Nearly everyone that loves to fish likely started their fishing career by catching bream.
This initiation rite is not everyone’s story, but the vast majority of every anglers first fish was a bream. Also known as brim, perch, pumpkinseeds, gills and the list goes on and on. The reason for this popular “first” is few but all are solid.
There are bream in nearly every waterway in the state. From farm ponds or “tanks” depending on your terminology to the rivers, creeks and magnum reservoirs, all have multiple species of these fish. The bream is a voracious feeder and I have heard it said that “if bream reached 5-6 pounds, we would need saltwater gear to get them in.”
Pound for pound, these little fish put up a heck of a fight and on ultralight gear, the fun is increased exponentially. Finally, the bream is considered the best table fare of freshwater fish. If you haven’t been to a fish fry featuring bream, well it’s about time.
We are currently in the mid-season of the bream spawning season. The bream will pour into the shallows about the same time bass begin their spawning activities. The spawning bass serve up a deadly buffet of eggs and fry. Deadly because the bass protect their nesting site and the odd bream minding his own business just wandering around will likely get hammered by a bass guarding a nest or fry.
The bream will begin fanning out nests in shallow, sandy areas and form large bedding areas which may have dozens of nests. Of course these areas are prime targets for the May bream angler. Find the right bedding area and a “mess” of bream can be put in the box in no time at all. If the action in your fishing area slows or the fish are small, move around and find another.
Before leaving make a few casts on the slightly deeper edges of the bedding area. There will always be a few nests slightly deeper and harder to spot.
Bait and tackle are unlimited.
Ultralight spinning gear will provide great sport but a cane pole will as well. The 8-12 foot fiberglass rods are also popular. Many bream experts will use a fly rod and flies and there are those that attach a small spinning reel on a fly rod and use it for live bait. As for live bait, earthworms, crickets, grasshoppers, meal worms and nearly anything will work. Use a small hook in the #6 range with a small split shot weight just above the hook. I have experimented with a mini-Carolina rig using a cricket for bait.
This is a personal choice as many prefer the bobber set-up. This is especially helpful with a kid or newcomer to fishing.
Get out to your local bream factory soon and remember it only takes a few of these fish per person to have enough for a fish fry.
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