closed season                                                                   (Click for large pic. 44Kb)

Found in Queensland coastal streams from the border to only as far north as the Noosa River and streams flowing into Tin Can Bay (S Qld). In recent time through aquaculture the fish has been bred and stocked in many impoundments and streams.
The Australian Bass is one of our best (if over-glamorised) sport-fishes. It has been recorded from local streams at a weight of 3.6kg , though more usually a 1.4kg specimen is regarded as a good fish.
Sport-fishermen in this State adhere rigidly to the use of artificial plugs and lures to which the species will occasionally rise; larger and more regular catches are made by baiting with crickets, grasshoppers, moths, green frogs, freshwater prawns (or shrimps), and worms. Australian Bass undertake a midwinter spawning migration from freshwaters to at least the region of tidal influence. The planktonic eggs are about one mm in diameter; the larvae hatch after 2 or 3 days, and commence feeding the following day at a length of 4 mm.
This fish is subject to a wide colour variation; in general it ranges from olive-brown to olive-green above with paler sides, sometimes with a yellowish tinge. The fins are generally olive-green.

It is a fairly good table-fish, but must be kept cool and moist after capture to prevent the flesh softening and losing texture, illustrating again that there is no substitute for freshly-iced fish.

A closed season applies to Australian bass throughout Queensland from
1 June to 31 August except in and from waterways upstream of Baroon Pocket, Bjelke-Petersen, Boondooma, Borumba, Cania, Cressbrook, Fred Haigh (Lake Monduran), Gordonbrook, Hinze, Lenthalls, Maroon, Moogerah, North Pine, Somerset, Wuruma and Wivenhoe Dams, Claude Wharton and Jones Weirs, Isis Balancing Storage (Lake Gregory) and Lakes Clarendon, Dyer (Bill Gunn Dam) and MacDonald.

Updated:Wednesday, 17 October 2007