The Bream Fishing Project

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.
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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.
 

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

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
 

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!

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.

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.
 

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, Andrew is joined by Vic Bream Classics founder Bill Hartshorne to break down the full 2026 season, including all five rounds and the Grand Final.
With over 20 years of history behind the Vic Bream Classics, Bill shares insights into how the series has evolved, the incredible statistics behind the events, and what anglers can expect from this year’s calendar.
The conversation dives into each round in detail, including Gippsland Lakes, Marlo, Mallacoota, the Hopkins River, and Nelson. Bill explains how each location fishes differently, seasonal changes, and what anglers need to consider when preparing for each event.
There’s also a strong focus on what makes Vic Bream Classics unique, from the team format and grassroots feel to the supportive community that helps new anglers improve quickly. Bill shares stories of how beginners progress through the ranks and how experienced anglers contribute to the growth of the sport.
The episode also highlights:
The structure of the 2026 Vic Bream Classics season
Key locations and expected fishing conditions
How the team format benefits anglers
Sponsor contributions and prize structures
Junior and female angler initiatives
The importance of community and knowledge sharing in tournament fishing
Bill also discusses the future of the series, including opportunities for growth, sponsorship, and ideas for expanding events.
This is a must-listen episode for anyone interested in tournament BREAM fishing, whether you’re looking to compete, improve your skills, or better understand how these events operate.

🎣 Sydney Harbour Showdown! | NSW Tournament Series Round 6 Recap
In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, we head to iconic Sydney Harbour to break down Round 6 of the 2025 New South Wales Tournament Series, held on September 14.
This was a fascinating event with tough conditions, changing water clarity, and a strong mix of experienced anglers returning to the scene. From early bag limits to last-minute upgrades, this round had it all.
We’re joined by the top three teams as they walk us through exactly how they approached the day, what worked, what didn’t, and the key decisions that shaped their results.
🏆 Top 3 Results & Interviews
🥉 3rd Place – Jason Graham & Craig Norbergen (Team fishing.com.au)A strong start west of the bridge saw them quickly secure a bag on soft plastics before upgrading with a crucial kicker fish on a crab in the Lane Cove River. They dive into how scent played a key role and how they balanced plastics vs crabs throughout the day.
🥈 2nd Place – Joshua Richards (Team Fanatics)Fishing shallow rock structure, Josh and his teammate put together an incredibly consistent day, catching fish right from the start and rotating productive zones. With over 30 fish landed, they explain how persistence and simple patterns paid off, plus insights into lure selection, leader choice, and fishing efficiency.
🥇 1st Place – Adam Hughes & Matthew Green (Team Edgy Bites)A late decision to fish the event turned into a winning performance. Targeting shallow flats in Hen and Chicken Bay, they secured an early kicker fish and built their bag quickly. Their strategy of sticking to strengths, fishing confidently, and making the most of subtle conditions proved the difference.
🎯 Key Takeaways from This Episode
• The importance of getting a quick early bag to unlock upgrade opportunities• How scent can influence bite conversion in pressured systems• Adjusting leader strength based on water clarity and structure• When to commit to plastics vs crabs in Sydney Harbour• Why confidence and fishing your strengths can win tournaments
🌊 Conditions Overview
• Location: Sydney Harbour• Date: 14 September 2025• Low Tide: 6:45 AM (0.49m)• High Tide: 1:27 PM (1.53m)• Bite Window: Minor period from 11:19 AM – 12:49 PM
👏 Special Mentions
A big thank you to the New South Wales Tournament Series team for running a fantastic event, and to all competitors who continue to support and grow the sport.
🎧 Listen Now
If you’re looking to improve your tournament performance or better understand how top anglers approach Sydney Harbour, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply on your next session.
👍 Enjoyed the episode?
Make sure to subscribe, leave a rating, and share it with a mate who loves chasing BREAM on lures.
#BreamFishing #SydneyHarbourFishing #TournamentFishing #FishingPodcast #NSWTournamentSeries #BreamOnLures #AustralianFishing

🎣 Hobie Fishing Series Australia – Marlo Round 2 (2026) | Full Breakdown + Angler Interviews
In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project Podcast, we head to Marlo, Victoria for Round 2 of the Hobie Fishing Series Australia, held on February 21–22, 2026.
Andrew was on the ground for this one, soaking up the atmosphere, catching up with mates, and diving deep into what turned out to be a fascinating and highly tactical tournament.
Marlo is one of those iconic systems that can reward anglers with big BREAM—but it can also humble even the best. This round showcased exactly that, with strong bags, shifting bite windows, and a mix of finesse and surface techniques proving critical.
🏆 Tournament Overview
We break down all the key results and standout performances from the event, including:
Anaconda Big BREAM: Patrick Byrne – 1.4kgMonster Mover: Evan Leonard (Donut Day 1 → Huge comeback Day 2)Youth Division Winner: Riley WhelanWomen’s Division Winner: Beth HarrisMasters (60+) Winner: Lindsay Pryke (4.95kg – inside Top 10 overall)
Top 10 Highlights:1st – Joseph Gardner – 6.15kg2nd – Brendan Pieschel – 5.93kg3rd – Ben Hanscombe – 5.84kg4th – Simon “Batman” Morley5th – Dale Baxter6th – Tyler Bruce7th – Lindsay Pryke8th – Leon Loeng9th – Joe Crosby10th – James Scott
🎙️ Featured Angler Interviews
This episode includes in-depth interviews with the Top 3 finishers, breaking down exactly how they approached the event:
🥉 Ben Hanscombe (3rd Place – 5.84kg)Dialled in shallow water finesse biteKey lure: Pro Lure Hybrid ShrimpFishing ultra-light (3lb straight through)Focused on lake edges and subtle presentations
🥈 Brendan Pieschel (2nd Place – 5.93kg)Incredible Day 2 comeback with the biggest bag of the tournament (3.56kg)Key lure: Hurricane Skimp (cleaver colour)Strategy built around tight casting into reeds and shallow structureStuck to one lure for the entire comp
🥇 Joseph Gardner (1st Place – 6.15kg)First time fishing Marlo and takes the winUnique approach using surface (Bent Minnow)Long pauses and ultra-subtle retrieves triggered bitesFocused on less-pressured water in Frenchs Narrows
🧠 Key Takeaways from Marlo
Surface lures can dominate—even in tough systemsSlow presentations and long pauses were criticalLight line vs confidence—finding the balanceManaging pressure and fish location over multiple daysAdapting retrieves based on weather and light conditions
🎣 The Marlo Factor
Marlo continues to prove why it’s one of the most exciting—and challenging—BREAM fisheries in the country.
Big fish are there… but not easyBite windows are short and crucialOne decision (or one lost fish) can change everything
🤝 Thanks & Acknowledgements
A big thank you to Hobie Fishing Australasia for running another outstanding event, and to all competitors who shared their insights throughout the episode.
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Hobie Fishing Series 2026 Round 1 – Bemm River | Greg & David Crebert Go 1–2 | Leon Leong Breaks It Down
In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, we head to Bemm River in Victoria for Round 1 of the 2026 Hobie Fishing Series, held on 17–18 February 2026.
This round was sponsored by St. Croix Rods and Strike Pro, and it produced one of the best stories you could ask for to start the new Hobie season.
At the end of two fascinating days of fishing, the event delivered a remarkable result with brothers Greg Crebert and David Crebert finishing first and second, while Leon Leong rounded out the podium in third place after a very methodical and thoughtful tournament performance.
This episode includes discussion about:
• tournament strategy at Bemm River• fishing weed edges and flats• how wind direction shaped the event• lure choice for big BREAM• breaking down open water structure• the mental side of tournament fishing
Hosted by Andrew Death, the 2019 Hobie Kayak Fishing World Champion, this episode is a great recap of a cracking tournament and a strong start to the 2026 Hobie season.
Event Overview
Event: Hobie Fishing Series 2026 – Round 1Location: Bemm River, VictoriaDates: 17–18 February 2026Round Sponsors: St. Croix Rods and Strike Pro
Bemm River once again showed why it is such a respected tournament location, producing strong bags and interesting tactical fishing.
The winning total weight was 6.14 kg, which works out to just over 1 kg per fish across the six fish weighed over the two competition days.
Special Awards and Division Winners
Big BREAMCameron Cole – 1.15 kg
Monster MoverCorey LeanDay 1 – 0.14 kgDay 2 – 1.96 kg
Youth DivisionRiley Whelan – 2.62 kg
Women’s DivisionRuth Beeby – 4.30 kg
Masters DivisionPatrick Byrne – 4.33 kg
First-Time CompetitorDavid Chapman – 1.97 kg
Overall Podium Results
🥇 1st Place – Greg CrebertTotal – 6.14 kg
🥈 2nd Place – David CrebertDay 1 – 2.29 kgDay 2 – 2.97 kgTotal – 5.26 kg
🥉 3rd Place – Leon LeongDay 1 – 2.23 kgDay 2 – 2.71 kgTotal – 4.94 kg
Leon Leong – Third Place
Leon Leong’s interview is one of the highlights of this episode.
Andrew notes during the conversation that listeners should pay attention to the way Leon broke down the system and worked through the conditions, because his approach was very disciplined and thoughtful.
Leon explains how his preparation included:
• listening to previous Bemm River podcast episodes• researching the fishery online• testing the river during pre-fish before abandoning that plan• identifying a key five-foot zone with broken weed patches
Using side scan, Leon located fish holding around weed patches and worked through the area very methodically.
His key lures and tackle included:
• Cleaver Sprat plastics• Wave Minnow• Clone Prawn• Atomic Deep 38 crankbait• three-pound leader• Atlas tungsten jigheads• Shine Away and S-Factor scent
Leon describes how:
• the fish wanted long pauses and subtle bites on Day 1• on Day 2 they responded strongly to the Cleaver Sprat• broken weed patches in about five feet of water held the better fish• kayak positioning and wind direction were critical
For third place Leon took home:
• $895 cash• St. Croix Mojo Bass rod• trophy and sponsor prize pack• qualification for the Australian Championship
Greg and David Crebert – Brothers Finish 1st and 2nd
One of the best stories from the event was the Crebert brothers finishing first and second.
Andrew interviews Greg Crebert and David Crebert together, which makes for a fun conversation as they talk about fishing together and competing against each other.
They explain that:
• every fishing trip between them becomes competitive• they record results when fishing socially• they share information but still want to beat each other• this result was special because it happened with family
Pre-Fish Strategy
The Creberts kept things simple during pre-fish.
They headed toward Mahogany, where they quickly found fish holding close to the reeds.
Key lures included:
• Sprat 75 soft plastics• Baby Vibes
During pre-fish the fish were sitting extremely shallow, right near the reeds.
Day 1
Conditions changed slightly and the bigger fish were no longer right in the shallows.
Both anglers moved slightly deeper to target fish around weed edges.
David Crebert
• early fish – 900 g• second fish – 540 g• third fish – 760 g
Day 1 total – 2.29 kg
Greg Crebert
• early fish – 900 g• second fish – 450 g• third fish – 1.1 kg• later upgrade – 980 g
Day 1 total – 2.97 kg
Greg finished Day 1 in first place.
Day 2
Stronger winds on Day 2 forced both anglers to adjust by moving to heavier jigheads while continuing to fish the same productive area.
David Crebert
Late upgrades pushed his bag to:
2.97 kg on Day 25.26 kg total
Greg Crebert
Greg found a late bite window and upgraded strongly with several quality fish.
Final winning weight – 6.14 kg
Key Lures and Techniques
This episode includes lots of useful insight into lure selection and tournament tactics.
Lures mentioned
• Sprat 75 plastics• Cleaver Sprat• Wave Minnow• Clone Prawn• Atomic Deep 38• Baby Vibe
Key tactical themes
• targeting broken weed patches• reading side scan for fish positioning• adjusting to wind direction• changing jighead weights for wind conditions• fishing productive depth zones rather than just banks• staying patient until feeding windows appear
The Bream Fishing Project
Hosted by Andrew Death2019 Hobie Kayak Fishing World Champion
The Bream Fishing Project brings you:
• tournament recaps• interviews with top anglers• BREAM lure fishing tactics• kayak tournament strategy from around Australia
New episodes every Tuesday.
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