Well what can I say, coming third in the Ausbream Qualifier is a great achievement for myself and Costa.

Another 32 grams would of made it all the better but we can't complain with our result. Although we were surrounded by top quality customised bream boats and anglers we did not lose confidence.

If anything it gave us more confidence and the motivation to fish harder!

From the shotgun start at bayview boat ramp we went straight to a nearby marina. We stopped the boat 20 meters away from edge of the marina and out came the oars.

I then rowed all the way down one of the columns of 'parking lots' before we made a cast, to take advantage of the light wind which drifted us slowly back towards the outside of the marina.

In doing this we fished the hulls of the boats and the blank pontoon (walkways). 1st cast and I was hooked up to a bream which measured 24 cm, however the next hour was dead slow with bites few and far between. We got asked to moved (not in any nice way)and we did so with out any hesitation.

Another 10 minute drive and we were at another marina. We saw Dez and Sambrook(I think) land two fish under a boat that we had just hit..Very frustrating. Once again we were told to leave nicely this time before we could give the marina a real go. By this time the current was getting stronger and the rowing was more demanding.

As the sun rose, so did the wind which made it harder for us to fish and maneuver the boat. A nearby bay got us some fish on the board as we drifted in 4-10ft of water for three 26cm bream.

We then moved upstream and targeted yet another marina, some moored boats and pontoons where we landed 12 legal fish in the space of just under 2 hours. We upgraded a few times but all the fish were around the same size category between 26-30cm.

When we were fishing the moored boats we'd cast at whatever we could from any position of the boat as it was just too much work rowing to, and going through each and every boat. During this time we experienced the turn of our day. I flicked my 2" bass minnow right up against a likely looking pontoon.

I watched the lure sink half a metre before i reached over for the right oar to better the position of the boat, and as I turned back to my lure it was no where to be seen however, a bluenose bream was shaking its head as if he was performing at a grunge concert.

After a second I unfroze and came to realise that the bluenose I was admiring was already on my line and I quickly set the hook..a bit late though.

He felt it, I felt it and so did the neighbours as I was yelling in excitement and the adrenaline began pumping...who knows what I was yelling!

After many runs he came up to the surface exhausted where he was quickly netted. He measured 41.5cm tip and went 1.153!

Dan (luringbream)