What is it with Bass??

[thumps]

could someone explain to me why Bass are so popular??

i was asked a question the other day about Bass....and it got me thinking

do people eat them??( all i hear is people doing the catch and release thing)

i havent actually caught one myself..(and dont feel the need)..but have seen various dvd/fishing shows were people do......and it doesnt seem that the fight real well..although this could be camera work.

the amount of stocking that takes place must mean that they are a fairly common species in dams now...but i am still yet to see a reciepe for Bass anywhere.

i cant compare them to Barra stocking...as Barra grow to huge size...and people still eat them at various sizes...i also cant compare them to Toga...as they are a fairly uncommon catch.(in some cases...and in the different locations)

i tried comparing them to Bream...but anyone and everyone catches Bream...and eats them

so whats with this Bass thing??????

[Pointyfish]

Their Australias native fish! I haven't fished for them but I believe the the thrill would be in the hunt, in fooling one to take an artificial.

[thumps]

so are snakehead gudgeon...but i dont see many people targetting them

im not trying to get a bite here

i just dont see why a fish that grows to about 55cms?...instills such fanatisim...and the extreme catch and release policy.

[Wazza77]

They do fight pretty well, although i haven't caught that many but when i have they have been as good if not better than a yella.

I like to eat them they are quite nice, and this is why we do pay our SIP money for, so they can restock the ones we take. Only having a bag limit of 2 is very good to as this is just the right amout for my Wife the kids and me for tea.

No special way to cook them though, i just try to eat them while they are still fresh, within the first day or so. I just dip them in milk and eggs and some breadcrumbs or fillet and skin them, and wrap them in foil, with some lemon pepper, kids love it i love it, mmmm now i am hungry..

[bassace]

4:30am the mist is just lifting off the water in the predawn you can see a alley between the lilypads so you fire small popper in there, a slow twitch and wind reterive as the lure clears the lily line a ferocious strike blasts the lure out of the water by a foot or so. This takes you totally unawares, as the lure falls back into the water it is nailed by 50cm of very agitated bass who is hell bent on putting you into the lilys.

They might only be bass. But I couldn't think of a better way to start the day.

[still_water]

Thumps,
Bass and Bream fishing for myself and my family is just as exciting as targetting Barra. I use 4 to 6 lb line with hard bodies , soft plastics and spinners.
Fishing is just a great past time and job for some of us lucky ones, the eating qualities of a Bass are nice if prepared properley.
Some days may only see 2 or 3 Bass but a good session if you position yourself over a school will see up to 50 landed in under an hour of all sizes from 20cm to 59cm.
Selection of the right weighted jighead coupled with the right softy will produce more strikes.
Early morning as the Sun is rising we work the edges and head deep for the large schools on soft plastics as the day warms up.
I personally do not care where I fish just as long as I can wet a line.
Regards
Brett

[Louis]

G'day Thumps,


They do fight quite well and they are a pretty fish.

I personaly don't think they taste as good as most other fishes, but each to their own.

I think some of the stocking attraction is also that they are native and a reasonably hardy native.




Louis

[juicyfruit]

Hmmmm, sounds a little like fishing for trout.

Minus the lillypads and popper.

Juicy

[al_neibling]

The fish I ever caught trolling was a bass and I can tell you I screamed, cooeed and embarrassed the hell outta Brad with my "come to mamma!" at the top of my voice.

We lived out near maroon dam at the time and to be honest unless you where willing to travel a long way to catch bigger fish the Bass are it, they might be little but the fight hard and are great fun.

PS I eat 'em, but then again I eat just about anything!!!

Al

[al_neibling]

that should be first fish.......blondes hey ;D

[Elysium]

4:30am the mist is just lifting off the water in the predawn you can see a alley between the lilypads so you fire small popper in there, a slow twitch and wind reterive as the lure clears the lily line a ferocious strike blasts the lure out of the water by a foot or so. This takes you totally unawares, as the lure falls back into the water it is nailed by 50cm of very agitated bass who is hell bent on putting you into the lilys.

They might only be bass. But I couldn't think of a better way to start the day.

could not of said it any better if I tried...

granted the largest bass I have ever seen is 54cm...the largest I have ever seen a true picture of was mid 60's...the these fish are our native fish...they fight extremely well...some impoundments/rivers hold bass that do fight harder than other places (dont know why that is), but the bass in Clarrie Hall Dam would pull an equal size Hinze Dam bass backwards anytime!

The greatest thrill is the initial hit...nothing....nothing....nothing....whack! on light gear (lets face it, you aint chasing mackeral here) these fish will pull line off you and head for what ever structure they can find. They fight dirty as well...I think they got fighting lessons from the jacks. I have seen Bass deviate for a snag and when they realise they wont make they will turn and head for another one...even had one swim directly for one under the boat! making for a whole lot of slack line (you can only wind in so fast afterall.

To me they do fight better than a golden perch, and their numbers in impoundments make them a viable target. I dont eat them because (believe it or not) I dont like the taste of fish...any fish that is.

But the true essence in Bass fishing is in the wild...take the above scenario from Bassace but put it in a small river with not only lillies, but trees fallen into the river, a carpet snake coiled around the thickest brach metres from your canoe, kingfishers diving for small baitfish...platypus surfacing to have a look around...it cant get much better than that.

[Chuong]

Plus they can be caught on all sorts of lures.

[Girella]

Thumps
It's a lure fishing thing.

Once you've graduated to jure fishing, fishing with bait just never seems the same again.

It aint easy though and that's why all the great lure takers are so revered.

Barra, Tailor, Bass, Trevally and Jacks just to name a few.

All these species hold a special place in the hearts of the lure throwers.

And that's also why we like to let em go because it's not about the food
anymore. This time it's personal.

PK :P

[thumps]

Thumps
It's a lure fishing thing.

Once you've graduated to lure fishing, fishing with bait just never seems the same again.



i get the lure thing...ive been a lure man nearly all my fishing life

ive caught tailor, trevally...no barra yet...but hope too next week....no jacks...but will keep trying

i also get the sunrise aspect...having fished the opening day Trout season at Bronte Park for 12 years straight (lovely people Dennis and Robin Weiss..its up for sale at a good price btw)

what i dont get.....is a fish that i see as comparable to trout..yet noone seems to eat it much....just catch and release

maybe im missing something here...but i dont see the need for all the Hype that it causes

*shrug

maybe its the whole experience...and doesnt matter WHAT fish it is????

[sf17fisherman]

they are nothing liike a trout IMHO

most poll that are out there have found the bass to be the hardest fighting native fish in australia for is size and even has many barra/bass anglers admiting that if they grew to the size of a barra they would be unstopable

but for you to find out what the fuss is with bass then i sugest that you get some one to take you chaseing a WILD river bass in it;s natrual surrounds

don't forget the added bouns to alot of us is that it is a native fish that we can still chase not like some of the cods and others that we have stuffed in the past

[juicyfruit]

Sorry, I may have wrote what I was meaning wrongly (yes Al, it's a blonde thing)

When I likened a Bass fishing to Trout fishing, I was referring to the atmosphere, the surrounds that was describe to me in Bassace post.

.....also I should have gone on to say that….

......No matter the fish you chase (Bass, Marlin, Trout etc) there is a thrill of catching your targeted fish and there is a personal reason you find your targeted fish a thrill.

Ok, hoping that I didn't just make the dirty water into mud trying to clarify what I was meaning.

Don't think I had my usual morning quota of coffee this morning to make me function this arvo.

Juicy

[Elysium]

as for the eating part....I tried a bass once....and spat it out....tasted like the preverbial &@#%^

but thats not why I chase bass...for those who do chase bass know why they do it....for those who dont....you will never fully understand until you experience that moment that glues itself into your long term memory bank for you to reflect on whenever you wish.

[The_Walrus]

Horses for courses.

In south east Qld, they're the most available freshwater species both in dams & rivers.

Personally, the very best bass fishing is for 'wild' bass in their natural river environment.

Having said that, I also partial to bass in dams.

While I won't keep 'wild' bass, I have no problems with eating the occasional bass from dams.

If I lived further north, barra and sooties would be my main dam targets as they're the local stocked species.

What of the future in dams, jacks, trevors, bream, tarpon, milkfish...., the potential list is only limited by what can be accomplised by our scientists.

Unfortunately, ultimately, it's politics that will decide what gets stocked where.

Luc

[wrip109]

So long as you catch the bass in a nice clean lake/dam such as Somerset then the flesh will be nice and white and flakey. I cook mine on the BBQ for ten mins which is possibly a bit over done but it is beautiful with just a bit of salad.

A little expensive though, I calculate my bass cost me about $150.00 per kilo.

Phil

[d-man]

Thumps, If you don't get it just don't do it! Simple - or maybe go fishing with someone who knows the ropes and check it out. You might just be converted - hallelulja! ;D
Its certainly addictive - personally I don't get standing on the beach with a group of thirty other guys casting over each other and having rod rage just to kill a bucket load of tailor :-?, but that's fishing - if everyone did the same thing it would be helluva crowded!

[JewseeTHAT]

A wild river fish pulls comparably to an equal sized drummer, if you've never tangled with one on a bream rod just use your imagination. Getting smashed up on 12lb line is a common occurance. Can't comment on stocked bass as I've never caught one, but bass from a crystal clear river tastes as good as any other fish I've ever put in my mouth.

[thumps]

personally I don't get standing on the beach with a group of thirty other guys casting over each other and having rod rage just to kill a bucket load of tailor :-?, but that's fishing - if everyone did the same thing it would be helluva crowded!


i agree...i couldnt do that either


i guess its the combo of all the above...nature...aus native....availability

i havent bagged fishing for Bass...and that wasnt my intention.....i just wanted to see if i could get a clear answer as to why...guess why means alot of different things to alot of different people.

thank guys for your comments...it was truly appreciated

[budgebass]

Gidday Thumps

I think you need to catch a bass.

Bass are an Australian native fish who prior to the impoundment explosion, were on a downward spiral to disappear. Hence why you will find no recipes for Bass.
Mind you their ability to hit anything was also their undoing as they made many a "feed" of fish. Lots of "perch" got eaten in the 60s and 70s.

They have a romanticism and straight out of the water regardless of where u catch them they are an impressive fish.
Early morning on misty lakes/rivers in shallow water they are very impressive on poppers. And yes it is about the location, the time and the fish, but you know that if you get your cast right and work your lure right it will get smashed.

Pulling a 55 cm plus specimen from Somerset in 40 ft of water on 6lb string certainly takes some pulling.

They are a fish with personality and spunk, truly an Aussie fish, they can be moody, bullish, aggressive but very rarely do they give up without a fight to the last swish of their tail.

And generally u will find that whilst the readers to this web site are in the majority dedicated to catch and release but in the local areas around our impoundments, bass make it into most keepers because of their table qualities.
The 2 fish per person bag limit certainly has made some interesting sites on some dams. eg Why are 5 people in that 10 ft tinnie but only 1 person is fishing? I think in the future there will be a lot of pressure from this fraternity to increase the bag limits on bass specifically in the impoundments.

Personally I would not take a whiting or flathead out of my keeper for a bass but if I had a bream I would. And tailor, well I would find a good cat for those fish. But each to his own for eating fish, whether u choose to or not.

Off my sopabox but Thumps go fishing with a bassy type person and u may get to have a greater understanding of why the mention of Bass makes many a fishermens heart flutter

Cheers
Budgebass

[elleburra]

Hi Thumps, I've tangled with most species, before bass it was a good drummer that was no.1 for me. Drummer are very hard, dirty fighters, a big one and you feel like someone has a jackhammer between your shoulder blades. Always been a bait salt water fisherman.

We retired to some acres in the mid north coast of NSW a few miles of river is our northern boundary just east of the New England ranges. A few sets of rapids, good pools in between, lot of undergrowth on the banks and some good trees down in the river.

Quite a journey to the beaches so one day about 12 months ago I wandered down to the river very late afternoon, there were 2 old lures in Dad's tackle box, a Tiny torpedo with black stripes and a brass spoon. Very light 8' rod, 50 year old 6lb line, and the Tiny torpedo was my gear. A few casts and retrieves, totally relaxed watching the wildlife on a superb evening, and I really was away with the pixies in the dead still night.

The lure was on the way in on the third cast, only about 4' from the bank when it seemed the night went crazy. Totally unexpected, I had never read anything about bass and the way they attack a surface lure, but this bass took the lure from underneath and came right out of the water. I did not realise that at the time as for a few seconds I froze not knowing what the hell had happened. Not a big one, 37cm, but a good fight on the light outfit. Since then I am hooked, even just the lure fishing bit is great without all the smelly bait bit, I'm now looking forward to lure fishing in the saltwater.
The same as above happened to a mate from Sydney who was up here and had never fished for bass. I did not warn him what to expect and the first hookup scared the bejeesus out of him. Real change of underpants time.

What is special about lure fishing for bass? I don't think it is just bass but from what I can gather most fish hit a lure much harder than bait. I can only talk of the native bass we catch, particularly near the rapids or snags, they fight very hard and pound for pound give as good as any fish I have caught. They are so aggressive I had one about 4" long swallow almost all of a tiny torpedo, after a fair bit of difficulty I managed to extract the lure and get the fish back alive to the water.

Why do we catch and release? We value our stretch of river very much, sounds a bit crazy but we feel we are custodians of it and we are very careful nothing harmful gets into it from our farm. As far as the fish population goes to have native bass here is a real privilidge and we will do what we can to keep them here. That includes 'discouraging' anyone wanting to fish here unless we know they will catch and release.

As for eating qualities I've never eaten impoundment bass but we have eaten 2 from our river. One was the first one my mate caught, it was 39cm, I said "OK throw it back"
and after the look on his face I relented and we had it on the barbecue that night. Scale and gut, lightly score the skin in a number of vertical lines, baste with chilli oil, and it was as good eating as anything I have tasted, possibly with the exception of coral trout.

Hope this helps to understand the touch of craziness that gets into bass fishermen, particularly fishing the rivers you become very aware of the privilidges we are given, the need to conserve, and the madness of slaughtering fish willy nilly.

[roz]

Hmmmm, sounds a little like fishing for trout.

Minus the lillypads and popper.

Juicy

Hi there Juicy & Thumps :)

I would have to strongly disagree with the Trout/Australian Bass comparison, infact, Juicy go and wash your mouth out girl!

Bass fishing has been a ten year addiction for me (along with the mackeral addiction, the flathead addiction...the list is long)

The thing they have in common, is they readily take lures.

Bass are aggressive and love snags...bit like jacks, very strong fish with a big heart.

From what I understand wild bass in many areas down here are under threat due to habitat loss (they must have their snags).

The upper reaches of the Tweed is a good example, trees used to line the banks where there is now sugar cane. Anyway the bag limits are now very small, only one in posession over about 37cm but don't pin me to that. They are also slow growing in the wild.

Thumps, to totally understand what Bass are all about, you really have to go and catch one for yourself, as I've already said, they are brave fighters. But they should be given a sporting chance, say 3kg line... They will also take some of your trout lures, Celtas work well and even though I don't fish fly, would give them a run. Might be difficult with the back cast in some situations though.

As for table quality. This is going to sound silly but I havn't had the heart to kill one for years and years, all my bass fishing is C&R, but I do believe they are average to good, especially if taken from salt water.

Good luck with it. Will guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Roz

[roz]

One more point, and I might have to run for cover (and I have said this in the past).

I think a nice little rainbow would make a good trolling bait for mackeral. ;D

Do you have a spare one in the freezer Thumps?

Mmmmm might take a drive up to Ebor.

cheers Roz

[Elysium]

I was not going to jump on the "trout are nothing like bass" bandwagon, but I feel the time has come.

They are nothing at all like bass...hell...trout are NOT even native to this country. Kill the lot of em.

Or at least, like roz said....use em for livebait!

[roz]

Ah Ha!!! A like minded person!

Thats exactly the way I feel about trout Elysium, good for you!

I think I would rig one up exactly the same as I do for tailor or slimies.

Interesting to see what would happen, you never know they might be good for something.

Roz

[ahoj]

Hi everyone
Bass is relatily tough meat fish but done underdone in lime juice on butter --hot pan- it has a character taste but not muddy-- filleted-skinned ---I like it
Being a wog that should not surprice you lol ;D ;D
Ahoj

[MikeC]

Good question , thumps, and one that I bet my family has asked when they've caught me rummaging through my lure boxes in the evenings!

One reason, I believe, for their popularity is that they appeal to the adventurer and explorer in us.[Jungle Perch and Sooties fall into that category too, from what I've read] Burke and Wills probably had the makings of good bass fishermen :)
The long-term presence of bass in a stream indicates a healthy stream. You won't find bass in concrete-lined drains and canals. They won't be there by choice, anyway, and never for long. First chance they get they'll be out of there, and should you follow them you'll inevitably wind up in some of the most beautiful countryside Australia has to offer. And maybe, like me, you'll learn to appreciate it more [not implying you don't already] And I guess they're there because they eat such a wide range of terrestrial creatures.

And I think that's what juicyfruit was getting at. When you fish for bass in a stream you look not only at the water but the surrounding vegetation . It's part of the package. Makes for a really full fishing experience and you make your lure or fly selection accordingly. I'm no expert on trout - or bass, for that matter - but I think it's safe to say bass are far less fussy eaters and that endears them to us because their natural aggression tends to override their caution.
Some of my most memorable bass fishing trips have been on small streams in my port-a-bote, hitting the water at 2.30 a.m. and casting surface lures out into the blackness and hoping to hear them land with a splash ;D On trips like that you locate fish with your ears as they feed. And when they smash something on the surface right next to the boat and shower you with spray it frightens the life out of you and you realise just how much alive it all makes you feel! What other fish does that?
And other great trips have been those spent scrambling along creek and river banks through the lantana, dodging snakes and spiders [ and marijuana growers] in the hope of catching a bass - ANY bass , because even a baby bass is a great reward. I can't believe those guys who disparagingly refer to the small ones they catch as 'rats'.
As for keeping them - how could I do that? Why would I tamper with the balance and future of a stream by killing them for food? I won't even keep them from a lake. The way I see it, every bass in the lakes is a potential escapee to the wild. My mate and I caught 67 one day at Moogerah, losing plenty more by the boat, and on the way home we bought fish and chips for the family. Tasted very good, too.
I'll never forget the time at Samsonvale when we towed back to the ramp a boat with a flat battery. That wasn't all we towed, coz hanging off the back of that boat was a fish bag with four five-pounders floating belly-up and all pink-skinned and bloated in the hot sun. What a miserable sight. They're better than that.
And I can't say I'm a fan of fishing light for them. A bass swimming around with a gobfull of trebles and a couple of metres of 2kg line doesn't do anyone any good. Today's lines give us good knot strength while still casting well. Personally I like a good quality braid of 5kg test at the very least. I've never seen the point of fighting them to an exhausted standstill. My fishing trips are just that - fishing trips, not ego trips.
Yeah I love 'em! I just can't see them as food and I just can't think of them as points on a scoreboard, either. But that's just me, I guess.

Regards,
Mike

[Fitzy]

Bass, pound for pound, are one of the best fighting fish on fins in Oz. In freshwater thier only rival would be a sooty, & then in the right conditions one might argue one way or the other. IMHO a 55cm bass will pull an 75 - 85 cm barra inside out & backwards!

Conservation ethics for bass was around long before any stocking of lakes & weirs had begun; this has carried over to the modern day bassers.
While there is no real nead for strict C & R in stocked lakes, the advent of pro-style comps has seen the C&R embossed upon these anglers & those that feel the need to keep up appearances. I've personally seen supposed "pro" bass anglers treat undersized bass with some distain & while still releasing them, the over hand throw the tiddler recieved has, in my mind, left no doubt that the fish is pelican poop within days.

Anyways, a large majority of anglers just love to go out & catch a few bass, just for the sheer joy of it all.

Cheers,

fitzy..

[Jeremy87]

Bass fishing is not for everyone, there are bigger fish out and there are also many pound for pound better fighters than bass (though occasionally they have fought up there with the best), they are an aggressive intelligent fish. When you've made about 100 casts for 0 results in territory that you need no other incentive to be there for but the photo oppertunities and you get nailed by a solid bass you'll know what i mean. It has to be lure casting though in my books. Soaking bait or trolling in open water doesn't have the same feel.

[roz]

Jeremy,

Will agree with you completely with Lure Casting for Bass.

YES!!! it leaves all other bass fishing methods for dead, Thumps, there is only one way a Bass takes a lure, and that is to slam it.

Now the pound for pound comparison.

In my view a mangrove Jack may just have the edge on the Australian bass. Thats the only fish IMO that compares.

Cheers Roz

[juicyfruit]

Roz,

For you incase ya missed it (damn this soap tastes bad, any better tasting soap then 'Solvo'?)




Sorry, I may have wrote what I was meaning wrongly (yes Al, it's a blonde thing)

When I likened a Bass fishing to Trout fishing, I was referring to the atmosphere, the surrounds that was describe to me in Bassace post.

.....also I should have gone on to say that….

......No matter the fish you chase (Bass, Marlin, Trout etc) there is a thrill of catching your targeted fish and there is a personal reason you find your targeted fish a thrill.

Ok, hoping that I didn't just make the dirty water into mud trying to clarify what I was meaning.

Don't think I had my usual morning quota of coffee this morning to make me function this arvo.

Juicy

[juicyfruit]

and all else

:P


When I likened a Bass fishing to Trout fishing, I was referring to the atmosphere, the surrounds that was describe to me in Bassace post.

*kisses*

Juicy

[thumps]

I dunno...you mainlanders!!!!!

Lure casting as opposed to bait soaking...geeeeeezzz!!!!!!

Being born and bought up in Tassie.....bait soaking was for catching flatties for a feed....

Nothing to catch 200 of the "fleas"...where I was bought up...(and I might add was acceptable)

Ask any "old" angler in any of the beach towns.."What’s biting"....and the answer will be....."No fish...just fleas"

Real fishermen and women....were those revered throwers of metal, feather and plastic...
those people everyone knew but talked about in hushed voices
Those pioneers that caught Southern Blues on a fly rod ....long before it became a fashion...even Mako's on fly weren’t a big thing.

Myself????....I learnt at an early age that real fishing was ...the preparation...the hunt...the presentation, the deception...and the fight (whether you won or lost wasn’t the issue)

Anyone could catch a fish on baits...but to trick a fish (fresh or saltwater...was an art)

To add into that the surrounds of true wilderness....or the tallest sea cliffs...or the wildest rivers...or even the newer Hydro electric dams (that have to take into account the inland angler...but that’s another story)...gives it a feeling of ONE with your surroundings.

Roz...I’m not talking about those "poofy" hatchery bred rainbows......I’m talking WILD BROWNS.....SILVER DEEP BODIED SEARUNNERS.....the kind of fish that slams your lure hard....runs like blazes on the right gear....and leaps better than any barra

I don’t know how much "Tassie" experience most people have had with trout...but.....you just can’t compare a real wild brown or a silver Sea runner that takes you into the backing 3 or four times….or pulls metres of line of a nicely balanced threadline…..with any other trout.


I guess my passion for these fish...is the same as those that fish Bass...I guess I’m just lucky..that I have been able to eat those fish that have instilled my passion.

[roz]

No Probs Juicy,

You're forgiven...... try lux.

Roz

[roz]

Thumps,

I see you are heavily bonded with your trout, but with a little time and some lure caught bass to your name, you will become as one eyed ;) as me about those mighty little battlers.

All the best

Roz

[roz]

I am serious about the trout/mackeral bait thingo ;D.

roz

[blaze]

I am understanding you thumps
Go the sea run trout you good thing.
We of the mainland state of Tasmania see the trout as near to native as most australians, after all they have been in tassie about that lenth of time and before some of the other little states were thought of.
We all so have Blackfish, eustaery perch, and a few other native species but most are sub 6" species
cheers
blaze

[roz]

Hi Blaze,

How are you going down there?

Was just wondering what are 'sea trout'?

I am assuming they are not like the rainbows/browns etc (the ones I think would make good mackeral Bait ;))

Regards Roz

[thumps]

i'll answer for Blaze...if thats ok


sea runners are a strain of Brown trout that spend nearly all of their time in saltwater.

when the original shipment of atlantic salmon was sent over...a small "contribution" of browns was also loaded onboard.

these consisted of a couple of strains...that were sourced from various localities.

of the original batch....reports vary from 6-14 of these browns survived to be held in the hatchery...and the next year..after a succesful spawn....47 odd fish were released into the Derwent river..near Hobart

these fish...are the originators of all the fish in Aus and NZ.....until shipments later in the 19th century.

the sea runners hold close to the coast..and unlike Salmon..dont rely on currents to return them to their place of birth.....hence why Salmon didnt take...but trout did.

not all of the fingerlings have a desire to go to sea...but if given the oppurtunity will do so....thats how alot of the Tassie rivers recieved their stockings....from sea runners moving around the coast.

they return to the rivers in two ways.....first to spawn...as older fish....anywhere between 2-10kg fish...and another "run"..that chases the abundant white bait shcools that spawn high in the rivers as well...these fish can be from 300gms upwards.

they are usually fat...fit...and silver in colour...and can be hard to tell apart from Atlantic Salmon


hope that helps ;)

[roz]

How do you fish for them?

How would they stand up against..say a tailor? in the Saltwater variety.

I have family down in Tassie, just incase I contemplated a trip down that way, would be tempted to have a go for them.

roz

[thumps]

How do you fish for them?

How would they stand up against..say a tailor? in the Saltwater variety.



usually the best months are the last month of the trout season.usually around April(breeding)....then straight at the start of the new season..August through to late Nov(whitebait)

i liked to fish a chrome slice in about a 10gm off the shoreline...on 2-4kg line

trolling works..in whitebait colours...(silver and green)..tassie devils are a preferred choice

wet fly casting to visibly cruising and eating fish....at times they plow the whitebait something shocking.

flicking unweighted prettyfish....and sandies....at night can be an exciting time as well.

the fish will cruise in as little water as they need to feed.

as for fighting ability.......pulls a tailor of the same size backwards...but then each fish fights different...some are all air...some go for the horizon...but all give a great battle

[roz]

2-4 kg is fairly light line, but in proportion if you are only casting 10gm slugs.

I didn't think to ask if you got tailor down there, anyway you must, or at least you've caught one before.

thanx for the info Thumps.

Now, do get yourself acquainted with Australian Bass. I'm not sure of their Northen range, but I'm sure you wouldn't have to travel very south.

Would be well worth the effort anyway.

Roz

[thumps]

2-4 kg is fairly light line, but in proportion if you are only casting 10gm slugs.

I didn't think to ask if you got tailor down there, anyway you must, or at least you've caught one before.

thanx for the info Thumps.


no big ugly reefs in most of the rivers...just keep the lure off the rocks on the bottom

i did most of my tailor fishing in NSW...very few down south...a few up north Tas

your welcome



cobia and macks are my next target ;)

[roz]

Good Luck & enjoy

roz

[Toppy]

Thumps, its all good mate!
I think the above captures most of what Bass are about, they are a beautiful native fish that is wide spread in our rivers & streams. It does fight well & is caught in scenic locations. This morning is a great example, at 4.30am I met a good mate of mine Flick Flack, at one of the local streams nearby. We were in a quiet little part of the world not yet totally destroyed by Gold Coast developers & we were all alone. We didnt need a boat just a couple of rods each & a few lures. So its a cheap option! The only noise in the background was of the water cascading down a small waterfall or an occasional moo from one of the cows in the paddock. Oh... it was so stressfull! After watching Rodrick catch a couple of bass & we photographed them I had spotted a tawney frogmouthed owl stuck on a barbed wire fence. we went over and unhooked it & watched it fly away. How cool!
So for me personally its the whole package, I've caught many different kinds of fish & been lucky to catch some of them in exotic locations around the world. Bass ar'nt barra or papuan black bass but their is something special about them! Go & have a crack for yourself I think you will be surprised.
Cheers
Toppy

[Canoedle]

Hah Toppy, that's a bit more info than your mate Rod was keen to let on ;)
I gotta say that Bass are one of my favorite eating fish, but I have always been partial to the slightly tougher gamier fish like flathead for instance, hell I even rate the humble dart as a good feed, but that's not the attraction to Bass for me, its the way they take a lure, cruising along in my canoe it's easy to forget that I even have a line out sometimes and then thwacko, these fish can really fight, don't torture yourself trying to bag a jack, get out on a river or empoundment and get a big bass, you will be as hooked as I am in no time.
I feel the same was about trout, can't understand the attraction and from what I have heard they don't fight half as much as a healthy Bass. :p