Species › Australia & New Zealand › Australian Bass

Freshwater

Australian Bass

Percalates novemaculeata · Bass, Freshwater perch, Macquaria novemaculeata

Water temp
64–77°F
Peak season
Oct–Feb
Best light
Dawn · Dusk
IGFA record
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Australian Bass (Australian bass 2.jpg)

Photo: Codman at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Australian bass are deep-bodied, olive-bronze to dark fish with a large mouth, spiny dorsal fin and a protruding lower jaw. They are native to coastal rivers from southern Queensland to eastern Victoria, spending summer in freshwater pools and running downstream to spawn in estuaries in winter. Stocked impoundments hold large numbers of landlocked fish. Bass feed at dawn, dusk and after dark on insects, shrimp, frogs and small fish, often taking from the surface. Anglers rate them for their aggressive surface strikes, dogged fights around timber and the fact that they live in beautiful, intimate rivers.

Typical size0.5–2 lb (0.3–1 kg); 10–16 in
Trophy4 lb+ (1.8 kg+); 50 cm fish are trophies
Table fareMostly catch & release — wild bass are a conservation priority

Where & when

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Peak is the warm months of September–April when fish hold in freshwater reaches; rivers are closed May–August in New South Wales while bass spawn in the estuaries.

Hawkesbury–Nepean River, AustraliaClassic wild bass river near SydneyLake Glenbawn, AustraliaStocked impoundment; schooled bass on jigsLake Somerset, AustraliaQueensland dam with big stocked bass

How to catch

Surface lures at dawn and duskCast small poppers, walkers or cicada-style lures tight to snags, overhanging banks and weed edges, and work them with pauses. Bass hit hardest in the first and last hour of light and under cover of darkness in summer.
Spinnerbaits and jigs in impoundmentsFind schooled fish on the sounder along drop-offs and sunken timber, then hop a 1/4–1/2 oz spinnerbait, blade or soft plastic through the school. Slow-roll it in cooler water and speed up as temperatures climb.

Gear

Rod6'6"–7' light to medium-light spinning or casting
Reel2000–2500 spinning or light baitcaster
Line8–12 lb braid; 10–14 lb fluorocarbon leader

Lures

Surface popper or walkerSpinnerbaitSoft-plastic grub or paddletail

Baits

Live shrimpEarthwormsCicadas (where legal)

Regulations

A recreational fishing licence is required in New South Wales and Victoria, and bass carry size and bag limits plus a closed season in rivers during the winter spawn; impoundment rules differ from rivers. Check the state fisheries agency.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: not listed. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

When is the best time to catch Australian bass?

Warm, humid evenings from spring to autumn are best, especially the hour around dusk and after dark when bass move up to feed on insects and shrimp. In rivers, a rise after summer rain switches fish on. Impoundment bass school and feed through the day in cooler months, so sounder work replaces timing there.

Bite forecast — Australian Bass

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Australian Bass.

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