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Gearing Up for Bream on Plastics

By Marcus Hope

Despite the Gold Coast being as busy as it is, there’s more than 400km of canal systems for anglers to explore and escape the hustle and bustle. Bream fishing tends to be a favourite amongst anglers on the coast, largely due to their significant presence in almost every body of saltwater, as well as the variety of effective techniques on offer. The bream scene has grown significantly over the past decade, with new techniques emerging and an increase in tournaments and prizes. I have found myself deeply engrossed in perfecting my technique to catch these fish, mainly due to there always being little one percenter’s that can better your angling abilities. Whether it be line choice, plastics, weights, scents, environmental elements, and the list goes on…

This article aims to touch on some key elements involved with chasing Gold Coast bream, ranging from the rods and reels used, to the terminal tackle and soft plastics. Check out the attached video for more info and fishing action.   

Rods / Reels / Line

In my opinion your rod and reel set up is one of the most important elements to get right when targeting bream, so I’ll touch on it first. Most of the time when targeting bream, finesse techniques will be the go-to option. This includes throwing small plastics or lures on light line, requiring a light rod and reel combo to allow you to do this effectively. I have been fortunate enough over the past year to have fished with some of the rods from the TT Fishing range and to say I am impressed with the range would be an understatement. Rods such as the TT Black Mamba BMS701L, 7’, 1-3kg spin and TT Red Belly RBS701L, 7’, 1-3kg are ideal for this style of fishing. Not only are they finesse, they also have plenty of backbone to wrestle those fish out of structure if needed.

I have these rods paired up with light, small spin reels, such as the Okuma ITX 1000 or Okuma Ceymar HD 1000, creating a perfect finesse combination for almost every technique used when chasing bream. Whilst some people like to fish as heavy as 8-10lb braid, I prefer 6lb Platypus Pulse X8 Braid as I find the 6lb gives you that extra bit of a finesse factor. I also like to go light with my leader, running Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader in 6lb or 4lb. Arming yourself with one these setups gives you multiple advantages, including being able to cast light lures long distances, precision casting and easy bite detection, while also being comfortable to fish with throughout the day.

Jigheads / Soft Plastics

Now onto the daunting part for some, selecting what artificial bait to throw out of the thousands available on the market today. Personally, I can’t go past the ZMan 2.5” ST GrubZ and 2.5” PrawnZ. I had the privilege of getting my hands on the ST GrubZ and PrawnZ prior to their release last year, putting both plastics through their paces on the Gold Coast.

ZMan 2.5” ST GrubZ

The ST GrubZ came into its own with the new features incorporated in the design. Unlike the original ZMan 2.5” Grubz range, the new ST design has added deep micro-ribbing on the body to create a much softer feel and to increase the surface area of the plastic, allowing the plastic to hold plenty of scent, giving off a strong scent trail and requiring less application of scent during a session.

The unique split-tail design also produces a fluttering action like no other curl tail lure, meaning the ST GrubZ has an irresistible action at even the slowest retrieve speeds and can be rigged on the lightest jigheads. I find the ST GrubZ to be most effective when the bite is tough. Due to the plastic having the ability to be worked super slowly while still achieving a lot of action, it is ideal when the bream require a slower presentation when they aren’t as active. The micro-ribbing means I don’t have to constantly apply scent and allows for a greater scent trail, resulting in more fish.

ZMan 2.5” PrawnZ

The 2.5” PrawnZ is yet another plastic that ZMan has nailed, ticking all the boxes. The PrawnZ is lifelike, bite-sized and designed to fire up the natural feeding response of fish. Super soft ElaZtech material gives the prawn an action like no other and a slow sink rate that’s proving irresistible. A thin, segmented tail allows for plenty of action with even the slightest of rod flicks. I find bream smash this plastic regardless of the retrieve, having success with small hops, erratic hops, slow winds and even just letting it sink next to structure.

Jighead Selection

The TT HeadlockZ Finesse UV jighead range is a perfect match for the ST GrubZ and PrawnZ. Built on the world's finest Gamakatsu Japanese black nickel, chemically sharpened hooks, for maximum penetration on light lines and light drag settings, TT HeadlockZ Finesse jigheads feature a 'head lock' keeper to lock your plastic in place and a flat-sided profile for added flash and increased waterflow along the sides of the plastic to maximise tail action. In my opinion all of this, combined with a UV reactive finish on the HeadlockZ Finesse UV painted models to attract fish and trigger strikes, makes this the perfect jighead for bream fishing. My go-to weight is 1/8oz as it gives the plastics a nice slow sink, however the weight can be increased or decreased to allow for differing conditions, and you will find that most bream anglers carry jighead weights from 1/20oz to 1/4oz to cover backwater pontoons to deep schooled fish.

Scent

Scent plays a massive part in bream fishing as they can be picky at the best of times. This is why I regularly apply Pro-Cure Super Gel throughout the day. As far as different types of scent go, I think any bait that is natural to the bream is fine, with my personal favourite being Saltwater Yabby / Nipper.

Structure

As for structure, a key component when targeting bream, the Gold Coast is known for its vast expanse of canal systems and man-made structures that are littered along the coast. Structure can be found in every body of water on the coast, with the majority of it holding good numbers of bream. Pontoons are usually my structure of choice and there is no shortage of them!

Tides play a role in determining where the fish will sit on the pontoon. When fishing canal systems, I prefer a high tide as it gives the bream access to the area behind the pontoon, where they will hunt bait in the shallows. This scenario is ideal for casting the PrawnZ up into the shallows and working it out as if it is being chased.

When the tide is lower, bream will push out onto the front edge and pressure edges, waiting for bait to be pushed past. This scenario is ideal for the ST GrubZ, cast as close to the pontoon as possible and left to waft down in front of the fish. This is where the scent and action of the plastic work so effectively.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed using the rods and reels from the TT and Okuma range, as well as putting the Zman ST GrubZ and PrawnZ to the test prior to their release and in my continued pursuit of Gold Coast bream. This article only scrapes the surface on bream fishing, so make sure you check out the attached bream video, along with the comprehensive selection of bream articles at tackletactics.com.au and videos on the Tackle Tactics TV YouTube Channel.

Fish On!
Marcus

Gearing Up:

TT Rods Red Belly Spin Rod - RBS701L 7' 1-3kg
Okuma ITX Carbon Spin Reel - ITX-1000
Okuma Ceymar HD Spin Reel - CHD-1000HA
Platypus Pulse X8 Braid - 6lb
Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader - 4lb-6lb
ZMan 2.5" ST GrubZ
ZMan 2.5" PrawnZ
TT HeadlockZ Finesse UV Jigheads - 1/8oz Size 1
Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent - Saltwater Yabby / Nipper