Episode 563: [Featured Guide] Mallacoota Bream With Chris Jordan

Chris’ Tips For Mallacoota Bream And Flathead

• Mallacoota is a stunning piece of estuary paradise. The system has two lake systems separated by a relatively deep stretch of water known as “The Narrows”. The lower end of the system is characterised by extensive flats including the famous “Goodwin Sands”.
• As a result of extensive rains over the past couple of years the entrance to the lake has remained open, enabling the tides to flush the system with fresh seawater, which has been fantastic for the fishing. This area is the place to look for whiting, yellowfin bream, flathead, trevally, tailor and more.
• The top lake has lots of shallow bays and flats that are great for targeting black bream and flathead from the surface.
• Further upriver is Cape Horn, Gypsy Point, the Genoa and other less tidal areas that are great for black bream and estuary perch mong the snags. There are lots of track and jetties where land-based anglers can get access to some pretty good fishing.
• The key is to look at all of the very many types of structure and trying your luck in all of them. Don’t be afraid to get into very shallow water or even to get out of your boat and wade-cast into water that’s too shallow for boating.
• Look for water warmer during the spring and early months, both over weedbeds (use weedless jig heads and get right into the weed), shallow bays and flats around drop-offs.
• Fish are more active in the shallows during the early morning and late in the arvo and they often move back into deeper water as the sun gets up.
• The best days for fishing the flats and shallow water are usually overcast with a slight breeze to ripple the water surface. Tidal movement is more noticeable at the lower end of the system and by the top lake is almost imperceptible. Fishing the periods an hour or two either side of a tide change is always a good strategy.
• If the fishing is tough, try to stay positive and persist. Change your retrieves, switch lures and change locations.

Chris’ Tackle For Mallacoota Bream

• Chris uses Atomic Arrows Rods: Bream Crank 1-2kg, 7’, Bream Surface 3-8lb, 7” and Estuary 6-12lb 7’.
• Chris couples the rods with 2500 size Shimano spin reels loaded with 6lb braid. Leaders vary from 4-8lb depending on the fish and conditions.

Chris’ Top Lures For Mallacoota Fishing

• It’s important to have a good selection of soft plastics, and the 2.5” ZMan grubs in Motor Oil colour are a great place to start. The Squidgy Wriggler 100mm in bloodworm colour on a 1/12 to 1/8 oz jig head. For flathead, the 4” ZMan Streakz in Motor Oil colour are another favourite. Chris likes to fish these rigged weedless and worked through the weedbeds and gaps by making long casts, letting it sink for 10s and then working it back with a combination of small hops and jumps with plenty of pauses in between. Do this all the way back to the boat as it will often get taken right at your feet. Vary the retrieves until something works.
• The Daiwa Double Clutch 48mm is a gun bream lure and in the 75 or 95mm size is a brilliant flathead lure. The Daiwa Infeet Spike 44 MR in muddy prawn is also good and all of these options are suspending lures and are best fished by getting them down to depth and then just slow rolling and twitching them with occasional pauses.
• For surface fishing the Bassday Sugapens (58-70mm) and Daiwa Slippery Dogs are great options. Chris removes the rear treble and replaces it with an assist hook to improve the hookup rates. Cast these long and leave them on the water surface for ten seconds before using a walk the dog retrieve all the way back to the boat.