The yellowfin bream is the reason why so many of us are hooked with fishing. These tough little fish can be found almost anywhere and eat almost anything making them the ideal fish for kids and those starting their fishing obsession. 

This humble fish isn’t just a “beginner” fish by any means! Bream attract hundreds of anglers across the country in the tournament scene.

For many anglers the bream is great fun fish to catch and aren't too bad on the plate. In this Gear and Guide we’ll go through our tips and techniques to catch these tough fish on bait and lures.

As mentioned - bream can be found almost anywhere. Beaches, rocky headlands, wharves to even the rank little creeks at the back of the local industrial complex. Finding them isn’t the problem, the challenge is finding big ones when they're in a feeding mood. Bream a predatory fish and need certain triggers to switch them on. These triggers include tides, water flow, water temp, low light and water clarity. Bream will also move to areas for an easy feed like intertidal areas (areas that are exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide) 

WORKING OUT HOW TO FIND BREAM

As mentioned above bream need triggers to promote feeding so by concentrating your fishing time around these factors can dramatically improve your catch rate.

LANDBASED

Being landbased can give you access to areas boats can’t reach but it also has its limits. Putting in the homework prior to heading out is beneficial. You want to find a spot that at least ticks some of the feeding triggers. For example, when fishing a wharf in the middle of the day and the water is clear you’d want to be casting in the deeper parts as the fish will be hiding away from the sun. But if the water is dirty and the light is low the fish will be right up next to the wharf almost under your feet.

Off the beaches you can follow a similar pattern. If it’s the middle of the day aim to get your bait in the deeper parts of the gutter/beach where as if the tide is high and it’s low light the fish will move closer to shore, almost at your feet. 

Intertidal areas like sandflats or flat rock ledges that are under water at high tide are great areas to start finding bream. When the tide is low and the sun is beaming down it can literally cook shellfish, small crabs and the like. The bream know this and the moment the water covers these areas, even if it’s a foot deep, the bream will start to move in to feed and because they have a short time to feed they generally can be quite aggressive. 

BOAT-BASED

On a boat you’ve got plenty of options in finding fish. Again, follow a similar principle as being landbased. Fish deeper with the brighter sun and fish shallow when the sun is lower. Sandflats and weedbeds are great places to start when the light is low and fish deeper holes, moorings are reefs when the light is higher or the tide is lower. One thing too when boat fishing you do need to be aware of water flow. As the saying goes “No flow, no go” bream like to have water movement to promote feeding. Water movement not only help bream hunt but also drifts food closer to the fish to feed on. In short, follow the tides and light conditions as a guide to help find where the fish will be feeding.

For bait fishing we recommend a fibreglass rod, these are tough, durable but are perfectly suited to bait fishing. When bait fishing you generally want the fish to take the bait and run off with it and fibreglass rods are very flexible and allow the fish to run with minimal resistance but they also feature enough strength to bring the fish in. A rod like the Shimano Taipan is a perfect choice. Pair this with a Shimano Sienna and 8lb mono line. 

If you’re fishing the surf/rocks then it’s important to get a longer rod for better casting distance and to keep the line away from the waves and rocks. A rod like the Daiwa Crossfire. This rod is 10 foot 6 which is great for light rock/surf fishing. Pair this will a 4000 Daiwa Aird and 12lb line and you’re ready to fish! 

For lure fishing you want a rod that’s the opposite of a fibreglass rod. You want a sensitive, light rod for accurate casts, bite detection and to impart direct lure action. Rods between 6 foot to 7 foot are a great starting point. A general rule of thumb is that the shorter the rod the more accurate the casting and the longer the rod the more distance you can get. Depending on how you’re working the lures and where will determine your rod length. As for rating, anything between 1 to 4kg is ideal. For a beginner rod we recommend the Shimano Raider and for something more high-end we suggest the Daiwa Infeet Z. Any spin reel between the 1000 and 2500 size will pair well with a light graphite rod. Braid line essential for this type of fishing. 

BAIT FISHING RIGS

No need to over-complicate the rigs. A simple small ball sinker running directly to the hook is fine. Change the sinker size according to the current/distance you want to cast. If it’s calm don’t be shy to remove the sinker all together for a natural bait presentation. If the fish are a little shy you can always add a swivel and leader to separate the hook from the sinker. 

Try not to use a sinker too big or hooks that are too big as you want the presentation to look relatively natural. This rig can be applied off the rocks however for the beach try and use a paternoster rig. This rig is designed to keep the sinker at the bottom of the rig to act like an anchor and the hooks sit above the sinker. This will keep your bait presented well in the turbulent water and keep it in the strike zone for longer.

To help bring the fish to you there's always the option of burley. There's the option of pre-made burley like the Stimulate Prawn Pellet Burley or a you can create your own with stale bread or bread crumbs.