Size 100g - 3.5kg.

Habitat Australian Bass can be found in fresh and brackish waters of coastal estuarine river systems. They extend from the upper tidal reaches of coastal streams to the fresher waters. In Victoria they can also be found further downstream in salty river mouths. Bass are attracted to the cover of logs, stumps, snags, bushes, reeds, tree roots, rock piles and holes along the banks of streams. They are stocked in several freshwater impoundments and occupy waters from southern Qld. to east of the Yarra River catchment in Vic.

Qualities Territorial and predatory fish. A highly rated sportsfish with tough sometimes spectacular fighting ability. Hits lures and baits with aggression.

Record Australian record 3.780kg.

Best Bait

Tackle

Hints Hot sultry days encourage strikes, especially on dull and overcast conditions. Repeated accurate casts close to cover of snags and into holes. Drifting the rivers in a boat and casting into suspected cover is productive. Unprofitable to fish the middle of the stream in daylight hours, it is better to probe the shelters near the bank. Fish in tidal waters are not keen on surface popping lures even at night where as those found above tidal influenced waters will readily take surface lures at night and sometimes during the day. Lure should be worked down to where the fish is sheltering. Live bait like prawn and shrimp hooked through the tail work well. In summer cicadas and black crickets are a good bait. Midday fish will be deep where as at dusk they will be closer to the surface and at night will surface feed. In late winter fish will be spawning in the brackish waters of estuarine river systems. Trolling lures in impoundments around sharp drop-offs works well. The female Bass are the larger fish so catch and release is preferred.