LIGHT RODS, FINESSE REELS, LURES & TERMINAL
Black Bream in the Swan & Canning
Perth has one of the best urban bream fisheries in the country, and it runs straight past the shop. Black bream hold on every bit of structure in the Swan and Canning: the bridge pylons at the Narrows and Canning Bridge, the pontoons and moored boats at Claremont and Mosman Bay, the rock walls at East Fremantle and Point Walter, the snags up past Kent Street Weir. Cast tight, let the lure sink on a slack line, and most of the bites come on the drop.
Warm mornings bring the surface bite, a bream boiling on a walked stickbait in half a metre of water. Compleat Angler Nedlands is ten minutes from the best of it, and the team throws this gear on the river every week. Rods from 1–3kg, reels from 1000 to 2500, the lures that work here, and the jig heads and leader to fish them. Browse below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What rod and reel for bream in the Swan River?
A 7' 1–3kg or 2–4kg spin rod with a 1000 to 2500 size reel. The Ocean's Legacy Quest, Yamaga BlueCurrent, Shimano Zodias and Daiwa Infeet are the four rods we sell most for the river. Spool with PE0.4–0.6 braid (6 to 10lb) and a 4 to 8lb fluorocarbon leader, heavier near oysters and pylons, lighter in open water.
Which lures work for Swan River bream?
Zman 2.5" GrubZ and Slim SwimZ on a 1/16 to 1/12oz jig head, Cranka Crabs crawled down pylons, small suspending hardbodies like the Daiwa Infeet Spike and Jackall Chubby, Ecogear ZX blades in the deeper holes, and a Bassday Sugapen 70 on the surface on calm mornings. Colour matters less than getting the lure tight to the structure.
How do I fish pontoons and boat hulls?
Skip cast. A low sidearm cast that skips the lure two or three times under the pontoon lip gets it into the shade where the bream sit. Buoyant ElaZtech plastics like the GrubZ skip best. Let it sink on a slack line and watch for the line to twitch or go slack early.
When is the best time for bream in the Swan and Canning?
There's a bite all year. Winter and spring give the numbers as fish school in the lower river; summer pushes fish upriver and tight to structure, and warm still mornings switch on the surface bite. Low light and a moving tide are the constants, and the first hour after dawn is worth more than the rest of the morning.
Do I need a boat or kayak?
No. The Como and Canning Bridge foreshores, the Point Walter flats, the Claremont jetty, the Narrows walkways and the East Fremantle rock walls all fish well on foot. A kayak opens up the pontoons and moored boats, which is where the bigger fish sit through the day.