The Bream Fishing Project

EP 175:Vic Bream Classics Round 2, Mallacoota Inlet, 13-14 September 2025

In this episode of The BREAM Fishing Project, we recap Round 2 of the Vic BREAM Classics — the 2025 Atomic East Gippsland BREAM Classic, held at Mallacoota Inlet on 13–14 September 2025 (rescheduled earlier in the year due to weather).
This one delivers three different stories, three different approaches, and three strong results, with a full breakdown of key prizes, bite windows, tides, and detailed angler interviews from the teams that finished on the podium.
🏆 Event Awards & Key Prizes
Sunline Best Bag: Team Bream Burglars (Liam Allen & Marlon Thompson) — 5 fish / 4.885kg
Eco Gear Big BREAM: Team Fanatics (Phil Hulsman & Ben Thompson) — 1.165kg
Zip Baits Monster Movers: Team EGM Revisited (Paul & Justin Conn) — 4.025kg and moved up 24 places to finish 19th
Junior Angler Prize: Team On The Drop (Beau May) — finished 38th
Miller Rogue: Team MAD (Mark Cribbes & Dean Gamble) — flathead 81.5cm
🌙 Bite Periods, Tides & Activity
Saturday
Fish activity wheel: 28
Minor bite: 8:10–9:10
Low: 5:56am / 0.4
High: 12:05pm / 1.19
Sunday
Fish activity wheel: 13
Minor bite: 9:00–10:30
Low: 6:50am / 0.44
High: 1:19pm / 1.4
🎤 Angler Interviews & Technique Breakdown
🥉 3rd Place — Team Marlo Bait & Tackle
Braddley Young & Harry Young — 8.100kg total
Day 1: 4.010kg
Day 2: 4.090kg
Key takeaways:
Built an early bag fast fishing up-river and working through schools
Used Eagle Eye sonar to identify fish and help target better quality fish
Key lures included Double Clutch hardbodies, plus Bent Minnow when things slowed
Notable observation: increased activity under wattle flowers on the surface
Line: 4lb FC Rock
Late-day adjustments + strategic moves to lock in upgrades
🥈 2nd Place — Prestige Worldwide
Steven Emerson & Damien Dwyer — 8.215kg total
Day 1: 4.150kg (included 1.015kg kicker)
Day 2: 4.065kg
Key takeaways:
Started on fish located on the sounder during prefish (marked but not pressured)
Strong early bag using a Z-Man grub (slow worked along the bottom in ~12ft)
Heavy by-catch (tailor/salmon) and managing efficiency through the day
Used Active Target in scout mode to find fish and guide casts
Key adjustment on Sunday: dropped to 2lb when it glassed off, improving bite rate
Core pattern: motor oil grubs + subtle bites, steady upgrades, and relocating away from the pack
🥇 1st Place — Team Bream Burglars
Liam Allen & Marlon Thompson — 9.215kg total
Day 1: 4.885kg (included 1.155kg big BREAM)
Day 2: 4.330kg
Key takeaways:
Locked into Top Lake due to conditions and fish numbers
Core lure: Hurricane Sprat on 1/20, fished slow, allowing long sink time into the zone
Major pattern: fish were often deeper than expected (2–3m off the edge), with many bites coming after the lure sat on the bottom
Bite style: many fish were “already on” when lifting the lure rather than clear taps
Leaders: 4lb fluorocarbon
Huge weekend haul including trophies, prize packs, and additional awards (Sunline biggest bag, rods, and more)
🎣 Final Wrap
A fascinating event recap — especially when you compare it to the Hobie competition fished the same weekend just a couple of hours up the coast, where results were completely different.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll talk to you next week on The BREAM Fishing Project.
 

Ep174: Vic Bream Classics, Round 5 ,Hopkins River Warrnambool, 18-19 October 2025

🎣 Warrnambool • Hopkins River • 2025 Shimano & Hobie Vic BREAM Classics (Final Round)
We’re heading to Warrnambool on the Hopkins River to break down the 2025 Shimano & Hobie Vic BREAM Classics – CMA BREAM Classic, held Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th October 2025. It’s the final round of the Vic BREAM Classics season before the Grand Final, and compared to last year’s tough event, this one produced far better fishing, bigger bags, and more full limits.
To set the scene, I run through the fish activity wheel, major bite periods, and the tide timings for both days — then we dive into the results, the key awards, and what stood out compared to the same event last year.
🏆 Event Highlights & Awards
Heaviest Bag Day 2 / Best Bag: Team JL Angling (Lewis & Jessica) – 5.505 kg
Big BREAM (Ecogear Big BREAM): Team Rooworks (Greg Rooke & Gary Carruthers) – 1.51 kg
Big Perch (Miller Rogue Big Perch): Team Hamilton Marine – 1.255 kg
Monster Movers: Team JL Angling (moved up 14 spots into 3rd)
🎙️ Angler Interviews in This Episode
✅ 3rd Place – Team JL Angling (Lewis & Jessica)A huge story: 17th overnight → 3rd overall, including a Day 2 session where they describe a one-hour stretch producing constant upgrades, capped by a 1.3 kg kicker. They also cover an electric motor issue on Day 1, their lure mix (including Cranka Crab, Bait Junkie Wave Minnow, and nail bombs), and how they approached pressure and wind.
✅ 2nd Place – Boden Zisu (Wild Wings TXD)Boden talks about finally cracking the Hopkins after past struggles, how a pre-fish two weeks prior helped form a plan, and how they built their bags using grubs, plastics, and blades (including old-school gear like the TT Ghost Blade). Plus: the last-cast upgrade that helped lock in second.
✅ 1st Place – Michael Malone (Team Midfield)Michael breaks down a super consistent two-day performance (4.17 kg + 4.155 kg = 8.325 kg) and how freshwater flow and colour played a role. He shares how they got on fish early, what changed from pre-fish to comp days, and why the Bait Junkie Minnow in “Mud Blood” became a key player.
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EP 173: Hobie Kayak Fishing, Round 7, Wallaga Lake September 13-14, 2025

We’re off to a brand-new Hobie Fishing Series location for Round 7 at Wallaga Lake, on the NSW South Coast, held 13–14 September — and like most new venues, the hype was real.
The setting? Almost perfect. Warm September weather, light winds, and what might be the best Hobie event launch I’ve ever seen: a sandy beach with a clean drop-off, a brilliant Big4 setup, and even a food truck doing coffees and bacon & egg rolls from early. The fishing though… totally different story.
This round was tough — 55 donuts on Saturday — yet we still saw cracking fish come across the scales, including a phenomenal 6-fish bag over 6kg, which is massive for a NSW Hobie event.
In this episode you’ll hear three different approaches that produced Top 3 results, with interviews from:
Chris Byrne (3rd) — creek mission, slow snag fishing, weedless plastics and a Nomad shrimp bite
Jamie Cole (2nd) — Cookie stealth blades early, then a late adjustment that delivered big upgrades
Jason Marshall (1st) — no prefish, a dominant win, and the key adjustments that separated him from the field
Key event notes & stats
Fish Activity Wheel: 28 (Sat) → 13 (Sun)
Tides: Low 5:54am (0.4m) / High 12:27pm (1.47m) Saturday; Low 6:49am / High 1:30pm (1.43m) Sunday
Saturday donuts: 55
Big Bream: Jason Marshall — 1.33kg
Monster Mover: Carl Dubois — 1.57kg
Young Angler: Ethan Howard — 0.87kg
Masters: Peter Nord — 4 fish for 2.16kg
Plus, I share how my weekend played out — including finally jagging two fish late on Sunday after being part of the Saturday donut club — and what’s coming next in the Hobie season.
Join The Collective
Two of the Top 3 in this round are active members of The Bream Fishing Project Collective — if you want to learn faster and fish smarter with the crew, jump in here:breamfishingproject.supercast.com
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Thanks for listening — and I’ll catch you next week on The Bream Fishing Project.

EP172 | Monthly Fishing Report – BREAM, Lures, Tournaments, Boofhead Moments & The Fly Program

Welcome to Episode 172 of The BREAM Fishing Project, our first Monthly Fishing Report of the year, with Andrew and Brett Geddes covering a huge range of fishing, gear, community updates, and milestones from around the country.
This episode blends real-world fishing sessions, lure tinkering, tournament updates, and the lighter side of the sport with plenty of Boofhead Moments — plus an important conversation around mental health and the Fly Program.
In this episode we cover:
January tournament updates with Action Fishing Tournaments(Raby Bay QLD, Parramatta River NSW, and Port Macquarie)
A major milestone as The BREAM Fishing Project turns 3 years old
Growing the YouTube channel and why listener comments and engagement matter
Andrew’s recent sessions on the Cooks River, focusing on bridge fishing with forward-facing sonar
Lure talk and experimentation, including Cranka Crabs, mussels, Baby Vibes, Squidgies grubs and bugs
Tinkering with rigging ideas for surface and shallow applications
Brett’s bass fishing update, including stocked fisheries, surface bites, and local sessions
Flathead and BREAM sessions under pressure from holiday boat traffic
What Cheeses Me Off and a stack of classic Bullhead Moments
A wrap of sponsors and supporters who helped make the Collective challenges possible
The Fly Program – More Than Fishing
Andrew also shares his recent experience with The Fly Program, a men’s mental health retreat wrapped in fly fishing, connection, and time in nature.
A fundraiser has been launched with a goal of $2,800 to help support two participants who may not otherwise be able to attend.
👉 Fly Program Fundraiser:https://flyprogram.org.au/campaigns/the-fly-program-more-than-fishing/?updated=1
Every contribution helps — big or small.
Join The BREAM Fishing Project Collective
The Collective gives you access to:
Early and bonus podcast content
Past and current challenge replays
Member-only discussions and updates
Join here: breamfishingproject.supercast.com
Support the show
Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee/andrewdeath
If you enjoy the Monthly Reports, please consider subscribing, rating the show, and sharing it with a mate — it genuinely helps keep the project moving forward.
Tight lines,Andrew

EP 171:WATA Kayak Round 3, Moore River, WA, September 7, 2025

We’re heading to Western Australia for Western Australian Tournament Anglers (WATA) – Kayak Round 3 of 2025, held 7 September 2025 on the Moore River (Guilderton, WA).
This round dished up some of the nastiest conditions you’d choose to fish in — heavy wind, driving rain, and a river mouth that’d been open for weeks, pushing current and foam through the system. Despite the grind, we still saw a standout winning bag and some really interesting insights into how the top anglers adjusted their approach to get bites when it counted.
In this episode, you’ll hear from:
✅ Travis Newland (3rd) – talks through tough winter fishing on the Moore, working contours and drop-offs, and how the open mouth + dirty water changed everything.✅ Joseph Gardner (2nd) – breaks down his competition plan, the reality of slow fishing in brutal weather, and exactly how he works a pygmy mussel in current.✅ Matt DeBoer (1st) – a massive win with 2.52kg for three fish, including a 1.19kg big BREAM. Matt explains how he kept his lure presentation natural with wind/tide fighting each other — and how that big fish came unstuck on the day.
You’ll also get the quick rundown of the Fish Activity Wheel and the key bite window for the session.
Sponsor shout-out
A big thanks to Getaway Outdoors  for supporting the WATA kayak series — and for anglers travelling over, there are kayaks available for hire so you can jump into a WA round without dragging your whole setup across the country.
Want more than the free show?
Join The Bream Fishing Project Collective for extra content, challenges, replays, and more:👉 https://breamfishingproject.supercast.com
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EP170: Vic Bream Classics Marlo 16 - 17 August 2025

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.

EP-169 BREAM Masters SA – Onkaparinga Round (31 Oct 2025) | Paul Cook’s 3.05kg Winning Bag + Big BREAM 1.28kg

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

EP168 - Action Fishing Tournaments – Brooklyn, Hawkesbury River (20 July 2025)

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.
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EP 167: December Report – 50cm Bream Talk, Big Jewies and Classic Boofheads

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.auUse 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
 

EP166 – Gold Coast Showdown – Hobie Kayak Fishing Series 16 (9–10 Aug 2025)

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.