Finding And Catching Trophy Bream: Callum Dowell

Summary Of Callums Interview

Callum's Tips For XL Bream

• Callum has recently become well-known for being the owner-operator of "Outback Breamer Baits", and in particular for having been the inventor and developer of "The Muss" - a mussel impersonating vibration style lure that has taken Australian Bream fishing by storm!
• An accomplished tournament bream angler, Callum's home base in Albury, Western Australia puts him in close proximity to some of the biggest bream in the country. As we move into the winter period he'll be targeting the lower reaches of both closed and tidal systems. Target structure includes, isolated timber and snags, gravel beds, weed edges and channels.
• Callum's number one weather pattern is having a warm air mass, low pressure system. In his words "this screams big bream and you have to be on the water"
• Bite periods; Callum's fiancé tracked down an old book called 'Moon up, moon down' which has influenced how he approaches bite periods and weather changes etc. While second hand copies are rare, they can be sourced online from time to time.

Callum's XL Bream Tackle

• A braid and leader combination is the usual setup, although after a recent trip with Kris Hickson he intends to give the straight through flourocarbon another try.

Callum's Lures For XL Bream

• The Muss. Callum has found that mostly this lure cast to structure and is taken on the drop. He also uses small, fast rips around 10cm to get a reaction bite. 5-6lb leader is normal for Callum.
• Daiwa double clutch in a 60 and more recently, 48mm. Callum has noted the the smaller lure dives deeper, which he prefers in smaller water. His preferred retrieve is a jerk bait style retrieve. He sometimes changes the hooks to adjust how the lure suspends. Preferred colours are carmen red and pitch black with pink high lights on chin and back.
• Z-Man 2.5' Slim Swim and Diawa Bait Junkie on a 1/12 or 1/16 oz TT jig head, rigged upside down to increase the tail movement. These lures are worked around snags and with the current. He tries to premeditate where the fish are on the snag so he can cast upstream to make the lure come past the snag at the correct location and water depth. There are several techniques which include slow rolling , drifting with the current and twitching.
• OSP Ben Minnow as with many gun bream anglers Callum uses Bent Minnow to target bream. Sometimes he will attach an Atomic Sticky weight to cause the lure to go under the surface and suspend. This gives the bream more time to eat the lure.