The Bream Fishing Project

EP198 – 2026 ABT Duo Tasmanian BREAM Teams Open | St Helens Tasmania

The Tasmanian leg of the ABT tour wraps up in style as the 2026 Duo Tasmanian BREAM Teams Open heads to the iconic waters of St Helens, Tasmania. In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, Andrew breaks down one of the most unique tournament formats seen in recent years — a catch-photo-release teams event where anglers could upgrade their five-fish bag across both competition days.
With late 10am starts, gentleman’s hours, changing tides, and fish spread between racks, flats, gutters and shallow edges, this event forced competitors to think differently. The result was a dramatic two-day battle where no lead was safe and teams could surge through the field right up until the final session.
This episode features full interviews with the top three teams from the event, diving deep into the tactics, lure choices, and adjustments that helped them unlock the St Helens BREAM bite.
In this episode:
🥉 3rd Place – Team Cranka Shimano
Steve Steer breaks down an incredibly technical tournament built around:
Fishing shallow oyster racks with crabs
Working gutters and channel markers at low tide
Using Cranka Crabs in the famous spotted crab colour
Adjusting tackle overnight after getting smoked by big fish on day one
Fishing “gentleman’s hours” and why the late starts suited St Helens perfectly
Steve also shares detailed insights into:
Fishing crabs away from structure
Subtle rod-tip movements for natural crab presentations
How tide movement positioned fish on the flats
Why St Helens fish fight so hard in shallow water
🥈 2nd Place – Team Force Lures
Jon Fitzgibbon and David Shanahan detail a massive comeback charge from outside the top spots into second place after finding fish on shallow wind-blown flats late on day two.
Topics include:
Fishing lightly weighted DUO Sprats in the Cleaver colour
Using Force Paddle Tail Grubs around racks and shallow edges
Pushing the boat through freezing Tasmanian shallows to access hidden water
Big shallow-water fish nearly spooling reels
The importance of adapting when racks shut down
The pair also discuss how one decision to abandon the racks and drift a protected shallow flat completely changed their tournament.
🥇 1st Place – Team Australia 2 + Tas
Peter Maisey and Jesse Rotin take the win with an impressive 6.221kg combined total built around:
Bait Junkie 2.95 Flicks on light jigheads
Daiwa Infeet Sazanami jerkbaits
Fishing subtle flats close to deeper channels
Managing nerves while leading overnight
Picking apart shallow flats during tricky tide windows
The boys explain how they stayed calm under pressure on day two, worked through changing wind conditions, and slowly upgraded key fish to secure the victory.
This episode is packed with advanced tournament insights covering:
Shallow-water flats fishing
Rack fishing strategies
Crab presentations
Light-line tournament tactics
St Helens tide timing
Hardbody vs soft plastic approaches
Team strategy and communication during high-pressure events
If you love technical tournament fishing and hearing how Australia’s top anglers adapt on the fly, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
🎣 Sponsors & Supporters
A huge thank you to:
DUO
Wilson Fishing
Force Lures
Bait Junkie
Daiwa
ABT Tournament Series
🔥 Join The Bream Fishing Project Collective
Get access to:
Bonus podcast content
Live Zoom sessions
Challenge events
Technique breakdowns
Exclusive community discussions
Replay archives and extra fishing content
Join here:The Bream Fishing Project Collective
📱 Follow The Bream Fishing Project
Instagram:@thebreamfishingproject
Facebook:The Bream Fishing Project Facebook Page
#BREAMFishing #TasmaniaFishing #StHelens #ABT #BreamFishingProject #TournamentFishing #DUOInternational #ForceLures #BaitJunkie #DaiwaAustralia #AustralianFishingPodcast
 
 
 
 

EP197 ABT Derwent River: Sprats, Hard Bodies & Big Bags

In EP197 of The Bream Fishing Project, we head to Tasmania for part two of the ABT Tasmanian Tour, covering the Derwent River round, held on 18–19 April 2026.
This episode breaks down a cracking Derwent River event with big bags, quality BREAM, and plenty of detail from both the non-boater and boater divisions.
Andrew chats with the top non-boaters, including Simon Kraus, Leighton Beer, and Marty Evans, as they explain how they caught their fish, what they learned from their boaters, and how key lure choices like Hurricane Sprats, Gulp Smelt Minnows, Daiwa Double Clutches, ZipBaits, VX vibes, and Duo Bivvys played a role across the weekend.
The episode also covers the boater side of the event with Mario Vukic, Steve Morgan, and event winner Isaac Harris, including the importance of baitfish, long skinny hard bodies, plastics, current lines, rocky edges, Ralphs Bay, and making the right decisions when the bite window opens.
There is plenty in this one for anyone who loves tournament BREAM fishing, especially if you want to understand how anglers adapt between edges, flats, deeper rock walls, vibes, plastics, and jerkbaits on a tidal Tasmanian system.
The episode also includes tide and bite period information, lure details, leader choices, tackle setups, and the decision-making that shaped the final results.
A big thank you to Steve Morgan for allowing us to use audio from his YouTube clip featuring Isaac Harris.
If you’d like even more BREAM fishing content, including live streams, extra fishing discussions, challenge series, and access to The Collective community, check out The Bream Fishing Project Collective here:
The Bream Fishing Project Collective
Perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about catching BREAM on lures, tournament fishing strategy, and how some of Australia’s best anglers break down a waterway under pressure.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Ep 196 The May Monthly Report – From Doughnut Lures to 511 Perch

 
The May Monthly Report is here, and this one absolutely goes everywhere.
Andrew is joined once again by Brett Geddes for a massive session covering tournament fishing, homemade lure disasters, junior anglers coming through the ranks, forward-facing sonar, giant fishing numbers from Gippsland.
The boys are also joined by young gun Harvey, who has been quietly putting together some seriously impressive catches fishing out of Andrew’s original Hobie kayak. Harvey talks about competing in the Daiwa Young Fishing Club, how the app-based competition works, and some standout recent captures including:
A 36cm black bream on a Duo Bivi
Flathead on Z-Man plastics
Tailor and perch from both the kayak and the stones
Preparing for his first Hobie competition on the Georges River
The discussion also highlights the growing opportunities for junior anglers in tournament kayak fishing and how the next generation is learning faster than ever before.
Andrew and Brett then dive into one of the most entertaining topics they’ve covered in months — the Collective lure making challenge.
Andrew explains how he built a timber chubby-style lure completely by hand using basic tools, super glue and even nail polish as paint, before finally catching bream on it after dropping a quality fish earlier in the session. Brett shares his own homemade lure journey, including the now-infamous “Homer Simpson Doughnut” lure — a pink doughnut-shaped creation built by Beth from the Collective, rigged with multiple hooks and a cheb weight, which somehow went on to catch perch.
There’s also a huge Gippsland fishing update from Brett, who reveals some unbelievable numbers from the first four months of the year:
511 estuary perch
223 bream to 48cm
99 bass
89 flathead to 86cm
Brett breaks down why the Gippsland Lakes system is currently fishing as well as anywhere in the country, including:
Mulloway showing up throughout the lakes system
Massive bait concentrations
Saltwater pushing deep into the system
Open lake perch behaviour
Heavy leader fishing for big perch
Why the fishery is changing dramatically compared to years gone by
The boys also discuss standout lures from the month, including:
Sprat 65s and 85s
Hard-on-soft presentations
Duo Bivis
Twitch 50s
Hurricane Slams
Hybrid Shrimp techniques
Fishing deep timber with near snag-proof presentations
Tournament coverage is a massive part of this episode, with discussion around:
The Tasmania Hobie and ABT rounds
Steve Morgan continuing to dominate while simultaneously filming, livestreaming and producing media content
Isaac Harris narrowly edging out Morgo in one event
Joel Crosby quietly building momentum with big plastic “power breaming” techniques
NSW Tournament Series results
Foster and Marlo previews
The realities of organising and recording tournament interviews every single week
Andrew also talks about recording more than 17 interviews in a single week and the behind-the-scenes workload involved in running The BREAM Fishing Project.
The episode wraps up with discussion around the new forward-facing sonar course from My Fishing Coach featuring Nabil Issa and Steve Morgan, including detailed setup walkthroughs for Garmin, Lowrance and Humminbird units, fish behaviour interpretation, mapping insights and species-specific sonar applications.
This is one of the loosest and most wide-ranging Monthly Reports yet — packed with laughs, fishing stories, tournament insight, lure experimentation and plenty of classic Brett Geddes moments.
#TheBreamFishingProject #BREAM #KayakFishing #TournamentFishing #EstuaryPerch #FlatheadFishing #ABT #HobieFishing #LureFishing #AustralianFishing
 
 
 

EP195: Huon River ABT Tasmania – Full Tournament Breakdown, Winning Patterns & Big BREAM Bags

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, we head to Tasmania for the ABT round on the Huon River — a standout event that produced incredible numbers, consistent bites, and quality fish across both divisions.
With near-perfect catch rates across the field, this tournament became a battle of upgrades, decision-making, and execution under pressure.
🏆 Boater Results
1st – Steve Morgan (10.510 kg)
2nd – Mark Crompton (10.045 kg)
3rd – Brett Crowe (9.975 kg)
🏆 Non-Boater Results
1st – Michael Vukic (6.680 kg)
2nd – William Thorpe (6.290 kg)
3rd – Michael Maas (6.235 kg)
🎣 In this episode, we hear from:
Michael Maas (3rd Non-Boater) – First trip to Tasmania and straight onto the podium, building early bags with soft plastics before upgrading with jerkbaits
Michael Vukic (1st Non-Boater) – A clinical performance focused on baitfish patterns, plastics, and precise upgrades on the flats
Brett Crowe (3rd Boater) – A consistent two-day approach centred around slow presentations, shallow structure, and maximising productive water
Mark Crompton (2nd Boater) – Making bold on-the-water decisions, fishing bait-rich zones, and adapting quickly to changing conditions
Steve Morgan (1st Boater) – A winning performance built on consistency, key decisions, and executing when it mattered
🔍 What’s covered in this episode:
Pre-fish strategy and adapting to unfamiliar fisheries
Fishing shallow structure, flats, and bait-heavy zones
Soft plastics vs jerkbait approaches and when to switch
The importance of early bagging vs upgrading
How retrieve speed and presentation changed outcomes
Tournament decision-making under pressure
Tasmania once again proves why it’s one of Australia’s premier BREAM fisheries — offering both numbers and quality, and rewarding anglers who can adapt quickly.
🔗 Join The Bream Fishing Project Collective
If you want to go deeper into the tactics, techniques, and decision-making discussed in these episodes, join The Bream Fishing Project Collective:
👉 https://breamfishingproject.supercast.com
We’ve also got a new challenge kicking off next week, giving members a chance to get involved, apply what they’re learning, and share their results with the community.
Inside the Collective you’ll get:
Bonus podcast content
Live streams and detailed breakdowns
A community of anglers sharing real-time insights
 

EP194 From ABT to Electronics – Nabeel Issa on Modern BREAM Fishing

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, I’m joined by Queensland tournament angler Nabeel Issa (Nabs) to dive deep into his journey through competitive BREAM fishing and the evolution of modern electronics on the water.
Nabeel shares how he got his start in fishing at a young age, working his way through the ABT circuit as a non-boater, and eventually building a strong tournament record with multiple wins and consistent top finishes. From early lure fishing struggles through to finding his edge, this is a great look at what it takes to develop as a competitive angler.
We also explore one of the biggest game-changers in modern fishing — sounders and sonar. Nabeel breaks down how learning to properly use side scan and sonar completely changed the way he fishes, allowing him to locate and target fish with precision rather than relying on guesswork.
The conversation also covers:
Early tournament experiences and progression through the ranks
Key lure trends and techniques over the years
The transition from non-boater to boater (and the challenges that come with it)
Using side scan and sonar to find structure and fish
Targeting species like BREAM, mulloway, snapper and more with electronics
Towards the end of the episode, we also touch on the upcoming sounder course release, which will be available this Friday — so keep an eye out.
👉 Check out the sounder course:https://myfishingcoach.com.au
For members of The Bream Fishing Project Collective, there will also be an exclusive additional discount available, generously provided by Steve and Nabeel.
👉 Join The Bream Fishing Project Collective:https://breamfishingproject.supercast.com
There’s also a hint at what’s coming next for The Bream Fishing Project… so make sure you stay tuned.
🎧 SUPPORT THE PODCAST
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to follow and share it with a mate — and if you want to take your fishing further, the Collective is where we go deeper with live sessions, extra challenges, and a community of anglers all working to improve.
 

NSW Tournament Series Grand Final Recap – Botany Bay | EP193

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, we head to Botany Bay for the Grand Final of the inaugural New South Wales Tournament Series.
This event, held on October 25–26, 2025, wrapped up a strong first season for the series. It featured a competitive field and some impressive bags despite the tough fishing conditions leading into the event.
Andrew breaks down the tournament with interviews from the top three teams, diving deep into their approach, decision-making, and the small details that made the difference over two days of competition.
🥉 Third Place – Team Bream Brothers (Aaron Clifton & Simon Moore) A consistent two-day performance saw Team Bream Brothers finish with 6.58 kg, just 20 grams shy of second place. They discuss:
Fishing deep structure in 12–25 ft of water
Using crabs to target timid fish
Managing spots across a two-day event
Adjusting leader strength to handle deep current and structure
The importance of patience when bites are subtle
🥈 Second Place – Zeus Tackle (Dane Tomasewski & Adam Lacey) Finishing just ahead by a narrow margin with 6.60 kg, the Zeus Tackle team shares a gritty account of their tournament. They cover:
Grinding out bites on rock walls and bridges
Landing key fish under pressure, including a crucial 950 g upgrade
Fishing light leaders in clear water
Using crabs and mussels as primary techniques
Decision-making when swinging for upgrades late in the session
🥇 First Place – Team Smart Fish / Precision Building Maintenance With a dominant performance, the winning team secured victory with 8.81 kg, including a standout 1.3 kg bream. They reveal:
Using forward-facing sonar to locate and target fish
Fishing bridges and bays based on tide timing
Matching lure choice to fish position in the water column
Upgrading entire bags in short feeding windows
Executing under pressure late on day two
🌊 Conditions & Bite Periods Fishing across both days proved challenging, with:
Limited bite windows
Fish holding deeper than expected
Clear water requiring finesse presentations
Success came down to staying adaptable, making the most of short feeding periods, and executing cleanly when opportunities arose.
This episode is packed with real tournament insight, covering everything from lure selection and depth control to mental decision-making across a two-day format. If you’re looking to improve your tournament fishing or better understand how top anglers approach tough conditions, this is one to listen to.
🎧 Tune in now and learn what it took to get it done at Botany Bay.
🔗 Links & Sponsors
https://fishin.com.au
HWS Hobie Kayaks & Accessories
Podium Marine Wraps
🎣 Follow The Bream Fishing Project Instagram: @thebreamfishingproject

Action Fishing Tournaments Grand Final – Camden Haven Recap | EP192

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, we head to Camden Haven on the New South Wales North Coast for the Grand Final of the Action Fishing Tournaments 2025 season.
Before diving into the final, Andrew recaps the full season, highlighting key results and standout performances across all rounds leading into the decider.
The Grand Final brought a competitive field together on a challenging system, with strong currents, long paddles, and key decisions around location and time management playing a major role in the outcome.
🥉 Third Place – Gareth Goodhew
Gareth put together a consistent two-day performance to secure third place.
He discusses:
Covering water and exploring during pre-fish
Targeting racks and broken structure
Using deep cranks like the Atomic GGB and Jackall Chubby
Adjusting retrieve speed to suit more timid fish
Managing long paddles and limited fishing time
🥈 Second Place – Glenn Allen
Glenn built his result around a simple but effective game plan.
He covers:
Fishing racks with crab presentations on light jigheads
Transitioning to shallow flats and weed beds
Using deep-diving crankbaits to work structure
Identifying key areas holding better-quality fish
Making crucial upgrades late in the session
🥇 First Place – Carl Dubois
Carl secured the win with a strong two-day performance and a clear strategy.
He shares:
Backing his previous experience at Camden Haven
Committing to long paddles to reach productive water
Fishing shallow flats with crankbaits
Adapting retrieves to trigger bites
Managing time and conditions across both days
Carl finished with a total of 214.5cm, taking out the Grand Final win.
🌊 Conditions & Key Factors
Strong current throughout the system
Long distances to key fishing areas
Limited bite windows
Importance of committing to a game plan
Success in this event came down to:
Time management
Efficient movement between locations
Executing when opportunities presented
This episode provides a detailed breakdown of the Grand Final, including tactics, decisions, and insights from the anglers who made it happen.
🎧 Tune in now to hear how the 2025 Action Fishing Tournaments season was decided at Camden Haven.
🔗 Links & Sponsors
https://fishin.com.au
HWS Hobie Kayaks & Accessories
Podium Marine Wraps
🎣 Follow The Bream Fishing Project
Instagram: @thebreamfishingproject
 

EP191: Gippsland Lakes Grand Final Recap – 1.82kg Big Bream & Team Interviews

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, we head back to the Gippsland Lakes (Metung) for a full breakdown of the 2025 NS Rods Sunline Bream Classic Grand Final – the 20th anniversary event of the Vic Bream Classics.
Big bags, tough conditions, wind changes, and some outstanding fishing made for a cracking finale. We cover the tides, bite periods, weather, and all the major prizes before sitting down with the podium teams for their exact strategies.
3rd Place – Team Bluefin Plumbing (Tyler Breust & Ben Hanscombe) They share how lightly weighted Clone Prawns, SPRs, and the Hybrid Shrimp worked on the weed edges at Eagle Point, plus their smart decision to launch from Paynesville.
2nd Place – Team Just Winging It (Chris Allwood & Jack Allwood) The father-and-son duo turned a slow start into the Sunline Best Bag (6.965 kg on day one) using a mix of hard bodies and plastics around the Tambo snags.
1st Place – Team JML Ecogear / Samaki (Scott Scicluna & Mitchell Blomquist) The Grand Final winners explain their two-bank plan: filling the bag early on the Hurricane Sickle 85 plastic, then switching to hard bodies when the wind picked up. Scott details how the Samaki MS40 Pearl Shrimp produced his PB 1.82 kg big bream (and a 1.5 kg upgrade), while Mitch used the Ecogear SX 48.
We also cover the Team of the Year, Junior awards, Zip Baits Monster Movers, and more.
Whether you fish bream tournaments or just want practical tips for weed flats, wind-affected days, and upgrading bags in pressured systems, this episode is loaded with real-world techniques from the top anglers.
If you enjoyed the episode, head over to breamfishingproject.supercast.com and join The Collective for extra content, challenges, and more in-depth breakdowns.
Listen now and get smarter on the water!

April Report EP190 | Tassie Tournament Edge

Watch the full video version here:👉 https://youtu.be/c8DnXHOeXnE
This is the April Report EP190 of The Bream Fishing Project.
In this episode, Andrew is joined by Brett Geddes and Plinio Taurian to break down what’s happening across the country, with a deep dive into the upcoming Tasmanian events.
The conversation covers key systems including the Huon River, Derwent River, Swan River and Little Swan Port, along with insights into lure choice, fish behaviour and tournament strategy.

Lake Macquarie Tournament Breakdown (Winning Patterns & Tactics) | Episode 189

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, Andrew breaks down the Atomic Tournament Series Round 1, held at Lake Macquarie on March 14–15.
This was a standout event where numbers of BREAM were high, but consistently upgrading to better-quality fish proved to be the key to success. Across the two days, over 300 fish were weighed, with a noticeable drop in average size on day two, making decision-making and execution critical.
The episode begins with a full breakdown of bite periods, tides, and tournament stats before diving into interviews with the top three teams.
🥇 1st Place – James Dunn & Mark Huisken (9.22kg + Big Bream 1.38kg)
A dominant performance built around one key lure — the Samaki Reddick (40LC).
Fishing shallow flats and edges in 1–3 metres, they focused on slow rolling their lures, keeping them close to the bottom and pausing when needed to trigger bites. Early in the session they identified a freshwater/saltwater line, which held fish and allowed them to quickly build a strong bag.
Technique: Slow roll with pauses
Depth: 1–3 metres
Lure: Samaki Reddick (medium & deep)
Key factor: Matching bait profile and staying in productive water
They filled a bag quickly both days (including a 20-minute bag on day two) and spent the rest of the time upgrading, finishing with over 9kg and taking out Big Bream as well.
🥈 2nd Place – Mitch & Matt Simonis (7.52kg)
A highly consistent approach built around 30mm vibes (matte black, no eyes).
Fishing around 2–2.5 metres off weed edges, they worked vibes along the bottom with a hopping retrieve, with most bites coming on the drop. They secured a bag early and upgraded steadily throughout the day.
Later in the session, they switched to topwater (Force Lures Ziggy), raising fish off structure and landing key upgrades.
Technique: Bottom hopping vibes + topwater later
Depth: ~2–2.5 metres
Lures: 30mm vibes (matte black), Force Lures Ziggy
Key factor: Locking in numbers early, then upgrading
🥉 3rd Place – Aaron Clifton & Simon Moore (6.91kg)
A methodical approach starting on the flats before moving deeper to upgrade.
They mixed hard bodies (chubby-style cranks) and plastics, working from shallow water out to 10–15 feet, upgrading fish gradually throughout the day.
Technique: Rotating depths and lure types
Depth: Flats out to 10–15 feet
Lures: Hard bodies (chubby style), plastics
Key factor: Patience and systematic upgrading
A small but critical adjustment — switching from 6lb to 4lb leader — made a noticeable difference in bites.
🎯 Key Takeaways from Lake Macquarie
Early bagging was critical
Upgrading separated the field
Hard bodies, vibes, and subtle presentations dominated
Topwater played a role later in the session
Small adjustments (leader size, retrieve, depth) made a big difference
Fish were holding in specific zones, not everywhere
This is a must-listen episode for anyone looking to improve their tournament BREAM fishing or understand how to break down a system like Lake Macquarie under pressure.