Bream and whiting on lures

[Mick Baker]

Over the last couple of years it has been my intention to get into this business of bream and whiting on lures.I caught my first lure whiting catch about twenty years ago-on a green mister twister double tail while fishing for flathead.At the time I thought it was a freak capture.For me it was,and is still my only lure caught whiting.I have never caught a bream on a lure.
I have made a number of attempts in the last couple of years,but have switched back to blood worms or tuna cubes after a half hour or so of fruitless casting.A couple of weeks ago I fished a sand flat for bream.I set a rod with a circle hook and tuna bait and cast a number of lures around the same area.I caught 5 bream,three over 40 cm.All on bait and not a touch on a lure.
Last friday seemed to be a perfect day to have a serious lure session.Heavy overcast,enough SE wind to put a chop on the water and there has been prawns running in the lake.
I fished a number of flats ranging from 30cm to one meter deep where I regularly catch bream and whiting on bait.I used an Egrell s2,Shimano stradic 2500 loaded with 3lb braid and 5lb fluoro leader.I tried a number of what I have been led to believe are successfull lures.


Using the wind I was able to almost cast out of sight.I cast upstream and worked the lure back down.I cast downstream and worked the lures back up.I cast across the current.I tried fast,steady retrieves.I tried slow steady retrieves.I tried twitching, pausing and anything else I could think of.After two hours without so much as a looker,I moved off the flats into deeper water on the edge of the channel.
At last a bump.After a seesawing fight in the strong current the fish came into view.I never thought I would be disappointed with a 60cm+ flathead,but that is not what I was after.
A.short time later a second flathead joined his mate in the ice slurry.When the third hookup occurred I didn't think much of it,assuming it to be another flathead,but my heart was in my mouth when a nice bream appeared beside the boat.I think I held my breath until I finally slid the fish into my net.Success at last.My first bream on a lure.



One more flathead finished the session.I am still to catch my first intentional lure caught whiting.All the fish were caught on the gold coloured blade lure in the first photo.