Welcome to the Best Bream Lures and Soft Plastics – Top 10 in 2023. Looking for some great lure and soft plastic choices to catch bream then look no further. In no particular order, these 10 lures and soft plastics are widely considered the best bream lures and soft plastics available. We have targeted bream for many years and tried so many different lures and soft plastics over the years across many systems. This is an always-changing landscape with new and emerging products however some items listed below have been staple bream products for many years and will continue to be for many years to come. Ok, let’s get stuck into the top 10.
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Cranka Crabs
The Cranka crab has been a staple choice for many years. It works well in structure but also equally as well in open shallow flats. Match the hatch is a strategy that has always worked well and the Cranka crabs look very much like a real crab. With a slow sinking rate and foam nippers which float like a real crab under attack. Those nippers waive in the water column when not being worked creating movement even when not being worked. The size 14 trebles are attached to the nippers which float which helps greatly to prevent snags. It’s a popular choice for recreational and tournament anglers. These days they come available in many, colors, sizes, and weights. However, the smaller 3.9-gram ones in natural colors are perfect for bream. Many victories in Australian bream tournaments have been with the use of Cranka Crabs.
Specs, 50mm Across the Legs, 18mm Shell Width, Weighs 5.9 Grams or 3.9 Grams, #14 DECOY Y-S25 Treble Hooks. Floating Claws Mimicking a Real Defensive Crab. $24.99
Zman Grubz ( + Newer Revised ST GrubZ )
I can’t praise this soft plastic enough. Its affordable price, durability, action, and versatility are just amazing. It’s been around for so long now, but this simple soft plastic is still arguably the greatest bream product ever made. It’s cheap, simple to use, and catches so many bream and lots of other local species too. Its durable Elaztech material has amazing swimming action. You can slowly hop it off the bottom, you can slow roll it and the tail is buoyant which floats when not being worked. You can easily apply some scent to the tail which works so well with that fluttering swimming action. It comes in a wide variety of colors and sizes. However, the most popular is the 2.5 inch in colors such as motor oil, blood worm, and midnight oil.
In 2022 Z-Man released a refresh of this soft plastic called the ST GrubZ. Which has a new ribbed body that adds additional vibration to the swimming action and also has cuts in the tail to increase action. We have used the new version a lot and they are amazing on bream and other species too. If you are new to bream fishing with lures or soft plastics, then the Zman grub should be the first thing you tie on as it’s easy, versatile, effective and a great confidence booting option.
$10.99 for a pack of 8 worked amazingly rigged in HWS jig heads 1/12 through to 1/40
The Mussel Vibe
The mussel vibe is one of the newer lures in this list. It first become available towards the end of 2021 created by local angler Callum Dowell. This new lure has taken the bream fishing world by storm, particularly in Australia in areas like Gippsland renowned for amazing bream fishing. It’s a strange-looking lure and a strange concept yet it works so well. The logic is that bream are often seen eating mussels of structure or eating mussels as they fall from structure. Surprisingly these lures work equally as well when worked like any other vibe, crank, or lure in shallow flats. They take some time to get used to but have produced some exceptional results in their short life span. The mussel vibe is now available in a variety of weights ( 4.7 grams and 5.7 grams ), sizes, and colours, and even the new clickers version with a glass chamber rattle.
Jackall Chubby
Since 2010 cranks have been a very popular lure choice when targeting bream. Cranks have an amazing action and are generally very easy to use with a constant slow roll or some added twitches and pauses. Today there are so many crank options in this saturated space. Most of the fishing brands have their take on a crank with a subtle difference from their competitors. The Jackal Chubbies are a tad more expensive than lots of the others on the market however they stand out because of their amazing colours, finishing touches, swimming action, and profile size. These can be slowly rolled over weed beds, shallow flats, or cast towards the banks and structure. Many wins on the tournament scene are thanks to these wonderful bream lures. They come in a variety of sinking depths with shallow being a very common choice. But also options and even rattles or silent.
Specs – Shallow Depth: 1.2m, Length: 38mm, Weight: 4.0g, Cost $22
OSP Bent Minnow 76
The OSP bent minnow has been around for a while now but it’s still the staple topwater lure choice for bream. It’s won multiple awards globally as the best top water lure. Its unique and almost strange banana-like profile shape generates an erratic darting swimming action that bream find irresistible. The profile shape and erratic swimming action were designed to imitate a wounded baitfish. The swimming action is almost different just about every time you use it. It works tremendously well in shallow flats with twitches and lengthy pauses. Amazing how many hookups you get when the lure is static on the surface not being worked at all. You can also get it slightly sub-surface with some downward twitches. It does take some time to build your confidence using an OSP bent minnow but once you do you will catch bream in good volumes and sizes. They come available in many different colours as well as a silent and rattle version.
The only downside to these lures is the price at $35 each it’s a steep price point. Many brands in recent years have tried to replicate this lure however even with its steep price point it’s still a very popular choice.
Specs – Length 76mm, weight 4.3g, Cost $35
Hurricane Twitch 50
The Hurricane Twitch 50 has a hybrid-like profile size that fits somewhere between a minnow and a crank. Designed by keen anglers for the Gippsland region which has world-class bream fishing. The hurricane twitch 50 has an awesome tight swimming action and works great in shallow flats worked with a constant retrieve. You can also add some twitches and pauses to mix up the swimming action. We have also caught a good volume of bream with these lures trolling on a kayak or small boat. These lures work great in open waters but are also cast along the banks and into stricture. They come available in 15 colours. They are also available in a smaller 40 mm version.
Specs – Weighs 3.45 Grams, Length 54mm, Diving Depth 0.4-0.8 meters, Slow Floating, Cost $16.95
Zman Slim Swimz
Just like the Zman Grub the slim SwimZ is a must-have bream soft plastic. It’s such a simple product that resembles a bait fish so well. The action of the paddle tail is terrific making it an easy-to-soft plastic to work and catch fish with. It’s cheap, durable, and effective. It’s simple to use and it just catches so many bream and so many other species too. Its durable Elaztech material really stands up and often we have caught countless fish with the one soft plastic. It has an amazing swimming action and is easier to rig on the jig head than other competitor brands. You can hop it, you can slow roll it and it just continually catches bream. Also, great to apply some scent to the tail. It comes in a wide variety of colours and sizes. However, the most popular is the 2.5 inch in colours such as motor oil, blood worm, and midnight oil. This is another great confidence soft plastic and is usually one of the first things we tie on when fishing new waters or perfect for beginners targeting bream on plastics.
$10.99 for a pack of 8 worked amazingly rigged in HWS jig heads 1/12 through to 1/40
Berkley Crabby
Made and developed in Australia this simple soft plastic does a decent job to imitates a crab well. It catches many bream on the downfall as its legs and pincers flutter in the water. It’s infused in Berkley gulp scent which is advertised to release 400 times more scent than other plastic baits. This soft plastic works great on bream and well on many other local species too. This soft plastic works well cast into the structure and also worked in shallow flats. Available in 2 sizes ( 2 inch and 2.5 inch ) and 5 colours ( Breen, Camo, Peppered Prawn, Silver Mud, Watermelon ). A small downside to these soft plastics is that the legs and pincers can bend in the packet and they are not as durable as other plastics. However, they do catch a lot of fish and have been responsible for many tournament victories.
$11.99 for a pack of 8 works great rigged on a Berkley 1/24 jig head
Cranka Crank
Like the Jackall Chubbies Since 2010 cranks have been a very popular lure choice when targeting bream. Cranks have amazing action and are generally very easy to work with a constant slow roll or added pauses. Today there are so many crank options in this saturated space. Most of the fishing brands have their take on a crank with a subtle difference to their competitors. The Cranka Cranks are well priced considering you get excellent componentry. What we like about these cranks is their smaller profile size and tight suspending swimming action. These can be slowly rolled over weed beds, shallow flats or cast towards the banks and structure. Available in 11 colours with black flame, Olive prawn, and UV crab being standouts.
Specs – Suspending, decoy trebles, Shallow Depth: 0.8-1.2m, Length: 35mm, Weight: 3.4g, Cost $18.99
Daiwa Infeet Slippery Dog 65F
In its relatively short lifespan, the Daiwa infeet Slippery Dog has taken on some design and marketing changes already. This lure is like designs that we have already seen on the market such as the bassday sugapen. However, it has some subtle changes which we like. Including the smaller slimline profile body size, smaller trebles and the BKK striker assist hooks at the back which account for many hooks ups. These lures are designed to imitate a skipping prawn but resemble a hybrid of a popper and stick bait or pencil lure. This walk the dog style lure has a cupped shape face which makes the lure dart from side to side with a downward stroke of the rod. This lure works great in shallow flats in a variety of ways. Downward twitches to make it move from side to side or adding lots of pauses which also gets a lot of strikes. Available in 12 different colours again these are colours that are common among most brands. The stinger hooks aren’t the most durable and do need to be replaced so do keep this in mind.
Specs – Surface, Size 65mm, floating, Weight 3.8 grams, Cost $24
Keitech Mad Wag Mini
The Keitech Mad Wig mini is a new soft plastic on the market. It has a unique profile size with a ribbed body with an elongated tail. The long tail creates an erratic waggling swimming action that creates heaps of vibration in the water even when worked slowly. The soft plastic incorporates PGS “Point Guard System” which allows you to rig these up in weedless fashion and work them in weedy areas. These can be slow-rolled, or worked with hops and pauses. They work well in open areas, along the edges, and in tight cover including thick weed. They come available in 9 different colours green pumpkin being a good choice for local waters and multiple sizes however the mini 2.5 inch is best for bream.
Best Bream Lures Honourable mentions
- Daiwa Double Clutch
- Bass Day suga penn
- Pro Lure Live Yabbie
- Daiwa Tournament spike
- MMD Soft prawn
Thanks for reading the Best Bream Lures and Soft Plastics – Top 10 in 2023 if you have any suggestions font hesitate to let us know at enquiries@fishingmad.com.au we hope this article helps you with your bream fishing. Feel free to visit the FishingMad YouTube channel which has countess videos of us catching bream with these lures. Or the FishingMad how to fishing guides for more help.