Episode 514: Port Hacking Bream With Adam Costa

Adam’s Tips For Port Hacking Bream

• In the Port Hacking River, leader is the most important thing. A 4lb leader is about as heavy as you’re really going to get away with and Adam Usually prefers a 3lb straight through fluorocarbon setup.
• Even at this time of year (May onwards) it’s still possible to catch a lot of fish on structure – and Adam prefers this style of fishing to hitting the flats. Boat hulls, pontoons and moorings in water no deeper than 5m and more commonly 1.8-2m are where he likes to concentrate his efforts.
• In the shallow waters the sink time is short. If the fish are hard on the bottom then throwing a Cranka Crab or a River2Sea Baby Vibe and working the bottom thoroughly is a good idea. If they’re on structure closer to the top then an unweighted soft plastic will usually be taken on the drop.
• Any of the bays with lots of moorings and structures are worth fishing, but Adam spends a fair bit of time in Yowie Bay because it’s close to home for him. In the Georges he likes Sylvania Waters and the boats just outside of Sylvania Waters as well as Cobra Bay. Anywhere there are boats and pontoons is worth fishing.
• Overcast conditions are good for fishing pontoons, but for boat hulls clear conditions are preferred because they create stronger shadow lines. A little breeze is a great thing in these systems.
• The Port Hacking and Georges River systems fish much better on weekdays due to reduced boat traffic when compared with weekends.
• On low tides Adam prefers to fish boats and on really high tides he’ll focus on edges around the national park.
• Adam doesn’t spend a ton of time casting at each piece of structure, a cast or two or three and he moves on, covering as much structure as he can and looking for active fish.
• If the bream are not biting well then downsizing your leader, slowing your retrieve and using a little bit of scent can help, though sometimes nothing will help.
• If it’s windy Adam finds a noisy lure works best, on calmer days a quieter lure can do the trick.

Adam’s Bream Tackle For Port Hacking

• Adam likes the Millerods Twitch Freak, but reckons the Daiwa Infeet 702lrs is an outstanding and very affordable bream fishing option.
• For reels, the Daiwa LT2000, Luvius 2000 or Revelry 2000s loaded with 3lb Yamatoya Addict fluorocarbon for sub-surface or Gosen W Hard braid with 3lb leader for topwater.

Adam’s Top Bream Fishing Lures For Port Hacking

• The River2Sea Baby Vibe in 35mm is the most successful and underrated lure in this system. They can be used anywhere and on any structure, even just by slow rolling them through, but Adam really likes to throw them deep into structure on straight through fluorocarbon and the relatively low price points won’t break the bank if you lose a few. Once in the structure, give them a couple of fairly aggressive hops (the lure has amazing audio that gets activated by aggressive hops). Watch for the lure to be taken on the drop, an aggressive strike isn’t called for, but reeling the fish on and leaning back into it will set the hooks. Also a great lure for fishing around boats, worked along the hull or cast between the hull and the rope and allowed to sink to the mooring block.
• The Jackall Chubby Shallow diver is a great lure for fishing under pontoons. The great things about his lure are the noise and the fact it always swims straight. Crank hard to get it under the ponton, then slow down once it’s under. Or, cast from back to front or front to back of a boat hull using a very slow roll. Also a very good flats lures but Adam can’t be bothered paddling the extra couple of kilometres.
• The OSP Bent Minnow is an awesome lure and as an aside, Adam loves to throw the 130mm size along boat hulls for kingfish in these systems, switching the trebles out for Gamakatsu singles. For bream he throws the 76mm Bent Minnow with the original treble hooks along rocky edges but also likes to sling it beneath and to the opposite side of the walkway on pontoons and work it back under, stopping it under the shade of the walkway. The original trebles are freshwater hooks and tend to rust out quickly, but the lure is so finely tuned that it’s best to just keep replacing them as other hooks will upset the balance of the lure. This lure works best worked just under the surface and then allowed to pop back up to the surface.
• The Cranka Crab can be fished in any structure, but this is a lure that Adam likes to use in canals where there are lots of nooks and crannies to get it into. Cast tight to structure, let them sink to the bottom and watch for a bit on the drop, leave it for 30 seconds on the bottom and then wind in and make another cast.
• Daiwa Infeet Spike in 44mm size is a great lure for fishing boat hulls. The MR model is better but the EXDR model works too, both in matt black or other solid colour. Get the lure down to depth first and then work it beneath the boat without it touching the hull. Cast upcurrent where possible and allow plenty of pauses. It’s more of a black bream approach, but yellowfin bream will hit it too. This lure can be fished through rocky edges also due to it’s snag resistance.
• The Zipbaits Kahmsin Tiny is the most successful hardbody for boat and pontoon fishing. It’s a suspending lure and is best fished with stabbing twitches like a jerkbait, keeping it on a slack line so that each stab makes the lure dance on the spot without moving forwards much. This a lure than can be tuned to swim beneath a boat hull or pontoon, which gives you a margin of error if your casting isn’t quite dialled in.