| Just about any boat can be used for bream | | | | meet tournament standards. The tournament |
| fishing, from a kayak to a massive cruiser. But if | | | | scene has grown exponentially to the stage that |
| you want to specialize or even enter a bream | | | | aluminum punts are almost a thing of the past. |
| fishing tournament you will have to either | | | | Newcomers to the tournament scene are usually |
| customize your own boat or buy a specialized | | | | young guys and girls that don't have the money |
| tournament boat. | | | | for a big glass boat, hence the reason you still see |
| There are a few things that are essential for | | | | some punts around. |
| targeting bream successfully. | | | | Tournaments have evolved at a fast pace as |
| 1. You will need an electric trolling motor fitted to | | | | have the boats that now grace the tournament |
| you boat, preferably a foot controlled model. This | | | | fields. Bass boats from America have almost |
| will give you the ability to move the boat around | | | | taken over, Australia does make a couple of |
| almost silently to position the boat for the best | | | | locally produced boats which are gaining popularity |
| cast whilst not scaring the fish. | | | | but have a bit of catching up to do. |
| 2. You will need reasonable quality electronics by | | | | These boats are powered by massive outboard |
| that I mean fish finders that also display | | | | motors that really get up and go. The boats also |
| temperature. You need to be able to read the | | | | have many feature that make the anglers life |
| fish finder and be able to distinguish what the fish | | | | easier like built in live wells, full length rod lockers, |
| finder is showing on the display. | | | | storage hatches, onboard battery chargers etc. |
| 3. If you want to fish tournaments you will need | | | | A lot of these boats have foot operated throttles |
| a recirculating live well, to keep the fish alive until | | | | known as "hotfoot" and trim levers on the |
| the weigh in, as all tournaments are catch and | | | | steering column, so you don't need to take your |
| release. | | | | hands off the wheel to trim the motor up or |
| There are many other items that you can fit to | | | | down. The electric motor on the front of the |
| your boat but the ones outlined here will get you | | | | boat is foot operated giving the angler two free |
| started. | | | | hands to fish with. These boats are capable of |
| Ten years ago tournament fishing started in | | | | speeds over 70 mph and ride exceptionally good |
| Australia and every boat was an aluminum punt | | | | at that speed. |
| of some kind usually customized by the owner to | | | | |