The Bream Fishing Project

EP 178: Bream Masters SA Championship Round Port River 2nd November 2025

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, we head to South Australia to review the BREAM Masters South Australia (BMSA) Tackle Tactics Championship Round 2025, held on the Port River on November 2nd, 2025.
This was a strong finish to the season with good numbers of legal BREAM weighed in, and it also rounded out a standout year for Paul Cook, who capped things off with a huge result across the season.
Results – Top 5
1st: Paul Cook – 2.17kg
2nd: Josh Bland – 2.09kg
3rd: Ben Harrison – 2.01kg
=4th: Craig Richards – 1.81kg
=4th: Ryan Ottens – 1.81kg
What you’ll hear in this episode
Ben Harrison (3rd – 2.01kg) breaks down a strong pre-fish session, how the day changed with tide movement, and how he mixed Crabbies, Hurricane Skimps and a late hardbody upgrade run — with lightning, rain, and a couple of painful late mistakes.
Josh Bland (2nd – 2.09kg) talks through a no pre-fish approach, fishing a central Port River structure zone, and his lure rotation including the Spike 53 medium running, Bait Junkie Prawn 2.35” (Clear Gold) on a 1/30 jighead, and a bite window on mussel-style lures around pylons — plus his thoughts on the wider impacts of the toxic algal bloom in SA.
Paul Cook (1st – 2.17kg) rounds out the show, reflecting on a rough pre-fish a month out, how conditions improved in the weeks leading in, and the “less is more” mindset that helped him lock in a tight gameplan — focusing on edges, small profiles, and maximising time fishing rather than travelling. He also covers the season wrap-up, prize packs, and what it means to take the championship and season achievements.
The Collective (community + challenges)
If you’re looking to connect with more anglers and get involved in challenges, Zoom sessions, and community chat, check out The Bream Fishing Project Collective (now running on Discord):breamfishingproject.supercast.com
Big thanks to the volunteers behind BREAM Masters South Australia for putting in the work to run the series, and to the sponsors supporting the season.

EP :177 Action Fishing Tournaments Tunks Park, Sydney Harbour, 31, August 2025

 
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Action Fishing Tournaments – Tunks Park (31 Aug 2025) | James Tran wins + Big BREAM (46.5cm), Trent Rogers 2nd, Claudio Araujo 3rd
In this episode of The BREAM Fishing Project, Andrew breaks down the Action Fishing Tournaments round held Sunday 31st August 2025 at Tunks Park (Middle Harbour) — a tough day on the water where half the field didn’t land a fish, but a few anglers cracked the code.
We cover the bite periods + tide info, then jump into the angler interviews with Claudio Arjo (3rd), Trent Rogers (2nd), and James Tran (1st + Big BREAM) — including the stories behind their key fish, the lures they used, and the moments that nearly cost them the result.
Bite periods + tides (as mentioned in the episode)
Fish Activity Wheel: 11
Major bite: 4:01am – 6:31am
Minor bite: 9:25am – 10:55am
Low tide: 6:49am (0.56m)
High tide: 1:46pm (1.32m)
Results (Top 3)
🥇 1st – James Tran: 113.5cm (46.5cm Big BREAM, plus 35cm & 32cm)
Takes home $650 for 1st + $100 Big BREAM
Lands a PB 46.5cm BREAM and wins by 20cm+
🥈 2nd – Trent Rogers: 92cm
Gets his bag fast (first fish around 7:33am), mostly on blades around boats
Takes home $400
🥉 3rd – Claudio Arjo: 91cm (29.5, 29, 32.5)
Finds a bite window early and puts fish together when most struggled
Takes home $250
Lures, gear & patterns discussed (from the interviews)
Deep boat/mooring bite with blades (including Eco Gear VX-35 in 439)
Claudio’s run of fish around 10–12m on a small blade, plus testing a baby vibe (but too slow to sink in that depth)
James mixing muss/crab style lures, Cranka Crab, and Berkley Gulp Crabby, plus the full “comp day chaos” story (bungs, bust-offs, getting snagged on a rope, and climbing onto a boat to free his line)
Shout-outs mentioned
Dane Tamagotchi / Zeus Tackle (Camden)
Adam – fishing.com.au
Steve – Tackle Addiction
Craig + team for running AFT, plus the wider tournament community
Find James Tran
James’ YouTube channel: JG Kayak Fishing
Join “The BREAM Fishing Project Collective”
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EP176 | Monthly Report – Brett Geddes with Steve Morgan | ABT 2026 & Live Sonar

Welcome to the Monthly Report episode of The BREAM Fishing Project, hosted by Andrew Death, with regular contributor Brett Geddes, and special guest Steve Morgan.
In this episode, Andrew and Brett are joined by Steve Morgan to cover a wide range of topics around tournament fishing, fishing education, and how anglers develop their skills over time. Steve reflects on his long involvement in fishing media and tournaments, including his approach to teaching anglers and the importance of sharing knowledge within the sport.
The conversation explores how people learn to fish, the influence of magazines and media on modern lure fishing in Australia, and how those learning pathways have changed. Steve also shares insights from fishing and competing across different systems and conditions around the country.
A key part of the episode focuses on tournament fishing, including a detailed discussion of the ABT 2026 season, with commentary on venues, timing, and how different fisheries tend to fish throughout the year. The discussion also touches on decision-making during competition days, fishing pressure, and adapting when conditions or plans change.
Steve also outlines his upcoming Live Sonar course, explaining what it aims to teach, who it’s designed for, and how anglers can better interpret what they’re seeing on their screens when using modern sonar technology.
As always, the episode includes the regular Monthly Report segments:
Full Boof-Head, highlighting moments and behaviour that don’t help the fishing community
What Cheeses Me Off, with reflections on online negativity, community discussion, and broader issues affecting anglers
Other topics covered throughout the episode include:
Learning through experience and observation
Differences in fish behaviour across systems
Shallow versus deep water approaches
How sound, lure presentation, and pressure affect fish
Tournament mindset and adapting throughout a session
The episode wraps up with broader reflections on the fishing community and the importance of constructive conversation and shared learning.
 

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.
👥 Join The Bream Fishing Project Collective
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Join here: breamfishingproject.supercast.com
🎧 New episodes every Tuesday — tips, tactics, and conversations with Australia’s best BREAM tournament anglers.If you enjoyed this episode, please follow/subscribe and leave a rating on your favourite podcast app — it helps more anglers find the show.

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
Support the show:buymeacoffee/andrewdeath
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
If you enjoy the episode, a follow/subscribe and a quick rating helps more than you’d think. 🤝
 

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