The Bream Fishing Project

Skinny-water flathead fishing is about as visual and exciting as lure fishing gets — and few anglers have spent more time working it out than Greg Reid.

In this episode of The Lure Fishing Project, Greg joins Andrew to break down his approach to targeting flathead in seriously shallow water, particularly around St Georges Basin. After years of guiding and thousands of hours on the water, Greg has stripped his fishing back to its simplest form: long casts, stealth, big lures and watching flathead hunt them down in the shallows.

Greg explains why 120mm-plus lures can be the key to triggering aggressive flathead, how he fishes surface lures and how he switches to plastics and prawns when he wants to work below the surface.

Lures discussed in this episode include:

Crossfire — including 120mm, 150mm and 195mm sizes, plus the larger models

Pro Lure Ultra Gar — 150mm

Pro Lure XL Shad — 120mm, 150mm and 200mm

Pro Lure Clone Prawn — 120mm

Pro Lure Hybrid Shrimp — 92mm

Greg covers tackle, leader selection, lure size and colour, hook choice, scent, casting for maximum distance and the importance of approaching shallow-water fish without giving away your presence.

Most importantly, Greg breaks down the retrieve — including why the lure should hit the water already moving, how he uses movement to “ring the dinner bell”, and why the pause can be the most important part of the entire presentation.

There’s also plenty on finding productive water, creek mouths, weed edges, seasonal timing, wind, water temperature and the visual cues that tell Greg when it’s time to start chasing flathead on top.

Plus, before getting into the flathead masterclass, Greg talks luderick on fly, sight-casting to carp in Kangaroo Valley, South Coast salmon and some seriously big tailor.

If you’ve ever wanted to watch a flathead break cover and charge down a surface lure in skinny water, this episode will give you plenty to work with.

EP223 – Lake Macquarie Mulloway with Nathan Butcher
In this episode of The Lure Fishing Project, I’m joined by Nathan Butcher from  Butcher’s Bite to break down how he targets mulloway — or jewfish — on Lake Macquarie.

Nathan hasn’t actually been fishing for that long, but he’s packed a huge amount of time and effort into learning the system and has already developed some impressive consistency on Lake Macquarie mulloway.

We get right into the practical details: where Nathan looks for fish, the importance of bait, birds, structure, cockle beds, drop-offs and depth, the weather and conditions he prefers, and how his approach changes throughout the year.

Nathan also breaks down four of his key lure styles for mulloway, including:

Z-Man PrawnZ Elite

Samaki Vibelicious soft vibes

Curl-tail grubs

Paddle-tail plastics

We cover jighead weights, hook sizes, colours, retrieves, rods, reels, braid, leaders, knots and plenty of the small details that can make the difference when targeting mulloway on lures.

We also hear the stories behind some of Nathan’s most memorable mulloway and finish with his key advice for anyone trying to catch their first fish — or become more consistent.

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that you don’t need decades of experience to start putting the pieces together. Put in the time, pay attention to what each session teaches you and start building your own patterns.

And while this episode focuses on Lake Macquarie, there’s plenty in this conversation that can be applied to chasing mulloway on lures in other systems as well.

EXTENDED EPISODE
The full extended version includes an additional section where Nathan goes deeper into how he uses his sounder and side scan to locate structure, bait and mulloway.

You can hear the extended version through The Lure Fishing Project Collective or Vault, or through Butcher’s Bite YouTube members section.

LINKS
The Lure Fishing Project – Collective & Vault
https://lurefishingproject.supercast.com/

The Butcher’s Bite – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@ButchersBite

The Butcher’s Bite – YouTube Members
Visit the channel above and select Join to access Nathan’s members content.

The Butcher’s Bite Fishing – Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/butchersbitefishing/

Episode 222 takes us to the Tweed River for the 2026 Daiwa Bream Series Crush City Tweed River Round, held on 1–2 August.

As Steve Morgan puts it, there’s “good Tweed” and there’s the tougher version — and this event definitely leaned towards the latter. With the boating division won with 4.78 kg and the non-boater division with 2.610 kg, anglers had to adapt as patterns changed and productive pre-fish areas failed to fire once competition began.

In this episode we speak with the top three anglers from both divisions and break down how they found their fish, the lures and presentations that worked, and the decisions that ultimately put them on the podium.

In the non-boater division, Colin Wilson finishes third after being one of only three non-boaters to catch a full six-fish tournament limit. Tom Guest travels across from Western Australia and takes second, learning some valuable lessons about fishing heavier jigheads in strong tidal flow along the way. Lance Marsh then makes it back-to-back Tweed River victories, adapting between shallow edges, deeper walls and a mix of prawn-style presentations to secure another win.

The boating division produces an extraordinary three-way tie on 4.695 kg between Chris Lonnie, Steve Morgan and Kris Hickson, with the countback system determining the final placings. Steve Morgan talks through his approach to pre-fishing and managing productive areas, while Chris Lonnie’s 3.080 kg day-one bag ultimately earns him second place.

Finally, Sam Peck joins us after securing his first ABT win with 4.78 kg. Sam explains how he targeted pontoons and canals, including the crankbait and surface-lure approaches that helped him put together enough weight on a river that had largely shut down.

One of the most interesting parts of this round is the variety of successful approaches. Soft plastics, lightly weighted prawns, crankbaits, Cranka Crabs, surface lures and different depths and structures all feature throughout the episode.

If you fish for bream — particularly in tidal rivers where yesterday’s pattern can disappear overnight — there are plenty of lessons in this one.

This month on The Lure Fishing Project, Andrew and Brett celebrate a huge milestone as the podcast reaches 200,000 downloads.

Andrew reflects on the journey so far, the support from listeners, sponsors and Collective members, and discusses where the show is heading next. With plans for more angler profile episodes, broader species coverage and a refined competition schedule, the podcast continues to evolve while staying true to its grassroots fishing community.

Brett then takes over with one of his biggest monthly reports yet.

Fresh from Gippsland Lakes, he shares the story behind an incredible 2.03 kg, 47 cm  bream, followed only days later by another magnificent 47 cm fish weighing 1.73 kg. He also runs through the outstanding fishing currently happening across eastern Victoria, including big perch, quality flathead, estuary perch, squid, jewfish and some remarkable captures by anglers including Leon, Mark Gercovich and young gun Isaac Lazzaro.

Andrew also gives an update on the new boat, including the installation of the Lowrance Recon trolling motor, early impressions on the electronics setup, and plans for the next stage of the build.

As always, the episode wraps up with plenty of laughs during Gone Full Boofhead, featuring forgotten registrations, near trailer disasters, homemade kayak wheels, lost Mirage Drives and a few stories that prove even experienced anglers can have the occasional shocker.

Whether you're chasing bream, perch, flathead or simply enjoy hearing two passionate anglers talk fishing, there's plenty packed into this month's report.

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https://lurefishingproject.supercast.com

Episode Summary
• Celebrating 200,000 podcast downloads

• The future direction of The Lure Fishing Project

• Brett's incredible 2.03 kg Gippsland bream

• Winter fishing reports from across eastern Victoria

• New Lowrance Recon trolling motor review

• Boat build and electronics update

• Around the Grounds competition calendar

• Gone Full Boofhead returns

We're kicking off our trout series with one of Tasmania's most respected lure anglers, Plinio Taurian.

With more than 50 years of experience chasing trout on lures, Plinio shares an incredible amount of practical knowledge for anyone wanting to fish Tasmania—whether you're visiting for a holiday, planning a dedicated trout trip, or simply looking to broaden your lure fishing skills.

In this episode we cover:

The different trout species found in Tasmania, including the fascinating sea-run trout.

When and where to fish throughout the season.

The best rivers, lakes and shore-based locations to start.

Rods, reels, leaders and the lure selection that consistently catches trout.

How to approach rivers, read water, find feeding fish and develop productive patterns.

Hardbody and soft plastic techniques, including retrieves for different conditions.

Wading gear, safety, fish handling and the equipment that makes life easier on the water.

Chasing sea-run trout in Tasmania's estuaries and understanding tides, weather and bait movements.

Why trout continue to surprise even after decades on the water.

Whether you're a seasoned trout angler or you've never chased one before, this episode is packed with practical advice that will help shorten the learning curve and make your next trip to Tasmania more productive.

Enjoy the episode!

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Get extended episodes, exclusive content, community challenges, Discord access, live Zoom sessions and more:
https://lurefishingproject.supercast.com

 

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