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Bream sunfish, its habitats, characteristics, fishing methods.
The Bream is the only flat fresh-water fish. It is stately and beautiful, when full grown, and very large.
They are very broad in shape, their eyes are large, and they have a mouth small in proportion to their
body. The Bream prefer slow streams and deep muddy places, but could be found under bridges, and in ponds.
They bite best in windy weather. Bream are fierce feeders and can be caught on a large variety of
baits.
A combination of understanding the fish and the techniques used to catch them will help you to hook more
fish to the end of your line. Better knowing and understanding of the fish that you are trying to catch
will make you a more successful angler, whether you are fishing for trout on a river or surfing on the
beach or trolling on the open water.
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Bream are members of the sunfish family that also include the Bluegill, Redbreast Sunfish,
Pumpkinseed, Redear Sunfish, Shellcrackers. They are and are common throughout the USA and into
Mexico and Canada.
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Description
Bream have bright yellow, orange, or red colors on the breast and belly. They have a spinous
dorsal fin with 6-13 spines followed by a soft dorsal fin. The anal fin has 3 or more spines at its
origin. Pelvic fins are below pectoral fins and have 1 spine and 5 soft rays; there are 17 principal
caudal fin rays. The lateral line is complete, and scales are ctenoid and occur all over the body,
including the breast, cheeks, and opercles. They are very broad in shape, they have a very large eyes, and
very small mouth in proportion to their body.
Habitats
Bream inhabit waters of all types, from muddy ponds to clean rivers. They are usually
associated with shallow water, however they often move onto deeper dropoffs during the winter. Insects,
worms, and small minnows are their favorite foods. Bream spawn on shallow flats, usually with muddy or
sandy bottoms, when the water warms to between 67 and 80�F. Bream, though they do not usually grow very
large, are delicious tasting and fun to catch. They are territorial or occur in small groups, and they are
often associated with a particular haunt such as a submerged log, rock, vegetation, or overhanging bank.
Bream are sight feeders and procure food either by lying in wait or making a sudden lunge or, in some
species, actively foraging on the bottom.
Spawning
This time of year brings bream towards shallow waters (less than 5 feet deep) as they search
for places to spawn. This includes the backs of major creeks, downstream end of sandbars, small coves and
points off the main lake. Bream are attracted to natural shoreline cover (fallen trees, stumps, rocks and
vegetation) and man-made cover (boat docks). Look for bream beds�plate-sized, bowl-shaped depressions in
shallow water where adult fish will stay for extended periods of time. Bream are nest builders and males
typically guard nests after spawning. Nests are shallow pits hollowed out by the male, who sweeps aside
substrate and sediments with his caudal fin. Spawning is ritualized, with the males and females circling
about the nesting site punctuated by short encounters when the female lies on her side while eggs are
extruded and fertilized; two or more females may spawn within the nest of a single male. Overlaps in
spawning habitat and behavior have led to common hybridization between species of bream.
Fishing Methods.
The best time of angling for him is either in the morning or afternoon, from the end of
July, and untill the beginning of September. They bite best in windy Weather, and when the water is rough;
and in ponds, when the waves are high, the Bream are always be at the top of the water. Their time of
feeding is uncertain; but if the weather be dark and hazy, and with a smart gale of wind, they will bite
all Day long.
The Red Worm is the best bait for the Bream; but they also greatly love Pastes, Flag Worms,
Wasps, Gentles, Green Flies, Butter flies, and a Grasshopper with his legs cut off. Bream are fierce
feeders and can be caught on a large variety of baits.
The most common method is a pole fishing using a small piece of worm or a cricket floating
under a bobber. Nightcrawlers, red wigglers, meal worms, wax worms, crickets, horseflies, and a variety of
other insects work well for bream. Very small artificial lures are also popular bream baits. Small grubs
(1 1/2" - 2"), tiny spinners, marabou jigs, and very tiny crankbaits also work very well.
Telescopic fishing pole carbon or even bamboo is one of the best methods. Ultra light
spinning rod, 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 ft works good. Whether you use spinning, spin-casting, pole fishing, or some
other method of bream fishing, you can land even the largest bream with the very light line, 2 to 6 lb
test. Lighter line provides more sensitivity to detect subtle strikes, allows more line to be held on the
spool, and is much less visible than heavier line.
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