Fishers lured by bream

While salmon and deep-water marine fish often take the glory in our coastal town, this weekend is the humble bream’s time to shine.

The national Costa Bream Series competition is coming to WA, and Albany is one of two western locations.

The catch-and-release style event asks keen anglers to catch five of their best bream on lures and keep them alive in a livewell to be weighed.

Fishing Monthly Group’s Steve Morgan said bream was sought all over Australia, making it perfect for a nationwide competition.

“They’re a real challenge to catch on lures instead of bait,” he said. “Bream are a long-lived, slow-growing fish that everyone has caught, no matter what part of the coast you visit.

“Albany is historically a decent (if not great) bream fishery that’s big enough to host an Australian Bass Tournaments event.

“There’s lots of small and just legal fish and a smattering of really big bream.”

The event was last in Albany in 2017. The event will be based at the Fishing Club at Emu Point.

Anglers will fish the bay as well as the King and Kalgan rivers.

The weigh-in will take place at 2pm on Tuesday, April 30, and Wednesday, May 1. A second WA round will take place on the Blackwood River in Augusta.