EP 180: ABT, Round 2, Mallacoota 7-8 Feb, 2026

🎣 Mallacoota ABT 2026 Wrap-Up | Mark Healey’s 3-Peat, Non-Boater Battles & Tactical Breakdowns In this episode of The BREAM Fishing Project, we head to one of Australia’s most iconic tournament arenas — Mallacoota, Victoria — to wrap up the Victorian leg of the ABT Road Show for 2026. Held across February 7–8, this round delivered classic Mallacoota conditions — glassed-out mornings, spooky fish, heavy prawn activity, and a brutal 40+ knot northeaster that turned the final session into survival mode. And at the top of it all… Mark Healey makes history with a three-peat at Mallacoota. This is a deep-dive tournament breakdown packed with real-world tactics, lure selection, decision-making under pressure, and the subtle details that separate top-10 finishes from the rest of the field. 🏆 EVENT RESULTS SNAPSHOT Non-Boater Division 🥇 1st – Robert Bluemink – 4.997kg 🥈 2nd – Michael Sammut – 4.601kg 🥉 3rd – Darcy Clifton – 4.524kg Boater Division 🥇 1st – Mark Healey – 10.131kg (Three-peat winner) 🥈 2nd – Mario Vukic – 9.707kg 🥉 3rd – Jarrod Healey – 9.372kg 🌊 CONDITIONS & KEY PATTERNS Glass-out mornings with highly visible fish on edges and flats Spooky fish behaviour – requiring finesse presentations Heavy prawn influence across both days Mid-water fish holding identified via live sonar Strong northeaster (up to 40 knots) impacting final-day strategy Tidal timing critical for access to larger yellowfin down the front 🧠 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE This episode is loaded with practical, tournament-level insights you can apply straight away: 🔹 Non-Boater Strategies Fishing deeper water behind boaters to find untouched fish Adjusting lure profiles when fish are present but not feeding Using LiveScope/sonar feedback to refine presentations Managing pressure and upgrades across two days 🔹 Boater Winning Tactics Mark Healey’s two-zone strategy (lake system + front system) Timing tide windows for big yellowfin BREAM bites Using topwater, twitch baits, and prawn imitations to match conditions Adapting to wind, current, and boat pressure 🔹 Key Lure Patterns SPRAT plastics on light jigheads (1/16–1/12) Hybrid prawn imitations for mid-water fish Bent minnows for early topwater fish Chubbies & twitch baits for structured edges Crabs and shallow minnows as upgrade tools 🧵 GEAR & TECHNIQUE INSIGHTS Light leaders: 3–6lb fluorocarbon for natural presentation Ultra-light rod setups for finesse lure control Adjusting jighead weight to match wind, depth, and current Watching fish behaviour on sonar to guide retrieve style The importance of slow presentations and patience in pressured systems 🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM MALLOCOOTA 2026 You didn’t need numbers — you needed quality bites Prawn imitations were the dominant pattern across both divisions Sight-casting and subtle presentations were critical in clear water Mid-water fish played a bigger role than bottom-holding fish Timing the front system correctly was the difference maker 🔗 LINKS & COMMUNITY 👉 Join The BREAM Fishing Project Collective Early episode access, live streams, bonus content and challenges: https://breamfishingproject.supercast.com 📸 Follow along on Instagram @thebreamfishingproject 🌐 Website & community updates https://breamfishingproject.com 🙌 THANK YOU Massive thanks to all the anglers who took the time to jump on the mic after long tournament days — your willingness to share knowledge is what makes this project possible. And to everyone who filled out the recent listener survey — your feedback is helping shape the future of the show. 🎧 Subscribe, share and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode — it helps grow the BREAM community and keeps these stories coming. The BREAM Fishing Project Informing, inspiring, and entertaining Australia’s BREAM anglers every week.