The Bream Fishing Project

Episode 209 – Action Fishing Tournament Round 1 | Berowra Waters
The 2026 Action Fishing Tournament season gets underway at Berowra Waters, with three anglers who all took very different paths to the podium.

In this episode, Andrew Death sits down with the top three finishers to break down exactly how they approached the day, the adjustments they made, and the key decisions that produced the winning bags.

🥇 Jeff Kirkby talks through his first tournament victory, including the 45.5cm big bream that anchored his winning bag and how a simple modification to his Baby Vibe proved to be the difference.

🥈 Rick King explains how an explosive surface bite on cicadas transformed an average start into another podium finish, along with why he believes the fish were holding deeper than expected.

🥉 Zane Duce shares the story of his first Action Fishing Tournament podium after surviving three hours without a legal fish before a late-session change completely turned his day around.

Throughout the episode you'll hear discussions on:

• Fishing transition periods
• Surface cicada techniques
• Baby Vibes and stick minnows
• Working pontoons, rock edges and deep banks
• Leader choices and lure modifications
• Competition strategy and decision making under pressure
• How three very different approaches produced almost identical bags

Congratulations to Geoff, Rick and Zane on outstanding performances to kick off the season.

If you're looking to improve your tournament fishing or simply enjoy hearing Australia's best lure anglers explain exactly how they caught their fish, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

🎣 The Lure Fishing Project is proudly supported by the people and companies helping grow lure fishing across Australia.

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

#LureFishingProject #BreamFishing #TournamentFishing #KayakFishing #BerowraWaters #ActionFishingTournaments #AustralianFishing #FishingPodcast #KayakTournamentFishing

Welcome to the July Monthly Report from The Lure Fishing Project.

This month Andrew and Brett catch up on everything that's been happening throughout June, from kayak tournaments and family fishing to new boats, upcoming competitions and the latest developments within The Lure Fishing Project.

In this episode we discuss:

• The Georges River Hobie Kayak Bream Tournament and Harvey's first Hobie event.
• The incredible generosity of the fishing community in helping young anglers get started.
• Brett's remarkable perch fishing in the Gippsland Lakes and the techniques producing consistent results.
• A catch-up with Nev from Nev's Fishing and the work behind one of Australia's biggest fishing YouTube channels.
• Progress on Andrew's new boat and plans for a Lowrance Recon electric motor.
• Fishing the upcoming Shimano Flathead Australian Open.
• Around the Grounds – upcoming Australian bream and kayak fishing tournaments.

Whether you're into bream, perch, flathead, kayak fishing or simply enjoy hearing great fishing stories, there's plenty to enjoy in this month's report.

If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow the show, leave a review and share it with another angler.

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The Vic Bream Classics headed back to Marlo for the 2026 Megabass East Gippsland Bream Classic, and this one had a bit of everything — big bags, tight bite windows, huge schools of salmon, and a first-time win for Team Marlo Bait and Tackle.

In this episode, I catch up with the top three teams:

• Alex Franchuk and Paul Malov from Team Millerods – 3rd Place
• Dan Mackrell and Declan Betts from Team Samurai Rods – 2nd Place
• Harry Young and Brad Young from Team Marlo Bait and Tackle – 1st Place

The event was shaped by low water, limited flow, heavy boat traffic, and massive numbers of salmon sitting above the bream. For many teams, the challenge was not just finding the right fish, but getting through the salmon and slowing presentations down enough to tempt quality bream underneath.

Across the interviews we discuss:

• Fishing under massive schools of salmon
• Why the edge bite was tough
• Slow plastics in open water
• Bloodworm colours, grubs, prawns and paddle tails
• Using ActiveTarget and sonar to identify bream amongst mixed species
• Managing bite windows that only lasted a few minutes
• Why spot management was critical over two days
• Fishing heavy leaders and weedless-rigged plastics tight to structure
• Harry and Brad Young’s first Vic Bream Classic win

Team Marlo Bait and Tackle put together a dominant performance, weighing 5.490kg on day one and 5.365kg on day two for a total of 10.855kg. Their win came from backing their plan, fishing their water, managing their spots, and staying calm when Sunday morning started slowly.

If you fish Marlo, East Gippsland, or any system where fish sit under bait and salmon, there are some great lessons in this one.

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Thanks for listening to The Lure Fishing Project. We'll catch you in the next episode.

In this first Angler Profile episode for The Lure Fishing Project, I sit down with Cisco Sevilla for a fascinating conversation that covers far more than just fishing.

Growing up on the US/Mexico border in Southern California, Cisco learned his craft chasing largemouth bass around some of the most famous bass fisheries in America. Long before Australian bream fishing entered the picture, he was spending his days walking lake edges, throwing plastic worms, learning baitcasters and immersing himself in the bass fishing culture that would eventually shape the angler he is today.

Along the way, he introduces me to a bass fishing technique called "stitching"—something I'd never heard of before—which leads to a fascinating discussion about how anglers approached deep-water bass fishing long before today's technology existed.

After moving to Australia with little more than a suitcase, an address and a sense of adventure, Cisco slowly found his way into the Australian fishing scene. What began as a search for something to fill the gap left by bass fishing eventually evolved into a passion for bream fishing, kayak tournaments and BFS tackle.

In this episode we discuss:

• Growing up on the US/Mexico border
• Learning to fish for largemouth bass in Southern California
• Early bass fishing techniques and tackle trends
• The old-school bass fishing technique known as "stitching"
• Moving to Australia with just $300 in his pocket
• Discovering Australian bream fishing
• How BFS changed everything
• Favourite BFS tackle and rod selections
• Topwater fishing for bream
• Texas rigging, crankbaiting and bottom-contact techniques
• Tournament fishing and kayak competitions
• Lessons learned from both bass and bream fishing

Cisco is one of those anglers who sees fishing through a unique lens, combining decades of bass-fishing experience with a genuine passion for Australian bream fishing. The result is a conversation packed with stories, practical insights and plenty of laughs along the way.

This episode has been edited for public release. Members of The Lure Fishing Project can access the complete extended conversation with Cisco, including additional content not included in this version.

Want More From The Lure Fishing Project?

Join The Vault for:

• Extended interviews
• Bonus content
• The Big Bream Series
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Or join The Collective for:

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• Discord community access
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• Challenges and member-only discussions

Find out more at:

lurefishingproject.supercast.com

Thanks for listening to The Lure Fishing Project.

We'll see you on the water.

The Atomic New South Wales Tournament Series headed to St Georges Basin for Round 3, and while the fishing has been tough at times over recent years, there are some encouraging signs that this iconic fishery is on the rebound.

In this episode, I catch up with the anglers who finished on the podium and break down the patterns, decisions and lure choices that shaped the event.

First up, Luke and Dean from Flick Wits discuss how a last-minute pre-fish decision paid off, finding quality fish in deeper water and using LiveScope to put together a strong two-day performance.

Next, Hallam and Marlon from Bream Burglars share their shallow-water approach, focusing on weed beds, sand patches and quality fish holding in surprisingly skinny water.

Finally, tournament winner Jason Mayberry joins me to explain how Team Shimano put together a dominant 8.7kg winning bag, including a 44cm yellowfin bream that secured Big Bream honours and helped create one of the largest winning margins we've seen in recent years.

Along the way we discuss:

• Why Hurricane Sprats dominated the event
• Shallow versus deep-water approaches
• LiveScope and forward-facing sonar tactics
• Leader choices and finesse presentations
• Finding quality fish after heavy rainfall
• The return of healthy yellowfin and black bream to the Basin
• How subtle location changes can produce tournament-winning fish

One thing becomes very clear throughout these interviews – if you're heading to St Georges Basin any time soon, make sure you've got a packet of Sprats in the tackle box.

There are also some fascinating insights into how different anglers approached the same fishery. While some teams focused on deeper water and forward-facing sonar, others committed to shallow flats, weed edges and visual fishing. The result was a diverse and highly competitive event that produced some outstanding bags and plenty of lessons for anyone looking to improve their bream fishing.

Want More Lure Fishing Content?

The Lure Fishing Project now offers two membership options:

The Vault
• Extended interviews
• Bonus content
• The Big Bream Series
• Early access releases

The Collective
• Everything in The Vault
• Discord community access
• Live Zoom sessions
• Challenges and member-only discussions

Join us at:

lurefishingproject.supercast.com

Thanks for listening to The Lure Fishing Project.

We'll see you on the water.