Live bait may be the “go-to” tactic for many bream fishermen, but anglers armed with artificial lures think the advantage is theirs for catching more and bigger bream.
But not all artificial lures are created equal, and using the right lure in the right situation is a key to success.
Dean Ilderton, 51, of St. George, S.C., has fished for bream since he was old enough to carry a cane pole. He said using artificial lures enables him to fish multiple types of bream habitat more effectively than he can using live bait.
“I still enjoy using live bait for bream fishing at times, but I love artificial lures for bream because of their versatility,” Ilderton said. “But artificial lures must be used in the right habitat and situation to be most effective. When I match the right lure to the cover and water situation that I’m fishing, I’ve found the artificial lures can catch more and bigger bream. I can also cast these tiny baits into places live-bait rigs can’t go and catch bream otherwise missed.”
Ilderton said a wide variety of artificial lures are lethal on bream, including safety pin-type spinners such as the Beetle Spin, his overall favorite. But in-line spinners, small jigs of many varieties, tiny crankbaits and fly rods loaded with popping bugs or sinking flies and spiders are all deadly when used appropriately.
Safety pin spinners
“Any place bream live is a great option for artificial lures, including lakes, whether big or small, rivers, swamps and ponds,” he said. “But the size of the lure does impact the degree of success. I’ll scale down the lure size in rivers and swamps because of the habitat and type of forage bream naturally eat.”
Ilderton fishes multiple rivers and will use a small version of the Beetle Spin, such as 1/32- or 1/16-ounce sizes, because the lure is less prone to snag in this cover-rich environment.
“Rivers and swamps typically have an abundance of low-hanging cover, from live trees as well as stumps, logs and fallen trees,” he said. “I’ll often have to finesse my tactics to catch river and swamp bream. Lots of fish-holding cover exists, and I vary my tactics searching for the daily pattern.
“I often begin with a Beetle Spin because it’s more weedless and versatile than many lures,” he said. “I cast it around edges and even into the thicker stuff. Even when I misfire a bit on a cast and it lands in the cover, I work it all the way back, because sometimes that’s where the fish are. Like any fishing situation, swamps and rivers have daily patterns based on water and weather, so figuring that out is my goal.”
Ilderton said a favorite tactic for rivers is to literally cast his spinner onto the dry bank and work it into the water from that position.
“River bream are often shallow-water feeders and watch the river’s edge for something edible to fall into the water,” he said. “When I find an opening in the cover, I’ll cast the lure literally onto the dry shoreline and then gently pull it into the water and begin the retrieve. It’s amazing how often they’ll gobble that lure right at the shoreline.”
When fishing lakes and ponds, Ilderton will scale the size of the lure up to 1/16- and 1/8-ounce models because bigger bream in these environments often prefer more flash and size.
“I use a larger lure so I can cast further in lakes and ponds,” he said. “While thick cover exists in specific areas, it’s usually more open than in rivers and swamps, and longer casts and staying on the move speeds up the fish-finding process.”
Tiny crankbaits
Ilderton said fishing lakes and ponds enables him to use a different type of bream lure as a fish-finder, one that’s vastly overlooked by many anglers.
“I love tiny crankbaits, lures perhaps 1-inch long equipped with tiny treble hooks,” he said. “This highly versatile lure is ideal for searching for bream. I’ll cast it along shorelines around woody cover and weeds, as well as near rocky areas, essentially any place bream may congregate. I’ll bump large objects such as stumps and pause the retrieve for a moment. I prefer a crankbait that suspends for this tactic. These lures typically don’t run deep, but if I’m in clear water, I’ll add a small split-shot a few inches up the line enabling me to effectively work the bait deeper if that’s what I need to do to find fish.”
In-line spinners
Ilderton said small in-line spinners in 1/16- and 1/32-ounce sizes are deadly on bream but are snag-prone. The type of cover fished dictates how and when to best use them. He works them in swamp runs by casting along the edges as well as casting around shoreline cover in lakes and ponds.
“In open water, work these lures around targets such as stumps, logs and along shorelines,” he said. “Shallow flats with scattered woody habitat are excellent for inline spinners. They cover lots of water quickly and effectively.
Ilderton prefers spincast tackle, especially the type with a trigger under the reel, when fishing any of his targets.
“I’ll use either 4 or 6-pound line, and this rig enables me to cast accurately deep into heavy cover,” he said. “Accurate casting is a huge benefit everywhere I fish, but especially in the confined spaces of rivers and swamps.”
Mini Jigs
Frankie Jacobs of Lugoff, S.C., targets bream on multiple lakes; he has learned using tiny jigs for huge bream is a lethal tactic.
“Of all the artificial lures I’ve used, a small jig is absolutely the most effective for me to catch big bream,” he said.
Jacobs said the lure is effective when working shoreline edges, around brush and even when fished vertically over deep brush. But it excels when fish are bedding.
“I don’t simply swim it past the bed; I hop it along the bottom and literally drop it in a bream bed, and they maul it,” he said. “By June, the bedding action is strong on most lakes, but bedding or not, it’s a great lure throughout the summer.”
Jacobs uses ultra-light spinning tackle when fishing a jig, and he prefers highly visible, 4-pound line.
“I prefer a 1/32-ounce jig with a chartreuse, flat-tail grub,” Jacobs said. “Other styles and colors can work fine, but that’s my preference. I think the small jig and line allows the lure to fall at the right speed to trigger bream bites. I prefer bright-colored line to see minute line twitches or sideways line movement. Line-watching produces more hookups.”
“Jigs match crickets in terms of producing bream bites, but I think jigs are superior, because I don’t have to re-bait and can and immediately make the next cast,” he said. “Plus, I don’t run out of bait, and I consistently catch larger bream.”
Jacobs uses an electric motor to slip along the shoreline, prospecting for bream concentrations or beds. He prefers sandy and gravelly coves and rocky banks with scattered weeds or woody cover. He’ll swim the jig deeper when fish are not bedding or and mid-day in hot weather.
“Jigs are awesome, but watch your line and hold that rod tight or they’ll snatch it out of your hand,” he said.
Poppers are toppers
Veteran fisherman Dean Ilderton said fly rods and popping bugs or sinking baits can be ideal for big bream and rank among the most productive lures he’s used.
“Depending on the habitat fished, the fly rod can be highly effective anywhere,” he said. “When fishing swamps and rivers, overhanging limbs can be a problem, but I’ve found using a long pole and swinging or pitching a bug back into openings works well.”
Ilderton said in open-water lakes and ponds, a fly rod with a yellow, white or green popping bug is highly effective.
“My favorite places for popping bugs are ponds, and they effectively fish exceptionally shallow water,” he said. “Cast it all the way to the shoreline adjacent to weed lines and around woody cover. Let it lie motionless for a moment to tempt a strike, then retrieve it with a series of ‘pops’. It’ll attract fish from long distances and out of thick cover.
“Sinking lures are effective, too, but I prefer the poppers because I want that fish to bust the lure on top,” he said. “Late evenings are my favorite time, but any low-light condition is excellent.”
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