Lake Macquarie Tournament Breakdown (Winning Patterns & Tactics) | Episode 189

In this episode of The Bream Fishing Project, Andrew breaks down the Atomic Tournament Series Round 1, held at Lake Macquarie on March 14–15.

This was a standout event where numbers of BREAM were high, but consistently upgrading to better-quality fish proved to be the key to success. Across the two days, over 300 fish were weighed, with a noticeable drop in average size on day two, making decision-making and execution critical.

The episode begins with a full breakdown of bite periods, tides, and tournament stats before diving into interviews with the top three teams.

🥇 1st Place – James Dunn & Mark Huisken (9.22kg + Big Bream 1.38kg)

A dominant performance built around one key lure — the Samaki Reddick (40LC).

Fishing shallow flats and edges in 1–3 metres, they focused on slow rolling their lures, keeping them close to the bottom and pausing when needed to trigger bites. Early in the session they identified a freshwater/saltwater line, which held fish and allowed them to quickly build a strong bag.

• Technique: Slow roll with pauses
• Depth: 1–3 metres
• Lure: Samaki Reddick (medium & deep)
• Key factor: Matching bait profile and staying in productive water

They filled a bag quickly both days (including a 20-minute bag on day two) and spent the rest of the time upgrading, finishing with over 9kg and taking out Big Bream as well.

🥈 2nd Place – Mitch & Matt Simonis (7.52kg)

A highly consistent approach built around 30mm vibes (matte black, no eyes).

Fishing around 2–2.5 metres off weed edges, they worked vibes along the bottom with a hopping retrieve, with most bites coming on the drop. They secured a bag early and upgraded steadily throughout the day.

Later in the session, they switched to topwater (Force Lures Ziggy), raising fish off structure and landing key upgrades.

• Technique: Bottom hopping vibes + topwater later
• Depth: ~2–2.5 metres
• Lures: 30mm vibes (matte black), Force Lures Ziggy
• Key factor: Locking in numbers early, then upgrading

🥉 3rd Place – Aaron Clifton & Simon Moore (6.91kg)

A methodical approach starting on the flats before moving deeper to upgrade.

They mixed hard bodies (chubby-style cranks) and plastics, working from shallow water out to 10–15 feet, upgrading fish gradually throughout the day.

• Technique: Rotating depths and lure types
• Depth: Flats out to 10–15 feet
• Lures: Hard bodies (chubby style), plastics
• Key factor: Patience and systematic upgrading

A small but critical adjustment — switching from 6lb to 4lb leader — made a noticeable difference in bites.

🎯 Key Takeaways from Lake Macquarie

• Early bagging was critical
• Upgrading separated the field
• Hard bodies, vibes, and subtle presentations dominated
• Topwater played a role later in the session
• Small adjustments (leader size, retrieve, depth) made a big difference
• Fish were holding in specific zones, not everywhere

This is a must-listen episode for anyone looking to improve their tournament BREAM fishing or understand how to break down a system like Lake Macquarie under pressure.