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Scientific Name
Macquaria novemaculeata
Other Common Names
Freshwater perch, eastern freshwater perch, small mouth perch, perch.
Size
To 4 Kg usually up to 1 Kg. Bass have very variable growth rates depending
upon available food.
Conservation Status
Potentially threatened
Habitat
Often found far upstream in freshwater. Prefers cover such as instream
debris, fallen timber or rocky outcrops. May be found in all types of
water from still pools to fast running streams.
Distribution In East Gippsland
Coastal rivers and streams along the East Gippsland coast.
Most prolific in the waters of streams in Far Eastern Gippsland.
Recent research has confirmed that Australian bass have two gene pools
in East Gippsland - : From the Snowy River catchment to the East, and
the Gippsland lakes catchment.
History
Numbers are much reduced throughout much of its range and bass have been
severely effected by the regulation of many of the rivers in its range.
In particular dams and weirs prevent breeding related up and downstream
migration of bass resulting in land-locked populations unable to spawn
and much smaller populations below the obstructions due to limited habitat.
Often confused with estuary perch, which has an overlapping range, bass
may be differentiated from estuary perch by white edges to anal and pelvic
fins, and a relatively smaller mouth. Except during breeding season,
bass are found higher in the system than estuary perch, in the fresh
water. Estuaries are not caught in freshwater in East Gippsland.
Reproduction
Bass start to migrate into estuaries for breeding n mid to late Winter.
It is thought that the high flows and weather conditions trigger this
migration. Cold and dry weather will delay the start of spawning season.
They do not reproduce during drought. Migration of female from freshwater
to the brackish spawn zone is dependent on flooding. This migration
occurs mid June and the fish return to fresh water during mid August
to mid October. A depth greater than 20cm and a velocity less than
one meter per second is thought to be suitable for passage of adults.
Once in the salty water the males congregate in large schools. Females
are not found in such large groups. Females may produce several hundred
thousand eggs (Ave. 440,000) which are small (about 1 mm when water hardened),
non-adhesive and free floating.
Newly hatched larvae are quite small, around 2.5 mm, and start to feed
when about three days old. After around a month and a half, the fry begin
to school up, although the schools appear to break up during feeding.
Pigmentation develops at around three months of age when the fish are
about 20 mm in length.
After a currently unknown amount of time in the estuary, the juvenile
fish begin to migrate up into the fresh water. Juvenile bass between
25 and 50 mm in length have been found in freshwater at the end of November.
Diet
Australian bass have a varied diet including insects from the water's
surface, and other organisms from the entire water column and the bottom
including aquatic insects, shrimps and other freshwater crustacean, tadpoles
and small fish. In salt water they feed on various crustaceans including
prawns and small crabs, worms and fish.
Angling
One of Australia's most truly outstanding freshwater sports fish, bass
respond to all methods of angling. Australian bass are the native fisherman's
answer to trout. Bass will respond to angling methods used by trout fishermen
and will easily outfight trout of a similar size, as well as being better
adapted to Australian conditions (funny about that...). This species
is now becoming extremely popular amongst the angling community especially
in inland dams where it is stocked by fishery departments and local angling
groups.
Native Fish Australia strongly encourages the use of only catch and release
fishing when targeting bass in its native streams. In stocked dams, however,
bass fishing for the table within the legal bag and size limits is supported
and encouraged.
Most bass specialist use small to medium sized cast floating lures, although
trolling is effective at times. Surface lures are especially effective
on bass, although a degree of finesse is usually required. With all lures,
when fishing for bass, it is usually best to allow the lure to float
on the surface for some time before beginning the retrieve. Occasionally
pausing during the retrieve is also often effective.
On the other hand, one NFA member, fishing the Border Bass Challenge
had a small bass chase a surface lure all the way across a pool, repeatedly
striking at it but not connecting until finally he stopped retrieving
the lure right at his feet, whereupon the fish swallowed the lure!
Fly is effective in many areas, but the best natural bass waters are
often heavily over grown and a degree of skill is required if one is
not to become hopelessly tangled in the overhanging vegetation.
In many waters, especially those nearest to population areas, bass can
be easily spooked so subdued clothing is the order of the day and great
care must be taken to be quiet.
Many bass fishermen use, depending upon the size of the water, either
a "pointy punt" with an electric motor or a canoe when fishing
for bass. Both of these options allow for the quiet approach needed when
fishing for wily bass.
Bass are great fun to catch and often hit hard and fight hard, they
are very strong and a fast fish through the water. Any angler's first
large
bass will be remembered for a lifetime.
Some of the best bass fishing to be had anywhere is in the remote areas
near the New South Wales/Victorian border. Fishing these areas often
requires a serious amount of walking through rugged bushland in narrow
steep valleys or canoe trips of several days duration and is not for
the faint hearted. The effort is worth it, though, in finding wonderful
clear unspoilt streams and pools surrounded by the most spectacular
scenery not to mention the most ferocious monster bass!
In the aquarium
A very attractive often bronze coloured fish, bass adapt very quickly
and well to life in the aquarium. However, like many larger fish, individual
bass should be kept in tanks of their own.
Can be trained to take fish strips from the hand, but their diet should
be supplemented with live food like insects such as beetles and moths,
earthworms (particularly scrub worms), and when available freshwater
shrimp and small yabbies.
These fish become very interactive with their carer and make great
aquarium specimens. Bass will do best in a medium to large sized tank
and are
also ideally suited to large ponds and farm dams.
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