Black Bass in Somerset Dam????????

[Bruce Micheal]

Hi all

Just been talking to my father. He is a avid fisherman who frequents the upper reaches of Somerset Dam on a very regular basis.
He has caught and continues to catch yellowbelly, a few mary river cod, jew fish, spangled perch, bass, and tilapia.
He stated tonight he has caught some "black bass" on his recent trip. He got the name off of a couple of blokes fishing near the same area has he does. He has never caught these before.
He says they look a bit like a silver perch (same colouring and profile), but with bigger lips and big eyes?
I've done numerous searches on the net and have only come up with PNG black bass and the "American Bass"? I don't believe any of them are in Australian dams at the moment???
Has anyone got any ideas on what they could be. (I have got him to send me a photo of his next catch)

[Mike Delisser]

I'll go for a silver or tilapia

[Bruce Micheal]

Thanks Mike
I quizzed him on that but he defiantly knows what a tilapia and silver perch looks like. This is not them. From his description it sounds like a sooty grunter?????
They wouldn't be in Somerset though?????????

[MacDougall]

so they are black bass but have the same colouring and profile as a silver perch? so they're silver? but you said they look like a sooty grunter?

if they are silver and look a bit like silver perch then they could be bony bream?

[bennykenny]

wouldnt be a barcoo grunter would it??
description sounds like it.

[Gordie]

Most likely the Tilapia, we have about 5 per square metre in the dam. There are 2 different varieties both have a broad paddle tail and both have a dorsal fin that starts above the gill and is continuous nearly to the tail. Both have fat lips.
There are some colour variations within both of these but both are generally dark to black with broad spots showing on the lighter ones.
You will see them on the fisheries web site under pest fish.

Gordon

[39NESP]

Most likely the Tilapia, we have about 5 per square metre in the dam. There are 2 different varieties both have a broad paddle tail and both have a dorsal fin that starts above the gill and is continuous nearly to the tail. Both have fat lips.
There are some colour variations within both of these but both are generally dark to black with broad spots showing on the lighter ones.
You will see them on the fisheries web site under pest fish.

Gordon

Gordon i was up the dom a month ago and targeted tilapia and couldn't catch one decent one any where any clues where to go
cheers snap

[Luc]

Best solution would be to get some photos.

[Gordie]

Go up into some of the bays where you only have 1 to 3M of water and search these with worms. Good luck.

Gordon

[39NESP]

Go up into some of the bays where you only have 1 to 3M of water and search these with worms. Good luck.

Gordon

HI GORDON
is that up the northern end towards kilcoy
cheers snap

[Bruce Micheal]

Yep. I think I'll have to get some picies off of him.
He catches Tilapia all the time and recons they're not bad eating?
I have had numerous looks at the fisheries web site and can't find any info on what he is trying to describe.

Thanks for all the replies.
When I get a photo, I'll put it up on the forum.

Cheers
Bruce.

[Dan5]

Are there any Mangrove Jack in this dam by any chance?.........could be worth looking into.

Dan

[aussiebasser]

There have been no stockings of Mangrove Jacks, PNG Black Bass or American Large Mouth Bass into Lake Somerset. We stock, Silver Perch, Golden Perch, Australian Bass and Mary River Cod. A few cod have been caught up the Stanley. There are Tilapia and now some Pearl Cichlids there. It is not possible to identify a fish without a photo.

[Fitzy]

Hi Bruce,

It is very important we get a picture of these fish. Can you please let me know if/when your friend catches another one. Even if he can go into town and get someone to take a picture for him, or better yet, get the fish into a freezer so we can organize a collection for a positive ID.

Sounding very much like Sooty Grunter to me, they go like freight trains and are agro buggers. But not good news for SEQ waterways.

Many thanks.

Fitzy..

[Luc]

Hi Fitzy,

Re "Sounding very much like Sooty Grunter to me, they go like freight trains and are agro buggers. But not good news for SEQ waterways"

Can you explain? Is it because as they can breed in freshwater they have the potential to over run the stocked fish?
I'd also assumed that the water may be too cold for them.

Luc