trolling at slow speeds past likely habitat.
In shallow, discolored water, try trolling a Predatek Minmin in 'Fruit salad' colour, or a SX40 in bright colours (eg: Victoria harbor tiger).
Cast and Retrieve[]
Around oyster racks, small dark, or prawn-coloured lures seem reasonably effective. Something like the Juro Strike-pro pygmy in dark purple cast along the racks can be a good option.
Soft Plastics[]
Small gulps, such as the 2" pumpkinseed, are reasonably effective for bream. Use a very slow retrieve, with frequent pauses (generally longer than most predatory fish - perhaps up to 15 seconds).
Also, try a Squidgy wriggler, with a resin-head. Cast and retrieve over the racks - use a very slow retrieve, and allow the plastic to wriggle across the top of the water.
Poppers[]
Trick Trout lures, in silver colour have produced good results, as have the smiths towadis.
Bait[]
Yabbies, and beachworms are good options. Cheese, potentially mixed with bread/flour is a reasonable option for bream. Also, garden slugs and snails are a surprisingly effective bait, and quite tough on the hook.
Recipes[]
Differences between Black Bream and Yellowfin Bream[]
A Black Bream (top) and Yellowfin Bream caught by Cid in the Cooks River, Sydney. The main difference apart from the darker colour (which is not always applicable) is the thinner anal fin spike on the Black Bream.
|
|
|
As can be seen in this picture by Deano below, Bream tend to school in groups of similar size fish. Where undersized Bream are repeatedly encountered it is often best to move on.
What works for AKFF members[]
For an insight into Bream tactics from AKFF members, click here