The Bream Fishing Project

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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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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The 2025 WATA Boat Grand Final takes us to Albany, Western Australia, where some of the country's best tournament anglers battle changing tides, windy conditions and one of Australia's most unique black bream fisheries.

This episode features interviews with all three podium teams as they break down the decisions that shaped the Grand Final.

🏆 David Bennett & Rory Laurens (The Tidal Tale) explain how committing to a surface bite around the harbour paid off with two outstanding bags and a convincing victory. Their willingness to trust Slippery Dogs, Bent Minnows and surface presentations when others were fishing more traditional patterns proved to be the winning formula.

🥈 Alex Griesdorf & Ben Oakes (Team Stinger) discuss another consistent championship campaign, how they secured Team of the Year honours, and the heartbreaking lost fish that may have made the Grand Final even closer.

🥉 Michael Sammut & Jeremy Jasinski (Team Sexual Chocolate) reveal how a massive final-day comeback, highlighted by Bent Minnows and carefully worked drop-offs, lifted them from tenth overnight to finish on the podium with the biggest bag of the tournament.

Throughout the episode you'll hear plenty of discussion about:

Fishing Albany's unique harbour and river systems.

Surface lure tactics for trophy black bream.

Bent Minnows, Slippery Dogs, Sugar Pens and soft plastics.

How to identify productive drop-offs and fish-holding pockets.

Boat positioning, wind management and fishing pressure.

Fine-tuning presentations for quality fish rather than numbers.

And don't switch off when the podium interviews finish…

Right at the end there's a bonus story about one absolutely enormous bream that didn't make the podium but was simply too good not to include.

Grand Final Podium
🥇 The Tidal Tale – David Bennett & Rory Laurens – 6.43 kg

🥈 Team Stinger – Alex Griesdorf & Ben Oakes – 5.61 kg

🥉 Team Sexual Chocolate – Michael Sammut & Jeremy Jasinski – 5.57 kg

If you're interested in tournament strategy, surface fishing for black bream, or simply hearing how Australia's top anglers break down unfamiliar water, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

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The Hobie Fishing Series qualifying round at the Glenelg River, South Australia, was held on 7-8 March 2026, and it produced one of the closest finishes of the season.

Leon Leong claimed victory with 5.20 kg, edging out Chris "Crafty" Miller by just 20 grams, while Kobi Rothall rounded out the podium with 5.06 kg. With only a few hundred grams separating much of the top ten after day one, the pressure stayed on right through to the final weigh-in.

In this episode you'll hear from all three podium finishers as they break down exactly how they approached the Glenelg River.

Leon explains how he ignored the obvious flats, identified a precise structural pattern and methodically dissected sloping banks, timber and undercuts to grind out a winning bag. Chris Miller talks about returning to tournament fishing after time away from the sport, buying a kayak specifically for this event, and trusting his strengths by abandoning the flats and committing to structure fishing. Kobi Rothall shares how lightly weighted soft plastics, mussels and patient retrieves produced quality fish before a heartbreaking lost giant nearly changed the outcome of the tournament.

There's plenty of discussion around:

Reading new water quickly.

Breaking down different types of structure.

Crab versus mussel presentations.

Light line tactics.

Kayak positioning and fish-fighting techniques.

Fine-tuning retrieves around timber and undercut banks.

As always, the conversations go well beyond the final leaderboard, giving you practical ideas you can apply to your own fishing wherever you fish.

Top 5 Results
🥇 Leon Leong – 5.20 kg
🥈 Chris Miller – 5.18 kg
🥉 Kobi Rothall – 5.06 kg
4️⃣ Sean Pearson – 5.02 kg
5️⃣ Josh Bland – 4.90 kg

Division Winners
• Women's: Ruth Beeby – 3.98 kg
• Masters (60+): Raymon Cooper – 4.27 kg

Enjoy the episode!

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#LureFishingProject #BreamFishing #HobieFishing #KayakFishing #GlenelgRiver #SouthAustralia #TournamentFishing #BreamMasterSA

Forster has a reputation as one of Australia's premier bream fisheries, but this year's Hobie Kayak Bream Series round proved that even the best waterways can throw competitors a curveball.

Despite favourable tides and fish activity predictions, 65 anglers were confronted with one of the toughest Forster tournaments in recent memory. Big fish were almost impossible to find, the bite windows never really materialised, and even the eventual winner admitted he never felt comfortable until the final bags were weighed.

In this episode, Andrew sits down with the three anglers who managed to solve the puzzle.

🏆 Brendan Pieschel joins the show after securing his long-awaited first Hobie victory. With no pre-fish after family commitments, Brendan relied on experience, instinct and a flexible game plan to edge out the field with a two-day total of 3.38 kg. He explains how Bent Minnows, shallow crankbaits and a willingness to fish deep into the oyster rails eventually delivered the breakthrough win he'd been chasing.

🥈 Greg Crebert reveals one of the more unusual stories you'll hear in tournament fishing, catching every fish for the weekend on a completely clear, unpainted crankbait fitted with nothing more than blue eyes. Greg talks through his Wallace Lake strategy, why weed edges outperformed expectations, and how a strong second day launched him from 17th place into second overall.

🥉 Ryan Honeybrook rounds out the podium after producing the standout bag of Day One. Fishing heavy oyster country with crab presentations, Ryan discusses extracting fish from brutal structure, the one fish that got away, and why adapting to Forster's changing oyster systems has become one of the biggest challenges facing tournament anglers.

Throughout the conversations you'll hear plenty of detailed tournament discussion, including:

• Why Forster fished so differently from previous years.
• The impact of low high tides and bright moon phases.
• Surface lures versus crankbaits, plastics and crab presentations.
• Fishing ribbon weed, oyster rails and modern rack systems.
• Leader choices, tackle setups and lure selection.
• How small decisions over two difficult days separated the podium from the rest of the field.

Andrew also reflects on spending the following week at Forster trying to unlock the fishery himself, sharing why one of his favourite waterways left him scratching his head despite several extra days on the water.

Official Results

🥇 Brendan Pieschel — 6 fish — 3.38 kg
🥈 Greg Crebert — 6 fish — 3.28 kg
🥉 Ryan Honeybrook — 6 fish — 3.25 kg

Congratulations also to:

• Bradley Hart – Anaconda Big Bream (0.90 kg)
• James Kilpatrick Jr – Youth Division Winner
• Simon McGuire – Masters Division Winner
• Leanne Cowan – Women's Division Winner

A total of 279 bream weighing 116.74 kg were presented across the weekend, averaging 420 grams per fish, highlighting just how difficult this Forster event proved to be.

If you enjoy detailed tournament breakdowns, honest conversations with Australia's best lure anglers and practical insights you can apply to your own fishing, make sure you follow The Lure Fishing Project and never miss an episode.

For bonus episodes, extended interviews, The Big Bream Series, live Zoom sessions, Discord access and our growing community of passionate lure anglers, join The Lure Fishing Project Collective at:

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Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you on the next episode.