Australian Bass
The Australian bass is one of the country's most loved native sportfish, a hard-hitting predator of the coastal rivers, estuaries and impoundments. Famous for smashing surface lures at first and last light, the bass is pure adrenaline on light tackle.
About the Australian bass
Australian bass are a native perch, dark bronze to olive above with a compact, powerful build. They live in the freshwater and tidal reaches of coastal rivers and estuaries, holding tight to snags, rock bars and weed edges, and they migrate downstream to the brackish estuary reaches to spawn in the cooler months. Pound for pound, few fish pull harder.
They are found through NSW systems like the Hawkesbury-Nepean, Shoalhaven and Clarence, and are prized as a lure-casting target rather than a table fish. The explosive surface strike is the whole appeal, which is why most bass are treated as catch and release to protect the fishery. Note bass sit at the freshwater and estuary end of this guide rather than the offshore species Wahoo runs day charters for.
Australian Bass at a glance
| Name | Australian Bass |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Bass, Perch |
| Scientific name | Macquaria novemaculeata |
| Best season in NSW | Sep–Apr |
| Habitat | Freshwater rivers, estuaries, impoundments |
| Where found in NSW | Hawkesbury-Nepean, Shoalhaven, Clarence |
| Size and bag limits | Closed season may apply, check current NSW rules |
| Average size | 25–45cm |
| Max size | 60cm+ |
| Fishing method | Casting lures, surface lures, live bait |
| Best bait / lure | Surface lures, crankbaits, soft plastics |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Eating quality | Good |
| Taste | Mild, firm white flesh |
| Recipe ideas | Pan fried, baked fillets |
Casting lures to the snags
Bass are a lure-caster's fish, hunted tight to structure in the rivers and estuary reaches they call home.
The proven methods
The classic bass approach is casting lures to structure, surface lures worked over snags and weed at dawn and dusk for that explosive topwater strike, then crankbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastics dug in deeper through the heat of the day. Live baits like shrimp and cicadas also account for plenty of fish. Accurate casts tight to the timber and rock bars are the key, and most anglers release their bass to keep the fishery healthy.
Where to chase them
Australian bass are a freshwater and estuary species of the coastal river systems, so they sit outside the game, reef and harbour charters Wahoo runs on Sydney Harbour and offshore. If it is the saltwater estuary sportfish you are after, flathead, bream and the rest, a light-tackle harbour session is the way to get among them with us. Keen to cast lures on light gear around Sydney Harbour? Ask us about a Sydney sport fishing charter.
Other Estuary fish
Bluespotted Flathead
Bluespotted Flathead (Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus): a common Sydney harbour and estuary flathead. Season, size, bag limits, methods and eating quality off Sydney.
Dusky Flathead
Dusky Flathead (Platycephalus fuscus): the Sydney estuary staple. Season, size, bag limits, methods and eating quality, plus how to catch them around Sydney Harbour.
Flounder
Flounder (Bothidae spp.): a well-camouflaged NSW estuary flatfish. Season, size, bag limits, methods and eating quality, plus how to catch them around Sydney.
Yellowfin Bream
Yellowfin Bream (Acanthopagrus australis): a cagey Sydney harbour and estuary favourite. Season, size, bag limits, methods and eating quality off Sydney.
Prefer a day on the salt?
Bass are a native river fish, but Sydney Harbour is loaded with hard-fighting saltwater sportfish. Tell us your dates and crew and we will get you casting light around the harbour, all gear supplied. Browse the full species guide, or get among them on our sport and reef charters.