# topwater lures for bream



## Ubolt (Dec 8, 2009)

ive seen and read a lot about top water lures both poppers and stick baits for bream
my question does anyone use them in SA and where 
maybe i go to the wrong tackle stores but i havent seen any stick baits other than the ecogear one
Do they work in SA waters are they worth bothering with, i mainly fish the coorong and the onk for bream and dont know how either style would go ?


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## scater (Nov 24, 2007)

If you can't find them locally, try online stores. Motackle and mylureshop are good with the latter being owned by a member here. As far as specific stick baits go, I've had success with the tiemco stickbait and the smith towadi, however both are very expensive so don't use them where anything other than a bream or whiting could grab one! Long toms, jacks, flathead and trevally are bastards in this respect  . Also have a look at the lucky craft Sammy, not technically a stick bait, more of a walk the dog lure but a good bream producer.


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## Buff (Dec 31, 2005)

Love my surface bream fishing and cant wait till the weather and water warms up and the bream start feeding more aggressively on the surface again.
I'm not a real fan of poppers (I think SA Black Bream are a little timid compared to Yellow fin Bream) but love my Pencil (walk the dog) lures (stick bait is more commonly referring to sinking bibless lure ( Stick v Pencil ))
Here is what I use here in SA.



















Top to Bottom
Left row:
Smiths Shirasu 48 LLF
Tiemco Pencil Minnow 
Jackson T-Pivot
Daiwa Presso Cicada
Ecogear PX40F
Smith Towadi
Gladiator Flitter *(A rip-off copy of the Towadi and between $6.95 and $9 the best value around)*
R2S Bubble pop 35

2nd row:
Stiffy Top Dog
Lucky Craft Bevy Prop
Zipbait Skinny Pop Jr
Tiemco Redpepper Micro
Atomic K9 pup
Daiwa Lazy Gekkabijin 5F
Smiths Mebapen Mebaru

3rd row
Zipbaits Fakie Dog
Cultiva Zip n Zaggy
R2S Rover
Megabass Dog-X Jr
Lucky Craft Sammy 65
Bassday SugaPen 70F

And off by itself a Lucky Craft Pencil Pencil (yes it is a real lure) :lol:

Most I have got from the major SA tackle stores (Fishermans Paradise, Sportfishing Scene or Ray & Annes) with a few harder to get ones from online stores (either Mylureshop.com or overseas)
Just a reminder it is the Off season for most stores and there stocks will be low so not all will be available at the moment ;-)
Hope this helps


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## blueyak (Jan 20, 2009)

Buff said:


> Smith Towadi
> Gladiator Flitter *(A rip-off copy of the Towadi and between $6.95 and $9 the best value around)*


Are you serious buff? I love my towadi but I threw my flitter in the bin. It didn't swim well and it didn't sit tail down like a towadi. $9 of the worst value around in my opinion. Did I get a dud????


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## blueyak (Jan 20, 2009)

Thanks fishnut I will try that.


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## Buff (Dec 31, 2005)

As Fishnut suggested swapping the trebles out will make a lot of difference ;-) 
viewtopic.php?p=347053#p347053
The last lot of Flitter's I got was by the box lot and straight out of the box unaltered all that I have used (painted different colours) sit quite well in the water but after changing trebles (owner size 18) and split rings (owner size "00") you wouldn't tell the different between them and a Towadi ;-)









Here is some info regarding weights for trebles, doubles and split rings  
viewtopic.php?p=219386#p219386


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## warren63 (Apr 16, 2009)

Hey Buff, how do you find the Pivot ?? Interested in getting one but havent heard or seen them much


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## lovefishing (Mar 1, 2010)

how friggin weird is that luckycraft 'pencil'
any luck on it ?


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## Buff (Dec 31, 2005)

warren63 said:


> Hey Buff, how do you find the Pivot ?? Interested in getting one but haven't heard or seen them much


Took awhile to get the action right but they do work ;-) 
If you can get them the "B" pivot (slightly larger) would be a good choice but haven't got any for myself as yet 
B Pivot 55mm compared to the T Pivot at 35mm


















lovefishing said:


> how friggin weird is that luckycraft 'pencil'
> any luck on it ?


One of the reasons I got a couple, every time I look at them I have a giggle :lol: 
Don't fish them that often but they do catch fish ;-)


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## Mattkris (Feb 4, 2010)

Topwater breamming is awesome fun and really really productive when used at the right time.

I agree with buff that for our shyer black bream, walking baits greatly out fish poppers. Parkinsons retrieve and some mono leader (floats, flouro sinks and will make small lures sub) is all you need to get started. Really good technique for fishing at the first stage of an incoming over the sticks as well, because there almost impossible to snag. Lures wise bream are generally less tentative to take smaller lures, but larger lures can be cast further and fish therefore given more time to follow it. Horses for courses; they both have there place.

If you are keen on some T pivots I have some excess that I am keen to move on for 10 bucks each.

Cannot wait until the water warms up, I want a 45+'er on topwater this summer...

Cheers, Matt.


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## RackRaider (Nov 10, 2010)

Topwater breamin' is my favourite way to fish, I've had lots of sucsess on Sammy 65's and Jaz Zappa's and the little smith Mebaru Megapen has caught a couple of high 30 cm Models though the Sammy has reigned supreme

I get them imported from the USA for $12 ( Aussie dollars)


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