Andrew McGovern discusses some of the most effective techniques to employ when targeting yellowfin bream.
Yellowfin bream are one of this countries most sort after recreational species. They can be found from the Townsville area in the north to the Gippsland lakes in northern Victoria. An amazing fighting fish for their size, the species is a primary target of bream anglers working all manner of presentations. Over many years we have continued to adjust, change, and tinker with techniques, lure selection, and areas to fish. The following is a summary of the more successful methods we have discovered when targeting big yellowfin bream.
AREAS
My personal favourite area to target yellowfin bream is over shell and cockle beds. These areas can be difficult to find if you are new to a system so it will pay to spend some time searching vast expanses of open water. If fishing in water deeper than two metres, keeping a close eye on your sounder is the most efficient way to find these mounds and humps of shell grit. If in water less than two metres deep, using quality polariod sunglasses to identify such areas is the prime method of identification.
Other visual queues can be birds working over relatively shallow water where small baitfish have been pushed towards the surface by a mix of bream and trevally. Of note here is that you don’t need a massive flock of birds dive bombing into the water to indicate an area worthy of some prospecting casts. Some of the better spots we have identified have been areas where there have only been a handful of birds sitting on top of the water. When it comes to bird species, pelicans are my number one fish locator. The problem in shallow water is that bream will feel just as threatened by pelicans as the small baitfish.
Cockle and shell beds are ideal yellowfin haunts and when located anglers should work a mix of lure styles across the broken bottom.
The key is to pin point the area where the pelicans are and return to that area at a later time when the pelicans have moved on. If you have a mix of terns and cormorants then there is a good chance some bream will be around hunting the same prey as the birds. Gulls on the other hand can throw you a few ‘false positives’. By this I mean that there is bait there, but no larger predators underneath. In saying this, you should not ignore the area completely. Instead, dedicate at least 10 minutes or so to working the area. Again, note this area down for further reference as a change of tide or change in conditions could see some big yellowfin move into the area.
Making long casts towards sloping shoreline is another highly effective area to prospect for yellowfin. Using a quality pair of sunglasses; search for variations in the colour of the substrate just off the edge of the bank (See Fact Box – Shoreline Patches). Patches of light sand among a slightly darker, more uniform bottom is a clear indication that bream have been feeding in the area recently. The reverse can also apply where dark patches of silt have been turned over by bream mudding the bottom in search for worms, crabs or small invertebrates. We have found gently sloping shorelines to be far more productive than areas that plummet into deep water.
The draw back with the shallow water just off the shore is that fish will be spooky and on alert for anything abnormal. This means that long casts with thin diametre leaders are paramount. The difference in the success tasted between using 8lb leader or dropping down to 4lb leader can be substantial. In one session last season we didn’t land a single fish on 8lb, a handful of fish on 6lb, yet each person running 4lb leaders recorded double figure captures of bream, as well as by catch including trevally, blackfish, and whiting.
APPROACH
When approaching any shallow area it goes without saying that stealth is paramount. The stock standard approach is to cut the petrol motor a good distance from the area you intend to fish before powering in using your electric motor. Exactly how far out to cut the petrol and deploy the electric depends on conditions and depth of water you will be fishing. On calm days with clear skies you may need to cut the motor up to a hundred metres or more from the area.
We have several shallow, mid water locations that often hold good numbers of bream and require us pulling up well back from the area. If we approach in a way that sends any sort of wave action over the shell bed, the bream will shut down. However, if approaching the same location on windy days, we only need to pull up 20 or 30 m away with little effect on the fish. Another often over looked consideration is ‘wave slap’ on the hull of the boat. This is where glass boats have a significant advantage over aluminum as the noise is significantly reduced when bounced off the glass hull. For those with aluminum hulls, like myself, you will struggle to completely mitigate wave slap, however it can be reduced by turning the nose of the boat slightly into the direction of the waves (See Fact Box – Reducing Wave Slap).
LURE STYLES
Yellowfin bream will take blades, soft plastics, and an array of the myriad of hardbodied minnows currently available. To ensure you have all bases covered you will need a mix of suspending and floating minnows as well as shallow runners and deeper divers. Both styles of surface presentations, walk the dog style stickbaits and poppers, round off what is a substantial arsenal of lures to chase these highly sort after sport fish.
When prospecting shallow water, blades and soft plastics are good options to cover water quickly. Suspending hardbodies can provide a better catch rate when concentrating efforts in a defined area. If the water is deeper than two metres then look to use a sinking hardbody. Allow the lure to sink to varying depths specifically working that half a metre or so near the bottom. Yellowfin holding tight to the bottom can be suckers for a slowly retrieved sinker just off the bottom.
Surface presentations can come into their own during the warmer months. There is little argument from bream fishers that a fish taken on the surface is equal to half a dozen taken sub-surface. It has been said many times before but the key with surface bream fishing is finding the correct length of pause. Some days a short pause of no more than a second will generate strike after strike. Other days a longer pause of a few seconds is required to attract a curious bream. During the warmer months of the year there is no doubt that longer pauses work best, however, it pays to experiment with different length pauses when working lures across the shallow regions of a system. When it comes to deep water you can’t go past blades as the primary searching tool. Blades that transmit a subtle vibration work particularly well on deep water yellowfin.
Fine leaders and light braid will not only help to get your lure deep quickly but will also allow you to impart more action in your lure. Dissimilar to casting over shallow zones, long leaders are not necessary in the deep areas. A metre of leader is sufficient length and will allow you to maximise the no stretch characteristic of your main line when imparting action into the blade. In direct contrast to the long draw used across shallow sand patches or shell beds, a shorter more compact lift has proven more successful on deep water yellowfin.
Fish holding off the bottom are generally active fish and respond well to blades worked through the water column at the depth they are sitting at. Soft plastics are another alternative but tend to have a less superior bite to cast ratio compared to blades in the deep (See Fact Box – Deep Water – Short Hop).
Having multiple outfits rigged with different styles of presentations can increase your success rate. I know fishers who have four or even five rods rigged and at arms length when chasing yellowfin. This will largely depend on your boat and what space is available. In my boat I only have room for two rods rigged for each angler without the danger of crushing a rod while moving around. Personally, I have found this to be more than adequate providing I work with my fishing partner to have a variety of lure styles rigged and ready to go (See Fact Box – Overview of Rigged Outfits).
Craig Brennan displays his first yellowfin bream on a blade.
SUMMARY
Yellowfin bream are one of the most sort after species available along the eastern seaboard, particular for lure fishers working estuary, river, and lake systems. To target these fish you will need an array of lures and a mix of techniques to give yourself the best chance to capitalise on any opportunities that may arise when you are on the water. With patience, knowledge of the waterway you are fishing, good quality gear, and faultless knots, a bag of big yellowfin bream is within your reach. SF
Andrew has been fishing the Canberra, Monaro, Snowy Mountains and south coast of NSW region for almost 40 years and is considered one of the country’s most innovative and competent anglers. He has been a freelance journalist for almost 17 years, has written two extensive books on the region, and featured in numerous AFN tactics DVDs. He regularly undertakes all forms of fishing with casting soft plastics for trout, chasing kingfish from the rocks, pelting baits from beaches, and luring his local estuaries amongst his favourite pastimes. Andrew is currently a Pro Angler with Jarvis Walker Australia and endorses their range of products.
