bream Bream in the mangroves

[Surfacejunky]

How addictive is chasing bream along the edges of our local river systems?

Over the last two weeks I have dedicated a few trips to targeting bream in and around the mangroves. To say it has been rewarding would be the understatement of the year. 

I thought I would share some of the key things that I believe are the difference between scoring a few and the dreaded doughnut!

1. Fish as light as possible, I have been fishing 4lb braid with 3lb leader. Not only do you get more bites, it makes it heaps easier to cast tiny plastics. Just make sure your drag is set accordingly or you will get busted off setting the hook. Also I fish the TT hws jig heads in the 1/40th so it sinks very slowly. 

2. Fish the run out tide, as the tide recedes the bream are in waiting for bait that is being pulled out of the shallows. It makes sense to have your plastic coming out the same way.

3. Skipcast under mangroves, the skip itself looks alot like a prawn or baitfish being harrassed in the shallows and some times you'll get crunched on the drop.

4. Watch your line, I like to keep a belly(slack) in the line as the lure falls through the water more naturally. Keep an eye on the line and as with most types of bream fishing strike as soon as you see a tap on the line or the line stops before you think its on the bottom.

I have really enjoyed my last few sessions catching 6 to 26cm the first time, 6 to 31cm the second time and 8 to 34cm the third time and I only went for around an hour and a half each time. Get out there and have a go you wont be disappointed!

 

[big Neil]

Great report mate and very good of you to pass on the "how to" to the coastal fishos. That's what F/R is all about. Cheers, BN

[BrassRoots]

great post. thanks for the tips

[dirvin21]

nice work mate, you should try poppers at the top of the tide amongst the mangrove roots

[Surfacejunky]

13 hours ago, dirvin21 said:

nice work mate, you should try poppers at the top of the tide amongst the mangrove roots

I have only ever caught them in the low light periods on the top, does the time of day matter? Or would you try and line up say an early morning/ late arvo with a high?

[dirvin21]

10 hours ago, Surfacejunky said:

I have only ever caught them in the low light periods on the top, does the time of day matter? Or would you try and line up say an early morning/ late arvo with a high?

up in the mangroves is a bit of an exception, they are up there to feed, I have caught some of my best bream casting amongst the mangroves from public pathways in the middle of the day, however you get one shot

try and get your cast right up into the shallows to where the water only just covers the mangrove roots

small 45-50mm poppers in prawn style colours are the go in my experience they seem to work better than stick baits, a nice blooping retrieve with the occasional pause if the fish charge your lure and stop pause it and don't be afraid to have a long standoff

the big tides on the new moon phase are the best but any high tide will work

the main thing is to be stealthy if the fish spot you its over, although don't go under gunned I use atleast 8lb leader a 30cm+ bream in 20cm of water filled with mangrove roots will make you nervous

good luck looking forward to some photos of solid mangrove bream

Dave

 

 

[Surfacejunky]

10 hours ago, dirvin21 said:

up in the mangroves is a bit of an exception, they are up there to feed, I have caught some of my best bream casting amongst the mangroves from public pathways in the middle of the day, however you get one shot

try and get your cast right up into the shallows to where the water only just covers the mangrove roots

small 45-50mm poppers in prawn style colours are the go in my experience they seem to work better than stick baits, a nice blooping retrieve with the occasional pause if the fish charge your lure and stop pause it and don't be afraid to have a long standoff

the big tides on the new moon phase are the best but any high tide will work

the main thing is to be stealthy if the fish spot you its over, although don't go under gunned I use atleast 8lb leader a 30cm+ bream in 20cm of water filled with mangrove roots will make you nervous

good luck looking forward to some photos of solid mangrove bream

Dave

 

 

Great tips there mate next hightide window I get I will give it a go!

[pugzthugz]

Great tips, is this applicable to hardbody lures? If so, what type would you recommend?

[masterfisho7]

Nice report love getting bream some good tips

[dirvin21]

15 hours ago, pugzthugz said:

Great tips, is this applicable to hardbody lures? If so, what type would you recommend?

hard bodies work just as well.

you need something that runs shallow preferably in a minnow or shad style between 40-60mm keep the rod tip high and a twitch pause retrieve seems to work best, you need to keep the rod tip up otherwise the trebles will catch in the roots and once they do they don't come out easily

some lures I've done well on are black magic bmax, strikepro pygmy and pontoon 21 crackjack