Rig up for bream

Light spinning gear or fly fishing gear are perfect for catching bream in deep or shallow water during the hottest days of summer.
Light spinning gear or fly fishing gear are perfect for catching bream in deep or shallow water during the hottest days of summer.

Bream fishing tackle is light, but versatile.

If you prefer spin fishing, choose a light- or ultralight action rod with a small-capacity, 1000 series or smaller reel spooled with 2- to 4-pound test line.

Some anglers prefer long rods, but others like models that are 5 feet or shorter.

When fishing shallow water, such as at lakes Conway and Overcup and in White River oxbows, it’s hard to beat a long cane pole or a telescoping crappie rod. That’s because bream in shallow water are harried by herons, minks and other predators, so they don’t tolerate anglers getting close or the lunking and splashing of bobbers. Catching those fish requires a stealthy presentation that’s best achieved by simply lowering a bait with a very long rod.

A thin wire bream hook is all you need. If it snags on brush, you can often pull hard enough to straighten the hook without breaking your line.

Split shot works as weight in most situations, but a light Dipsey sinker on a drop shot rig can be very effective in deep water.

Slip bobbers are much better than clip-on bobbers. A clip-on bobber offers considerable resistance that might cause a fish to spit out a bait.

Conversely, a fish can pull a pencil-thin, Thill balsa bobber underwater with almost no resistance. When you lift the rod, you’ll set the hook.

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