🎣 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
🥇 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:
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
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
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.
