The Ultimate Guide - Bronze Bream

[WalkersKiller]

The Bronze Bream is a target of many rock and surf anglers along the South African coast. Many large fish are caught during Winter months especially and as they are a very slow growing fish, please think twice before keeping them.

Best Times To Fish

Bronze Bream love feeding in rough water and turbulent sea conditions especially when there is a South Westerly wind blowing. If the weather is miserable and other fish have gone off the bite, this would be the best time to target them. I have caught them before in gale force wind and torrential rain.

Where To Fish

They prefer to hang out in very rocky areas, gullies and close up against ledges. They prefer shallow water reefs where there is an abundance of white water, rocky terrain, green seaweed and tidal organisms that live on the rocks. They often feed in very shallow water and sometimes come in and out with the waves in only a few feet of water. Keep a look out for green seaweed on the rocks at low tide; this will be a good spot to fish for Bronze Bream.

Tackle Needed

Depending on how far you will be casting and what the structure is of the area, I would recommend tackling up for this fish. Besides the fact that they are very strong fighters, you might also hook into a Musselcracker or Rockcod. Your trace line should be at least 20lb and I would personally use Maxima 0.45 fluorocarbon. The best hooks will be bait holders, or hooks with a long shank, as this will allow you to build a very good bait. I would use a 1/0 size hook for these fish. A rod no less than 8 feet in length should be used, as you need all the leverage you can get and your reel should have a good drag system, whether you are using a grinder or a multiplier.

Best Baits

Fresh Chokka strip bait, tenderized, with a Sand Prawn cottoned on top on a 1/0 hook

Pink prawn cut in half and soaked in vanilla essence for a minute on a size 2 hook (Im probably not supposed to tell you this, as competition anglers use the vanilla essence as leverage on slow fishing days, but in my mind there should not be any 'classified info' kept between responsible anglers)

Bloodworm on a 1/0 hook






WK 

[WJ]

Awesom stuff WK, I did not know about the vanilla essensce trick

[REEFMAN]

Excellent! 

[WalkersKiller]

Thanks guys.

WJ it is, like I said, regarded as a secret, I have known for sometime but in all fairness we all want to catch fish, and we all want to know what works. Some guys might get a bit angry that I posted it, but its all in the name of fishing!

[WJ]

Thanks guys.

WJ it is, like I said, regarded as a secret, I have known for sometime but in all fairness we all want to catch fish, and we all want to know what works. Some guys might get a bit angry that I posted it, but its all in the name of fishing!

Ag well...you GP okes need all the help you can get

[WalkersKiller]

Thanks guys.

WJ it is, like I said, regarded as a secret, I have known for sometime but in all fairness we all want to catch fish, and we all want to know what works. Some guys might get a bit angry that I posted it, but its all in the name of fishing!

Ag well...you GP okes need all the help you can get

Look at the records  I think this will help you EC okes try catch us 

[Kumz]

  Super stuff ....  :shre:

[WJ]

I think I just needed to join Ultimate a bit sooner...still waiting for the photo of my 15kg cracker.   Hehehehe actually full cred to GP okes, that is serious dedication living up there in gangsters paradise and making all the time for fishing

[J-Rock]

Thanks guys.

WJ it is, like I said, regarded as a secret, I have known for sometime but in all fairness we all want to catch fish, and we all want to know what works. Some guys might get a bit angry that I posted it, but its all in the name of fishing!

Ag well...you GP okes need all the help you can get

Look at the records  I think this will help you EC okes try catch us 

 

[mukiwa]

great tut WK and believe it or not banana essence also works especially if you can get the concentrated stuff used by carp anglers

[REEFMAN]

Can also target them on Dropshot. 1/8oz Jighead with 8lb Fireline, using Gulp Bloodworm. Cast into white water, let the bait drift around in the Gulley, then slow retrieve, stop, drift around...

[SAfish]

Great article. 
It looks like I have raid the kitchen before I go on my next outing. 
Have you guys ever considered using food colouring to make your bait more visible? I was thinking of adding some red food colouring to my Shad baits. 

[WalkersKiller]

Nice one Reefz!

  Hermann that might be a very good idea!

[Lichia amia]

Great article. 
It looks like I have raid the kitchen before I go on my next outing. 
Have you guys ever considered using food colouring to make your bait more visible? I was thinking of adding some red food colouring to my Shad baits. 

I have tried a mix of red floroscene , Aniseed essence and Anchovy oil . With not even one bit over 3 different trips in KZN , EC and WC 
 

[Homie]

Can also target them on Dropshot. 1/8oz Jighead with 8lb Fireline, using Gulp Bloodworm. Cast into white water, let the bait drift around in the Gulley, then slow retrieve, stop, drift around...

Great trip that was...
I wanna go back !

[KING-GT]

Best Baits

Fresh Chokka strip bait, tenderized, with a Sand Prawn cottoned on top on a 1/0 hook

Pink prawn cut in half and soaked in vanilla essence for a minute on a size 2 hook (Im probably not supposed to tell you this, as competition anglers use the vanilla essence as leverage on slow fishing days, but in my mind there should not be any 'classified info' kept between responsible anglers)

-
Nice article WK. Would be sad to know that competitive anglers are using additives on their baits during comps...

[WalkersKiller]

Thanks King GT! Obviously I do not speak for all competitive anglers here, but I know quite a few guys do use vanilla essence and pink prawn...

[WJ]

I do not think there is anything wrong with it, okes use doepas on their mielie bombs, why not use vanilla essensce on your prawn (this just sounds wrong). I use red makiero kram(eesh spelling) on my white swimming crabs, works for me.

[WalkersKiller]

WJ being a carp angler myself it is just so funny that people are starting to use dips on their baits  next thing you know people will be hammering their chokka with almond or straweberry dip!

[mukiwa]

WK by the way it is already happening only difference is that Aniseed oil is used with chokka baits.