BREAM SERIES
ABT BREAM CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP Mallacoota delivers for Team Gamakatsu/Atomic Father/son team Paul Malov and Alex Franchuk (Team Gamakatsu/ Atomic) have taken out the 2013 ABT BREAM Classic Championship at Mallacoota, VIC. Malov and Franchuck come out of the blocks quickly on day 1, posting an imposing 5/5, 4.58kg tournament limit. They then backed it up with a 5/5, 4.51kg limit on day 2 to take the victory by a margin of 1.29kg from their nearest competitors. On the pre-fish day the team checked out 6 possible locations for fish. The goal was to just observe and monitor activity as opposed to actually catching fish. “We actually had 4 key areas that we just left alone,” Malov explained. “We found fish, but it was all about just observing if they were in any number and how they were behaving. With 68 teams on the water we knew the key would be to manage our locations to maximise our chances.” On day 1 the team headed to Bottom Lake. They targeted bream around rock clumps and tea tree snags in depths up to 2.5m. By 8.30am the team had boated 3 bream. “We used 2” Atomic fat grubs in green gord/avocado colour rigged on a Gamakatsu 1/22oz round ball head,” Malov explained. “The technique was to cast tight to the edges and let the lure sink on a slack line. If there were no takes on the drop we gave the lure two little hops and then a pause before retrieving it using a slow roll/hopping/ pause retrieve.” The team alternated the presentations with a hardbody presentation. “We used the Atomic Crank 38 in ghost green shad,” Malov said. “It was especially
effective around shallow rock points.” Gamakatsu/Atomic then made the move to Top Lake, targeting a rock wall. Using the Atomic Crank they secured 1 fish slow rolling the lure down the side of the rock face. The team then moved to a bay where they found fish muddying in 10ft of water. “The water was quite green and we could see fish digging on the bottom,” Malov said. “In all, we caught 5-6 legal fish from the location and filled out our tournament limit.” On day 2 Gamakatsu/ Atomic decided to follow the game plan that had provided them with fish on the first day. The initial signs were good, with 2 fish in the livewell by 8.30. The rock wall proved fruitless, but a move to bay saw the team begin to gain momentum. “At the bay we caught 2
Classic Championship Video Playlist http://goo.gl/aM8Sez
First place winners Paul Malov and Alex Franchuk from Team Gamakatsu-Atomic.
Atomic 2” Fat Grub
Cast tight to edge
Sink on slack line
Two hops and pause
bream including a 1.56kg fish. By 12pm we had 4 fish and were looking at filling our limit and potential upgrades.” In an effort to find their fifth fish, the team decided to fish deeper in an area of Top Lake. Using their Lowrance HDS-12 Touch sounders, the team found fish holding tight to the muddy bottom. “Using 1/8oz Atomic Metalz in ghost green colour we attempted to get the fish to bite,” Malov said. “We also added Megastrike in craw scent to the lures. The technique was 2 small hops tight to the bottom. Using this technique we filled our tournament limit.” The team then hit the edges in hope of finding further upgrades. When this proved unsuccessful they returned to
their original location. The fish were active, but the team was unable to land 3 successive hook-ups. In a final move they hit a timbered location that had previously fished well. “It sounds cliché but on the last cast we got a fish,” Malov said. “It upgraded a 29.5cm fork bream to a 36 fork bream.” Team Gamakatsu/Atomic headed back to the weigh-in in an apprehensive mood. Even though they had filled their limit and upgraded, they knew the quality of fish available at the tournament location. “We were worried those lost fish would cost us,” Malov explained. “The one thing I wasn’t worried about was the condition of the fish; with the recent addition of livewell vents from V-T2, the fish were livelier at the end of the day than they were when they were caught! “Our limit was comprised of 3 good fish and 2 legal fish. Watching the weigh-in was still nerve wracking. This is a big, prestigious event that all teams dream of winning. “When we realized we had won, we felt this huge mix of excitement, relief and accomplishment all at once. Doing it with Dad as my partner made it all the more special. We have a great partnership and it made the whole event an experience to remember.” Malov and Franchuk took away a Mercury 4-stroke 150hp engine for the victory. The team thanked Frogleys Offshore, Lowrance and Evinrude for their support. They also thanked all the 68 teams who had assembled from around the country for attending.
Atomic Metalz 1/8oz Atomic Crank 38 Deep
Rock bar
Short little hops to keep on the bottom
68
JANUARY 2014
Lure tight to rock bar edge