Baiting Black Bream

KELSI REVEALS THE SECRETS TO THE DYING ART OF BAIT FISHING FOR ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S TRULY ICONIC SPECIES.

As the sun peeks over the horizon and the fog descends over the river, I’m rolling out of the swag at sparrow’s fart. Pretty soon the two stroke roars to life, gliding us towards a deep bank lined with tea tree, rocks and more laid-down timber than the Bunnings Trade Centre.

The crab tin rustles as I fumble around to secure the perfect crustacean, which is then delicately cast within a foot of the bank. Drag loosened and before I can say “the trap is set”, the line begins cruising off into the morning light as the reel sings every angler’s favorite tune. WHACK! The hook is pinned and the carnage begins as a 40cm-plus black bream is on a rampage diving, weaving and making its way towards the bank, looking for anything and everything to bury itself in. Even with a tight drag these big fish can be unstoppable, and once mine is in the net, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and gaze at my bronze prize on deck. Hooking big black bream on a perfectly presented fresh bait is a method slowly being left in the wake of those shiny lures we anglers collect like bowerbirds.

Since my father could walk, he had a burning passion for catching big bream on fresh baits. Fast forward 50 years and the old master is still catching these blue-nose brawlers, and has well and truly passed this passion on to myself. For 30 years I’ve had the privilege of not only fishing beside him, but also learning his craft. With fresh baits still fooling these fickle brutes, I’m going to blow the lid on some of my Mr. Miyagi’s secrets for targeting saddle worthy southern black bream on baits.

With deep body, elegant bronzed flanks and barnacle crushing teeth concealed by a set of famous blue lips,the black bream (Acanthopagrus Butcheri) is an angler’s staple, from Western Australia to New South Wales (including Tasmania). Anglers for generations have cut their teeth fishing the estuaries for these fickle fish, perfecting the basics of bait collecting, rigging, and angling techniques.

Accessible to anglers whether it be by land, kayak or boat, you don’t need the all the bells and whistles to get into some brute bream, just a smart approach. In the early 2000s the soft plastics lure scene exploded, with tournaments and lures being dedicated to this Aussie favorite. Due to this current trend, many traditional bait fishing techniques are being forgotten. Something that is looked upon as being so simple can be every part as technical as presenting a lure and can fool the biggest of bream.

As the months start to cool, large podworm munching bream inundate the Glenelg river mouth.

Fresh bait local to the habitat is crucial when looking to fool these fickle fish, but where do we start looking for this bream candy? Riverbanks, weed beds and estuary flats are all prime areas that provide anglers with information they need to get an insight of what these fish are hunting in each area. The banks lined with holes below the reeds give a fair indication that crabs inhabit the muddy flats, with fish coming into the shallows to actively munch these crustaceans. The same can be said for rock-lined banks that are the perfect area to do a bit of “rock tipping”, which should see these feisty side steppers scatter in all directions. Speed is required here to snatch them up for the bait bucket.

When tipping rocks, please remember to flip them back, as other creatures also use them for cover. When it comes to big bream baits, the hardy crab is the king, especially in a system loaded with small pickers. These baits account for 90 per cent of big bream in the upper reaches.

Lower down our estuary systems, weed patches and beds become abundant with hungry bream moving in stealth around these flats areas. Using a fine mesh landing net or bait trap can produce a diverse smorgasbord of shrimp, gudgeon and spindly spider crabs. All are dynamite baits that call the weed beds home and can turn a session from famine to feast quickly. On any given day these fish can be fixated on one of these offerings and turning their tails on anything less.

The sand flats are my favorite location to fish, especially under the cover of darkness. When collecting fresh bait, the old tried and tested bait pump will be the best investment an angler can make. How many times have we walked an estuary flat and seen strange holes or mounds home to an unidentified marine creature and gone “I wonder what lives in there?”. Some weird and wonderful creatures can be unearthed, from clams and clickers to what I profess is the ultimate bream bait, the alien looking worm we affectionately call “poddies”.

A fine mesh bait sieve is needed to pump them into, preferably a floating one, as sometimes the best worms can be in deeper water. After collection they can be placed into a bucket, trying to remove as much sand, water, and debris as possible with a damp towel placed over the bucket in the shade. It’s crucial to check and drain the water regularly before and during use, otherwise when it’s time use these baits, you will find your bucket has turned into a mushy Pod worm soup, which smells less than appetising.

Chasing bream on the sand is a unique experience.

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Poddies are a marine worm that can be found in abundance on estuary flats given the right conditions. These are very delicate and do not keep well so they should be collected at low tide and used the same day.

Don’t forget to check with your local fisheries if there are any restrictions on bait collecting.

When it comes to fooling a 20-year-old- plus fish, that can be as fussy as a toddler with a Brussels sprout, the presentation of your bait needs to be perfect. Many beginner and experienced anglers can collect the fresh prime baits, but stumble at the last hurdle by casting a poorly presented offering. As humans we eat with our eyes, and black bream on fussy days will turn their tails at the slightest hint that something isn’t right.

When explaining to other anglers some of the lengths we go to with our bait presentation, it is usually greeted with a raised eyebrow and a chuckle of disbelief. However, when you sit next to someone in a boat who is creaming one big fish after another and you’re struggling to get a sniff, the non-believers are converted very quickly.

The most technical is the crab generally being a favorite of the bigger fish we love to target. Over the years I have seen these crustaceans presented in a range of different ways, and it seems every angler has their own way of going about it. Between all methods there has always been one common factor — the shank of the hook is uncovered, sticking out like a deformed metal leg, and if using a red or shiny silver hook, it’s a red flag for a curious bream. Taking a leg off and threading it on the shank covers the whole hook, which, followed by cracking the shell at the eye to release the scent of the crab, is a trap that the big girls cannot resist. With all shellfish for bream, whether it be a crab or freshwater yabbies, cracking the shell at the head and releasing the scent is so simple, yet can make a huge difference to your catch rate and turn the tides on tough days.

With softer, delicate presentations a finesse approach is required. Prawns are such a popular bait for bream and are best just threaded around the hook with the point in the head. When bites are tough to come by, removing the head and peeling the tail can see fish happily inhale these offerings, and on days like this you can see why the term “fussy” is used a lot in relation to black bream. Pod worms are not only one of the most effective baits, but also the easiest to rig up. A range of hook sizes can be used, from size 6-3/0, with the bigger hooks requiring more to really load. However, the beauty is that a simple piece just fitting around the shank like a “J” can be more than enough, particularly in winter when the water is dirty and the fish are schooled.

When it comes to terminals, a range of suicide hooks from 1/0-3/0 are ideal. The Mustad octopus is my brand of choice, as they are super sharp and have a thicker gauge as the hook needs to be set hard due to bream having bony jaws. For fishing smaller baits such as Pod worms, a smaller size 6-4 bait holder will get the job done, and once again Mustad bait holders are my hook of choice. Hook colour is something rarely considered when bait fishing, but with bream it does make a difference. Over the years I have found dark or black colours and bronze to be the pick of the bunch, while red and silver are to be avoided, as they are very unnatural and the silver reflects light.

Baiting black bream is a simple affair when it comes to tackle

Talking to other anglers over the years while working in a tackle shop, one thing I have found is that many anglers over-complicate the rigs and set-ups used for various species. For bream and most species, just a pea sized running sinker straight to the hook is all that is needed. Tying only one knot gives us direct contact with the fish and in snag abundant country, which is basically ‘hook up now, figure out how to get it out later’. I can palm the drag and use the full stretch of the mono to muscle and guide it out where a smaller leader won’t provide as much stretch.

As you probably gathered from the previous statement, when bait fishing for bream, good old-fashioned mono line is the best tool for this job. In recent years I have experimented with braid and a length of fluorocarbon leader, but switched back to our traditional mono ways. In heavy structure the drag couldn’t be locked up as tightly and the fluorocarbon just wasn’t providing enough stretch to really muscle and turn the heads of the big fish.

Strangely, the bite and catch rate on big fish went down, not to mention it was an absolute pain in the backside when you got snagged and had to tie a new leader! Maxima Chameleon is the bees knees. The quality is excellent, it offers high abrasion resistance, plenty of stretch and the Chameleon colour just seems to disappear in whatever water colour you are fishing. This can really enhance your catch rate and, compared to lure fishing where “going light gets the bite”, when bait fishing with mono, 12lb is the average size used. This might be looked at as too heavy, but when you set that hook hard, fishing with bait is like awakening a demon, and for reasons unknown, it can be mind-blowing how wild the fight from a humble old bream can be.

Rod and reels are simple for this style of fishing. No matter what your budget, if the reel is reliable and has a smooth drag, happy days lie ahead. As far as rod size goes, generally 7ft graphite in sizes 2-4kg or 3-5kg will suit. The rod isn’t as important as in lure fishing though, where different tapers and tip styles are needed to impart lure action. What I’ve found best is something with a stiffer tip and a decent bit of strength in the backbone rather than a spaghetti stick.

Reel size can be a tricky one. Bream aren’t going to run far, but rather run a few metres and bury you in everything they can find. Reels between 30004000 are a must if bream fishing in waters such as the Glenelg River, just in case a jewie decides to take your bream bait. In other waterways where the grey ghosts are absent, you can downsize to 2500 size comfortably.

By-catch is not something I have touched on, but in rivers such as the Glenelg there is a healthy population of mulloway ranging from your small 40cm soapies up to 40lb.

Bream can be targeted year-round, but with a change of seasons there is a change of habits. In the summer fish can be found cruising mud flats and will be found along the edges hunting for a variety of the prey mentioned. Early morning and dusk are the prime times for targeting bigger fish and getting away from the small pickers, which can be prolific once the sun becomes high.

Once the water beings to cool in Autumn and going into winter, the fish behavior changes. Autumn in the south-west is big bream time, as before schooling up and beginning the spawn, the big fish seem eager to feed and gain as much condition as possible. This time of year can see them being found in a range of areas, from the edges and flats to the deeper water. Depending on water temperature, they may already be beginning to school.

Baiting Black Bream

In the cold depths of winter these fish can be notoriously temperamental, with their feeding habits being like a hot and cold tap. The fish have schooled and the sounder can be maddening to look at as fish upon fish will be stacked on top of each other in what seems like the motherlode of bream has been found. If fishing a school and the bites are not coming, move, as these fish are not feeding and may as well have padlocks on their jaws.

In winter the bream will be found schooling in the middle of the river, sitting in the saltwater wedge pushing up river while the dirty brown fresh water runs on top. While the odd fish can be caught along the edges, it’s best to pelt out into the wedge as wintertime sees the pod worm shine! This is prime for these stinky little worms and lower down the estuary, even on tough days, you will still manage a few fish. When one of those schools briefly turns on, it will be fast and furious, with the rods going off usually one after the other from left to right, depending which way the school is coming from.

Emerging from the depths of winter into spring can be unpredictable, with many variants such as temperature and flood water all playing a part. The fish are still schooled, but can be found moving further upstream and it’s worth using a range of techniques to find what suits on the day and move around until feeding fish can be located.

The days of relaxing with a cold beverage and soaking a quality bait waiting for a trophy black bream are far from gone. With this method still proving effective, it should be in every bream fisho’s skill set. For the younger anglers the bait apprenticeship has so much to offer, from knot tying, bait catching, baiting hooks and the basics of hooking and fighting these fish. With bream being so accessible all over the coast of the southern states, chuck in a bait pump, cross over to the dark side and give baiting bream a go. You might be surprised with the results and even be converted when a big, crab-crunching, bronzed bream takes off with your offering and leaves your reel screaming.