Episode 156: The Monthly Report, October, 2025

Welcome to the Bream Fishing Project — October Monthly Report With Brett Geddes back on the mic, we cover a huge month: national comp calendar, honest session breakdowns (the good, the bad, and the donuts), tackle and tech that moved the needle, and bigger-picture news that matters to kayak lure anglers.

Around the Grounds (October comps)

• Hobie — Burrill Lake (Thu 2 Oct, AOY points only, mid-week round)

• Hobie — BurleyPro Fish Tech, St Georges Basin (4–5 Oct) — Andrew will be there

• NSW Tournament Series — Grand Final, Botany Bay (25–26 Oct)

• ABT — Vic Open, Gippsland Lakes (11–12 Oct)

• ABT — Grand Final, Bemm & Marlo (14–16 Oct)

• Action Fishing Tournaments — Grand Final, Camden Haven (25–26 Oct)

• Vic Bream Classics — Round 5, Warrnambool (18–19 Oct)

• WATA — Boat Rd 3, Swan River (Perth, 5 Oct)

• ECBS — Grand Final, Sydney Harbour (19 Oct)

Segments

• What Cheeses Me Off — 

• New segment tease — “I think I did a dumb thing” 

Sessions, Tactics & Lessons

• Waller Lake — Stunning, but savage: 55 donuts Day 1 (of 75); Jason Marshall ~3.5 kg. Andrew scratched two late Day 2 near the launch — lesson: don’t overrun the obvious.

• Grubs Month (Collective focus)

  • Georges River — ActiveTarget on boat-holes/mooring blocks; Squidgy Wrigglers on 1/16 oz & lighter in 2–3 m; watched fish rise to the drift. Standout fish 36 fork, 32, 30, plus a salmon called on sonar.

  • Tunks Park — All-day grubs, great FFS interactions… and the missed photo that cost places.

  • St Georges Basin prefish — Salmon schools “called” on FFS (cast-to-distance trick worked for Stewie Dunn). Only one legal bream for Andrew. Stewie tangles with a very big mulloway on 5 lb/light gauge — compelling FFS footage shows scale vs bream.

• Brett’s update — Windy spring, bream moody; perch to the rescue. From ~1400 to 1700 EPs, often 30–40/session on blades (Sprat/Tomahawk 85 style). Squid mission ongoing.

Big Bite & Big Picture

• Yellowfin tuna (stickbaits) — Electric surface rushes, chaotic ramps; single stinger hook setups; airborne follows and missed bites provide insane visuals.

• South Australia fish kill — Coastal oxygen event; tough for communities and tourism. Nature will rebound, but it’ll take time.

Community shout-outs

• Andrew “Andy” Kettle — Land-based, night-only EP specialist; surface walkers/high-stick retrieve; “EP ninja” dedication.

• Leon — Strong Hobie Day 1; three kayak rules: mussel, mussel, no flatties aboard.

Gear we mentioned 

• Jabbers travel rods (6-piece) & Upper Cut trebles (12/14/16; strong, sticky; 100-pack jars).

• BurleyPro HDS Pro visor (better screen & battery headroom); Connector Protectors (stop wet-plug corrosion).

• Braid 0.4 PE white (rated 8 lb; higher measured break); considering bite-marker dots for strike watching (inspired by Joseph Gardner using multi-colour jigging braid).

• Shyne Away leader treatment — Degloss + decontaminate to reduce visibility (most effective to up to 10–12 lb leaders).

• Lovig Bay Boots — Warm/dry, easy winter wear; trying full size run at St Georges Basin.

• Hobie news — Ownership update discussion; 180 drive aftermarket ceramic roller solution mentioned (alternative when out of warranty).

• K-spike kayak power pole (Greg Rook; with Tony “Batman” Petty); lightweight 6/8/10 ft; drift chute attachment idea is clever.

Regional outlook (VIC/NSW)

• Early spring bream remain fickle (Aug–Oct lull). Expect ramp-up as temps lift; dusky flathead to become a major play. Daylight savings adds post-work windows.

Timestamps / Chapters

(Adjust once your final audio export sets exact times.)

• 00:00 Intro — why this month matters

• 02:10 Around the Grounds — October comp calendar

• 08:45 Segment: What Cheeses Me Off (the 10 mm spanner)

• 12:20 New segment tease: “I think I did a dumb thing”

• 16:00 Wallaga Lake wrap — donuts, context, and late salvage

• 20:05 Georges River — grubs + ActiveTarget (fish rising to the drift)

• 25:10 Tunks Park — the missed photo lesson

• 28:30 St Georges Basin prefish — calling salmon on FFS; Stewie’s big mulloway on 5 lb

• 34:40 Brett’s perch run — 1,700 EPs, blade patterns, squid pains

• 40:25 Yellowfin stickbait bite — why it’s so wild

• 45:15 South Australia fish kill — what’s happening and why it matters