The Bream Fishing Project

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, we head to East Gippsland to review the 2025 Mega Bass East Gippsland Bream Classic, brought to you by Vic Bream Classics. This is one of Andrew’s favourite venues at Marlo, a system that can completely separate the field. Some teams grind for bites, while others put together standout bags, and this weekend delivered plenty of big fish stories. Andrew opens with a run-through of the bite periods and tides across both days, then breaks down the key divisional awards and major highlights from the weekend, including: Sunline Best Bag: Team Zero Technique Winners: Josh Jeffrey & Connor Jackson – 5.905kg Day 2 and 11.065kg total Big Bream: Brad & Harry Young – 1.755kg Monster Movers (ZipBaits): Team Hummingbird – a huge Day 2 climb Junior Angler Prize: Team Berkley (Scuba Hodges) Mulloway Road: Team Two Odd Legends – a 1.2kg perch From there, it’s straight into full interviews with the podium teams: 3rd Place – Team Prestige Worldwide (Steven Emerson & Damien Dwyer) A great breakdown of their weekend, including: How their prefish shaped (and didn’t shape) their comp decisions Finding quality fish in the slips and why the area stayed more consistent Fishing light leader (around 3lb) and grinding out bites through the day Their go-to plastics approach (including SPRs) and jighead weights A key upgrade fish around 1.29kg, and how it ate Their LiveScope/sonar setup and how they used it in shallow water 2nd Place – Team Samurai Rods (Dan & Declan) Dan and Declan return with plenty of banter and detail, covering: How they approached Marlo without a big lead-up prefish Working key areas with plastics, and how fish positioning changed from Day 1 to Day 2 Jighead choices and adjusting presentation for flow and boat traffic Managing crowded water and making the most of sporadic bites A few classic moments (including a very memorable fish that ended up hooked in a “creative” spot) Shoutouts to sponsors, boat setup, and the gear that helped them stay effective all weekend 1st Place – Team Zero Technique (Josh Jeffrey & Connor Jackson) The winners break down exactly how they did it, including: Their prefish approach: moving efficiently, confirming fish, and not overcomplicating it Why they leaned into plastics/creature baits over vibes Running 1/12oz jigheads even in shallow water to manage current and keep the bait in the zone Targeting edges early, then shifting to deeper schools using side scan / down scan Fishing 4–5lb leader, staying confident in their strengths, and landing nearly everything they hooked How they built a massive Day 2 bag (5.905kg) to secure the win This episode is stacked with tournament lessons: decision-making in a tough system, how to adjust with current and pressure, and what it looks like when teams execute cleanly across two days.

We’re off to South Australia for the BREAM Masters SA Onkaparinga Round, held 31 October 2025 — and it produced an absolute standout winning bag. In this episode, I’m joined by the Top 3: Ben Gibbs (3rd) breaks down a “slow roll” bite that surprised him — starting with motor oil Slim Swims, then upgrading with blades… and losing both of his best colours to snags on the way back. Josh Bland (2nd) shares a fascinating read on how rain and freshwater layering can change fish behaviour in the Onkaparinga, plus how he found consistent bites up river on motor oil 2.5” Bait Junkie minnows with a 1/20oz jighead and a slow roll approach. Paul Cook (1st + Big BREAM) talks through a day that started with gear failures (power pole + livewell issues) and long dry spells… before landing the goods on small profile hardbodies, including a critical bite on the Daiwa Rolling Crank (Blue Suji) and a 1.28kg Big BREAM, finishing with a massive 3.05kg winning total. If you want more structured learning and extra content, check out The Bream Fishing Project Collective: breamfishingproject.supercast.com

Action Fishing Tournaments – Brooklyn, Hawkesbury (20 July 2025) In this episode we head to Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury with the crew from Action Fishing Tournaments, for a memorable round held on 20 July 2025 and one that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. We break down three very different tournament journeys — each one packed with lessons, timing windows, missed opportunities, upgrades, and one of the most remarkable fish ever landed mid-competition: • Glenn Allen places 3rd with 39, 28.5 and 28.5 cm fish (96 cm total) after a hot early bite window around racks, poles and rock walls. • John Sharp secures 2nd with 30.5, 33 and an impressive 46 cm PB brim for a 109.5 cm bag — taking just three bites all day and converting every single one. • Joshua Richards takes the win with a jaw-dropping 34 / 46 / 51 — totalling 131 cm including a 51 cm yellowfin brim, hooked deep around bridge pylons and landed against all odds. A true unicorn fish. Andrew wraps up with a personal update on training for the Fly Program, discussing a week of walking, physical reset, momentum, and encouragement for anyone wanting to start moving again — even short efforts count and confidence builds quickly. 💛 Support the Show ☕ Buy Me a Coffee — support The Bream Fishing Project 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/AndrewDeath 🎣 ARK GENESIS – 15% OFF with code: BFP Australian-designed, eco-friendly lead-free jig heads & sinkers built for precision, performance & sustainability. Listeners get 15% off using code BFP at checkout. 👉 https://arkgenesis.com.au/ 🔗 Stay Connected 🌐 breamfishingproject.com 🎧 The Collective – bonus content & live sessions: breamfishingproject.supercast.com 📸 Instagram: @thebreamfishingproject 📩 Email: [email protected]

In this December Monthly Report, Andrew is joined once again by Brett Geddes for a full wrap-up of the month in bream fishing, tournament results, big fish stories, tackle talk, and a few trademark Boofhead moments. This episode covers the end-of-year comps, including the Vic Bream Classics Grand Final at Gippsland Lakes, the WA Boat Grand Final, and recent events at Brooklyn. Andrew and Brett break down why the fish behaved the way they did, how the lakes system is fishing late in the year, and what stood out about the Grand Final — including a number of big fish over 1.7 kg. There’s also plenty of discussion about giant bream, the 50 cm debate, measuring techniques, and fish movement in spawn-mode conditions. Andrew and Brett also talk through Andrew’s recent jewfish trolling efforts on the Georges River, including stories of metre-plus mulloway taken on light gear, rock-wall sessions, and how mapping, boat speed, and lure depth all play a role. The episode also includes: A bass session update A tailor with two lures in its mouth EcoGear Aqua catches SX-40 style crankbait fish ARK Genesis lead-free jigheads and sinkers Leader treatment, light-line finesse, and tackle tweaks “What Cheeses Me Off?” Boofhead stories and gear mishaps Info about Andrew’s upcoming trip with The Fly Program Details about the Daiwa Reel Connections Day A look back at one full year of Monthly Reports If you'd like to check out the ARK Genesis lead-free jigheads and sinkers, you can visit: https://arkgenesis.com.au Use the code BFP at checkout for a listener discount. If you enjoy these episodes and want to support the show, you can buy Andrew and Brett a coffee at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/andrewdeath  

This week on The Bream Fishing Project we’re headed to the Gold Coast for TT Round 6 of the Hobie Kayak Fishing Series 16, held on the 9–10 August 2025. Normally this round is all sunshine and flat water… this year, the anglers got absolutely belted by wind and swell. Arena zones were cut, Sunday was shortened by an hour, and anyone heading wide had to really earn it. Even with the tough weather, the 47-angler field still turned on quality fish and a genuine shootout between the reef specialists and the canal and bridge guys. I kick things off with a look at the tides and bite periods for both days, including: Saturday fish activity score of 97, with a major bite mid-morning and a high tide around 7:49 am Sunday still at 94 on the activity wheel, with another strong late-morning major bite and low tide just after lines-out From there we run through the division results: Overall 1st: Simon Morley – 6/6 for 4.01 kg (1.80 kg + 2.21 kg) fishing the reef off Wavebreak Island 2nd: Andrew Krushka (TAS) – 6/6 for 3.40 kg (1.44 kg + 1.96 kg) out of the Nerang bridges and canals 3rd: Stephen Maas – 6/6 for 3.33 kg, just 10 grams ahead of 4th place Big Bream: Andrew Kraka with a 0.78 kg lump Monster Mover: Brack Guru with 1.72 kg on day two after a day-one donut Youth: Riley Whelan – 6 fish for 2.26 kg Masters: Greg Cooper (WA) First-Timers: Travis “Leg” with 6 fish for 2.02 kg We also keep score in the unofficial “Batman & Robin” Hurricane Lures rivalry. With Tony Pettie sitting this one out, Simon’s win on the reef firmly cements him as Batman for now. Then it’s into the angler interviews: 3rd – Stephen Maas: Stephen has barely sat in a kayak over the last two years, but turns up and finds a pattern the old-fashioned way – no sounder, just reading water, wind and structure. On day one he pedals up the Nerang River, abandons a dead bridge bite, then finds a sandy canal loaded with legal bream on unweighted Aquas and light plastics and crabs. He sneaks in behind pontoons in a foot of water, fishing 3–4 lb leaders, ripping fish out before they can bury him on the poles. On day two he commits to a massive 12 km pedal to Lake Intrepid behind the casino, gets his bag in three casts, then enjoys one of those magic sessions where almost every cast gets eaten. A phone call from his wife turns into back-to-back 37-fork upgrades as he leans on Hurricane crabs and Gulp Crabbies on light jigheads. 2nd – Andrew Krushka (Tasmania): Andrew flies up from Tassie, hires a Hobie Compass from Sunstate and has his “pre-fish” cut short when the wind pours waves over the bow and soaks him. With almost no practice, he leans on past knowledge, old Morgo highlights and this podcast to build a plan around bridges and pontoons. Day one, he fills a small bag on crabs and Aqua prawn plastics before slowly upgrading on Gold Coast pontoons. Day two starts brutally with no fish until mid-morning, when a key bridge bite turns on. An olive crank crab hopped across the bottom produces his Big Bream contender (just under a kilo), then a clever tweak – adding split shot to his unweighted Aqua rig – lets him punch under wind-blown pontoons for a crucial late upgrade. He runs Samurai Premium custom rods (built by BK Custom Rods) matched with Daiwa TD Black reels and 5 lb leader, and takes home 2nd place, Big Bream cash, prize packs and an invite to the Australian Championship. 1st – Simon Morley: Simon finally converts years of near-misses on the Gold Coast into a dominant win, finishing over 600 g clear of the field. After a wild pre-fish on the Wavebreak reef where he dodges standing waves and still finds a 37-fork model on a crab, he commits to the reef both days despite zone cuts and a nasty forecast. Day one, he rides out rising wind and tide on the 5–8 m reef, rotating between weighted Hurricane crabs and a Hurricane Sprat on a 1/6 oz jighead to post 1.80 kg. Day two, with glued-on weights, 7 lb X-link leader and super-sensitive St Croix Avid Panfish rods, he works a fresh line of untouched fish, putting three bream over 34 fork in the well for a 2.21 kg limit and the win. Along the way he dodges stonefish, deals with tarwine bycatch, and shows exactly how to manage boat position, line angle and safety in heavy wind and current. We wrap up with a quick reminder about The Bream Fishing Project Collective – the subscription community where we dive deeper into challenges, lures, techniques and on-water problem-solving through live streams, group chats and bonus episodes. If you’re time-poor but want to make your hours on the water count, it’s there to help you fast-track your bream fishing. Hit follow, leave a rating, and share this episode with a mate who loves Hobie bream comps on the Goldy.