The Bream Fishing Project

What does it take to catch your first Murray cod?

In this episode of The Lure Fishing Project, I sit down with accomplished kayak angler Joel Crosbie to break down the fundamentals of Murray cod fishing.

Many anglers know Joel from his success in tournament bream fishing, but after stepping away from the competition scene for several years, he immersed himself in chasing Australia's iconic freshwater predator. In this conversation, he shares the lessons he learned, the mistakes he made, and the simple approach he'd recommend to anyone wanting to catch their first cod.

In this episode we cover:

Joel's journey from tournament bream to Murray cod.

The three lures he'd recommend to beginners.

Rod, reel and line setups.

Fishing structure and lure presentation.

Kayak tactics for Murray cod.

Surface strikes, big fish stories and lessons learned.

Practical tips to help shorten your learning curve.

Whether you're planning your first cod trip or you're simply curious about one of Australia's most exciting sportfish, this episode is packed with practical advice and entertaining stories.

Looking for more?

A longer, extended version of this interview is available exclusively to members of The Lure Fishing Project Collective and The Vault, where Joel shares additional stories, techniques and insights that didn't make the public release.

🎣 Join here:
https://lurefishingproject.supercast.com

Episode 209 – Action Fishing Tournament Round 1 | Berowra Waters
The 2026 Action Fishing Tournament season gets underway at Berowra Waters, with three anglers who all took very different paths to the podium.

In this episode, Andrew Death sits down with the top three finishers to break down exactly how they approached the day, the adjustments they made, and the key decisions that produced the winning bags.

🥇 Jeff Kirkby talks through his first tournament victory, including the 45.5cm big bream that anchored his winning bag and how a simple modification to his Baby Vibe proved to be the difference.

🥈 Rick King explains how an explosive surface bite on cicadas transformed an average start into another podium finish, along with why he believes the fish were holding deeper than expected.

🥉 Zane Duce shares the story of his first Action Fishing Tournament podium after surviving three hours without a legal fish before a late-session change completely turned his day around.

Throughout the episode you'll hear discussions on:

• Fishing transition periods
• Surface cicada techniques
• Baby Vibes and stick minnows
• Working pontoons, rock edges and deep banks
• Leader choices and lure modifications
• Competition strategy and decision making under pressure
• How three very different approaches produced almost identical bags

Congratulations to Geoff, Rick and Zane on outstanding performances to kick off the season.

If you're looking to improve your tournament fishing or simply enjoy hearing Australia's best lure anglers explain exactly how they caught their fish, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

🎣 The Lure Fishing Project is proudly supported by the people and companies helping grow lure fishing across Australia.

Want even more?

Join The Lure Fishing Project Collective for extended interviews, exclusive podcast episodes, live Zoom sessions, Discord access, challenges, giveaways and a community of passionate lure anglers.

👉 https://lurefishingproject.supercast.com

Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you in the next episode.

#LureFishingProject #BreamFishing #TournamentFishing #KayakFishing #BerowraWaters #ActionFishingTournaments #AustralianFishing #FishingPodcast #KayakTournamentFishing

Welcome to the July Monthly Report from The Lure Fishing Project.

This month Andrew and Brett catch up on everything that's been happening throughout June, from kayak tournaments and family fishing to new boats, upcoming competitions and the latest developments within The Lure Fishing Project.

In this episode we discuss:

• The Georges River Hobie Kayak Bream Tournament and Harvey's first Hobie event.
• The incredible generosity of the fishing community in helping young anglers get started.
• Brett's remarkable perch fishing in the Gippsland Lakes and the techniques producing consistent results.
• A catch-up with Nev from Nev's Fishing and the work behind one of Australia's biggest fishing YouTube channels.
• Progress on Andrew's new boat and plans for a Lowrance Recon electric motor.
• Fishing the upcoming Shimano Flathead Australian Open.
• Around the Grounds – upcoming Australian bream and kayak fishing tournaments.

Whether you're into bream, perch, flathead, kayak fishing or simply enjoy hearing great fishing stories, there's plenty to enjoy in this month's report.

If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow the show, leave a review and share it with another angler.

Join The Lure Fishing Project Collective for exclusive extended interviews, bonus content and live community events:

https://lurefishingproject.supercast.com

The Vic Bream Classics headed back to Marlo for the 2026 Megabass East Gippsland Bream Classic, and this one had a bit of everything — big bags, tight bite windows, huge schools of salmon, and a first-time win for Team Marlo Bait and Tackle.

In this episode, I catch up with the top three teams:

• Alex Franchuk and Paul Malov from Team Millerods – 3rd Place
• Dan Mackrell and Declan Betts from Team Samurai Rods – 2nd Place
• Harry Young and Brad Young from Team Marlo Bait and Tackle – 1st Place

The event was shaped by low water, limited flow, heavy boat traffic, and massive numbers of salmon sitting above the bream. For many teams, the challenge was not just finding the right fish, but getting through the salmon and slowing presentations down enough to tempt quality bream underneath.

Across the interviews we discuss:

• Fishing under massive schools of salmon
• Why the edge bite was tough
• Slow plastics in open water
• Bloodworm colours, grubs, prawns and paddle tails
• Using ActiveTarget and sonar to identify bream amongst mixed species
• Managing bite windows that only lasted a few minutes
• Why spot management was critical over two days
• Fishing heavy leaders and weedless-rigged plastics tight to structure
• Harry and Brad Young’s first Vic Bream Classic win

Team Marlo Bait and Tackle put together a dominant performance, weighing 5.490kg on day one and 5.365kg on day two for a total of 10.855kg. Their win came from backing their plan, fishing their water, managing their spots, and staying calm when Sunday morning started slowly.

If you fish Marlo, East Gippsland, or any system where fish sit under bait and salmon, there are some great lessons in this one.

Want More From The Lure Fishing Project?

Join The Vault for:

• Extended interviews
• Bonus content
• The Big Bream Series
• Early access releases

Or join The Collective for:

• Everything in The Vault
• Discord community access
• Live Zoom sessions
• Challenges and member-only discussions

Find out more at:

lurefishingproject.supercast.com

Thanks for listening to The Lure Fishing Project. We'll catch you in the next episode.

In this first Angler Profile episode for The Lure Fishing Project, I sit down with Cisco Sevilla for a fascinating conversation that covers far more than just fishing.

Growing up on the US/Mexico border in Southern California, Cisco learned his craft chasing largemouth bass around some of the most famous bass fisheries in America. Long before Australian bream fishing entered the picture, he was spending his days walking lake edges, throwing plastic worms, learning baitcasters and immersing himself in the bass fishing culture that would eventually shape the angler he is today.

Along the way, he introduces me to a bass fishing technique called "stitching"—something I'd never heard of before—which leads to a fascinating discussion about how anglers approached deep-water bass fishing long before today's technology existed.

After moving to Australia with little more than a suitcase, an address and a sense of adventure, Cisco slowly found his way into the Australian fishing scene. What began as a search for something to fill the gap left by bass fishing eventually evolved into a passion for bream fishing, kayak tournaments and BFS tackle.

In this episode we discuss:

• Growing up on the US/Mexico border
• Learning to fish for largemouth bass in Southern California
• Early bass fishing techniques and tackle trends
• The old-school bass fishing technique known as "stitching"
• Moving to Australia with just $300 in his pocket
• Discovering Australian bream fishing
• How BFS changed everything
• Favourite BFS tackle and rod selections
• Topwater fishing for bream
• Texas rigging, crankbaiting and bottom-contact techniques
• Tournament fishing and kayak competitions
• Lessons learned from both bass and bream fishing

Cisco is one of those anglers who sees fishing through a unique lens, combining decades of bass-fishing experience with a genuine passion for Australian bream fishing. The result is a conversation packed with stories, practical insights and plenty of laughs along the way.

This episode has been edited for public release. Members of The Lure Fishing Project can access the complete extended conversation with Cisco, including additional content not included in this version.

Want More From The Lure Fishing Project?

Join The Vault for:

• Extended interviews
• Bonus content
• The Big Bream Series
• Early access releases

Or join The Collective for:

• Everything in The Vault
• Discord community access
• Live Zoom sessions
• Challenges and member-only discussions

Find out more at:

lurefishingproject.supercast.com

Thanks for listening to The Lure Fishing Project.

We'll see you on the water.