Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Pro-Lure-Fishing-Tips » Bream - Bigger Bait, Bigger Fish
Bream - Bigger Bait, Bigger Fish
By Tomas McIntosh
Sitting stuck in lockdown the cogs were turning, trying to think of something new to throw when restrictions eased. Something that I had never seen used was a ZMan 3" Slim SwimZ on a Hidden Weight System jighead. I planned on fishing the Maribyrnong River in Melbourne, targeting fish holding shallow on rocky tidal edges.
When I arrived, I was met with banks swarming with people (not surprising with fishing being allowed for the first time in six months). With an incoming high tide at 9am, I knew fish would be staged on the ledges, waiting to push up shallow.
I started by throwing a 3" Motor Oil coloured Slim SwimZ, rigged on a 1/20oz #1 TT Lures Hidden Weight System (HWS) jighead and I got a bite within 15 minutes. The bite was from a 34cm fork length bream that was staged two rod lengths off the edge of the bank. I instantly noticed that I could feel the tail of the 3" Slim SwimZ through the rod tip and this allowed me to fish confidently, knowing that my lure was working unimpeded.
I was marking a considerable number of small patches of baitfish and as the day progressed, this bait started to push up into the shallow margins where they became visible. The small, hardy head style of baitfish were around 3 to 3.5 inches long. Matching the hatch is a critical part of fishing and the 3" Slim SwimZ did this perfectly.
The next fish was taken right on the edge off an isolated rock and ended up being a 36cm fork, 0.99kg bream. At this stage, the light went off in my head and this bait didn't leave my rod all day. I ended the day with over 15 legal fish in the boat, with my best 3 being 3.39kg.
The main tip that I can offer for people looking to try this technique is to let your lure sink on a tight line, even winding ever so slowly after a series of hops. This will cause the lure to swim forward ever slightly as if it is slowly swimming towards the bottom. This imitated the way a wounded baitfish falls through the water column when on its last legs. They won't fall straight down on the spot, rather slowly swimming forward while dropping through the water column.
One of the benefits of having the HWS jighead rigged in the plastic is that it improves the ability of the lure to make its way through structure. The horizontal fall allows the lure to sit on top of the rock, without burying the hook point into the rock.
Next time you get out on the water, be sure to play close attention to how the bait in your area is behaving and try and match your lure size to the size of the bait. Don't be scared to throw lures that are outside your comfort zone, in relation to size, profile or colour. If they match the bait, they will catch the fish!
Tight Lines
Tom
Gearing Up:
ZMan 3" Slim SwimZ
TT Lures Hidden Weight System (HWS) Jigheads