Hervey Bay may not be renowned as a bream fishing mecca - but maybe it should be. During the winter months, our waters are teeming with sizeable bream that gather in vast spawning aggregations in highly accessible waters.
WHERE TO FIND BREAM IN HERVEY BAY
Shore-based anglers get to challenge themselves against the big bruisers that congregate around the barnacle-encrusted pylons of both Urangan Pier and the Kingfisher Bay Jetty. The rocky foreshores of River Heads and Pt Vernon offer their own challenges due to strong currents or gnarly terrain, whilst the pleasant sandy shores of Burrum Heads and our local beaches provide family-friendly access to quality fish as well.
Surf fishing for bream is another whole new ball game that sees keen fishos bending purpose-built surf rods over double as they extract big silver scrappers from the rock-strewn gutters and headlands of Fraser Island. Thumping big bream share these waters with their cousins, the tarwhine, and many other species as well, that all add to the excitement of such an adventure.
Boaties are absolutely blessed. As our bream population emerges from the backwaters of our substantial estuaries early in the season, they begin to gather in number, and the many rocky outcrops in the lower reaches of our streams come alive with mature fish. They then continue to amass and make their way to our shallow inshore reefs and vast flats to do their thing for the continuation of their species mid-winter.
It is at this time, that the local bream fishos get serious and meet them head-on in a serious bream fishing assault. Given that the humble bream appeals to so many fishos - from those that favour bait to those willing to test their skills with all manner of lures and ultra-finesse tackle - we have established a comprehensive range of quality fishing tackle to satisfy everyone.
Taking advice from tournament winning bream anglers, and using our own knowledge of the local fisheries, we have been able to refine our selection of tackle so that you can gear-up with the perfect tackle right from the get-go. No more guesswork. If we put a rod and reel combination in your hands and set you up with the line, leader and lures, then all you need to do is go find the bream – and we will even point you in the right direction!
To appreciate why the right tackle is so important, you need to realise that large bream are quite old, and they didn’t get to that age by being stupid. Big bream are very cunning adversaries and not easily fooled. They are no slouch in the sparring department either, so don’t underestimate them in nasty country. Stealth is paramount around wary old bream and your presentations must be spot-on.
For this reason, arming yourself with the latest and greatest in lure technology, spawned from the best of past successes will give you the edge. Knowing that a certain hardbody should be slow-rolled and another should be twitched and stalled, or that a critter-bait must be worked differently to a grub or vibe are all important pieces of the bream fishing puzzle. Knowing that certain lures are best worked on certain rods is the next.
DAIWA'S INFEET RODS
Daiwa’s expert crew of champion anglers have developed the excellent range of technique-specific Infeet rods. Different models within the Infeet range are designed to deliver and work differing lures, giving you a significant advantage when compared with a generic graphite rod.
Infeet models that are more parabolic or regular-tapered provide the perfect action to get the right dance out of your treble-armed hardbodies, whilst at the same time cushioning against the lunges of bigger bream and alleviating the chances of tiny trebles pulling from their mouths. Daiwa have even colour-coded their Infeet rods, so that you can pick up the right rod for the selected lure at a glance. These models have blue highlights.
Adorned with red highlights, is the range of fast-tapered Infeet rods purpose-built for casting and twitching light-weight soft plastics. Emphasis on blank design ensures solid hook-ups on single-hooked jig head presentations, at the same time providing unmatched sensitivity and responsiveness that will enhance your casting accuracy and distance.
The perfect match to Infeet rods is the Infeet X spinning reels. Sporting shallow spools, slow gear ratios and ATD Type-L drag systems for lower start-up inertia, these reels are custom-crafted for the light line specialist. When filled with 6lb Daiwa J-Braid Grand and topped with J-Thread fluorocarbon leader, you have the perfect combination to pit yourself against the best of our bream.
Of course, your perfect combo needs lures to suit, and Daiwa have just the right tools for the job. Pick up your rod with the blue highlights and tie on an Infeet Spike, an Infeet Kodachi or an Infeet Rollin’ Crank and you are in the game. Each Infeet lure has a different action and profile, whilst they all respond immediately to your rod action and perform faultlessly at super-slow speeds. Each of these lures will have applications in our clear and shallow waters this winter.
SOFT PLASTICS VS BAIT FISHING
When a soft plastic presentation is required - in deeper waters or when you need to tempt fish feeding on the bottom – Daiwa’s bait Junkie Grubs or Risky Critters can be matched to the appropriately-weighted Bait Junkie jig head and tied on your red-highlighted Infeet combo. Subtle perfection and bite-triggering movements from these softies will soon tempt even the wariest of bream.
Armed with the fantastic tackle described above, you will have a ball with the bream this winter. And don’t think these outfits and lures are limited to just bream either, as you can expect plenty of bycatch from whiting, flathead, pike and grunter, not to mention all sorts of shallow water reef dwellers.
Many fishos will still opt for the bait fishing approach of course, and you good folks will be well served considering some of our bite-enhancing berleys, fine-wire hooks and other select pieces of tackle that will help you catch big numbers. Our ever-expanding range of surf rods will also cater for those heading to Fraser Island in coming months.
So, get out there this winter and enjoy one of the most underrated fisheries in our region. Kilo plus bream (42cm or so) are prolific in places, so let’s see who can catch the biggest this season. Send us your happy snaps and we will share your pics for ultimate bragging rights.