Episode 134: 2025 DAIWA BREAM Australian Open, Sydney Harbour, 6 - 8 May, 2025 Part 1

2025 Daiwa BREAM Australian Open – Day 1 & 2 Deep Dive (feat. Tim Vickers & Steve Morgan)

In this first part of our two-episode special, The Bream Fishing Project takes you into the heart of the 2025 Daiwa BREAM Australian Open — one of Australia’s premier lure-only bream tournaments, fished across Sydney Harbour and launching from Drummoyne Sailing Club.

Host Andrew Death sets the tone with a sharp overview of the tournament structure, timing, and bite windows, before shifting gears into two of the most insightful, technical, and honest interviews you’ll hear all season.

🎣 Tim Vickers – From Bust-Offs to the Podium

We follow Tim Vickers’ incredible run across the first two days of competition. After a tough Day 1 plagued by dropped fish and difficult conditions, Tim rebounds on Day 2 with a huge 3.945 kg bag, rocketing up the leaderboard into third.

He walks us through:

• Fishing tight timber structure with 3lb straight-through and a 7’8” Daiwa Infeet rod

• How he managed fish that should have bricked him, using finesse gear, long rod angles, and clever boat control

• The bite patterns in Watsons Bay, Clifton Gardens, Shark Island, and Double Bay

• How lure colour, sink rate, and slack line presentation with the Pro Lure Hybrid Shrimp were absolutely critical

• Mental game under pressure, leaderboard strategy, and the decisions that shaped his comeback

Tim also gives a brilliant look at his setup, mindset, and a few missteps — including pushing a hot spot too hard on Day 2 that came back to bite him on Day 3.

🐟 Steve Morgan – Precision Tactics & Big Bream in Crunch Time

Next, Steve Morgan jumps on for a full tournament recap, and it’s classic Steve — analytical, honest, and deeply tactical.

Steve dives into:

• His stick minnow-only strategy and why it dominated under calm, sunny, finesse conditions

• How he fished shallow moored boats with forward-facing sonar, presenting stick minnows with slack-line precision

• The specific Daiwa gear, lure modifications, and hook upgrades that turned lookers into biters

• Why he targeted eastern harbour over Parramatta River and how fish condition and location made a 150g per fish difference

• His Day 3 heroics, including landing a 38cm kicker in the final minutes to leapfrog into second place overall, justedging out Mario.

Steve also breaks down his tournament planning, mindset, tackle selection, and how he thinks brim fishing coverage should evolve — making this a must-listen for serious anglers.

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This episode is packed with real tournament pressure, decision-making under fire, and gear breakdowns that you can apply straight to your own fishing. Whether you're here for the story or to sharpen your skills, this is one of the most in-depth episodes we’ve done.

🧢 Stay tuned for Part 2 — where we’ll catch up with the 2025 BREAM Australian Open Champion for a full breakdown of the win.

Join the Bream Fishing Project Collective to level up your tournament fishing: breamfishingproject.supercast.com