Australian Bass
By Dave Seaman – Berkley Pro-Staffer
The Australian bass is a popular freshwater sport fish, native to the coastal rivers and streams of eastern Australia. Bass fishing described in a word is cathartic. The rivers and streams where the fish can be found are often clear, scenic and remote, away from crowds and the noise of society. The experience is a mix of anticipation, excitement and hope, hope that your time on the water will surrender, at least, a few of these hard fighting iconic Australian natives.
At 53cm fork length (56cm overall) this bass could be a fish of a lifetime for some anglers.
Caught on a shrimp pattern BERKLEY GULP Turbo Shrimp.
Powerbait and Gulp plastics are ideal bass baits. Teamed with the Owner Flashy Swimmer, you have covered 80% of your bassing needs.
There is an arsenal of tackle available to the bass angler, much of which becomes favourites or go-to gear whenever you’re on the water. Knowing what to take on any given session depends on the time of day and season you fish. Early season, from September to November, the fish look to be putting on condition after their successful winter spawning in the brackish reaches of the river. They move back up the rivers in loose schools and disperse to deep holes and cover as they go.
Shrimp and small fish are the most common forage for the bass and as the water warms, the abundance of food grows. Imitating the food source with shrimp and minnow pattern lures is the perfect way to get the bass involved with your fishing session.
BERKLEY GULP! 2in shrimp has been a favourite, and go-to, lure of mine for years. The profile and size are perfect and whether fished in deep water or the flow of the rapids they are one of the most effective lures I know. Rigged on a Nitro Estuary Pro 1/24oz No1 jig head the lures can be cast and allowed to sink through the water column to the bottom, where it can be drifted or hopped across the riverbed.
*The Berkley 2in Shrimp doing its job from a rapid overhang.
*Hidden in cover or deep water the bass are an ambush predator and king of the river.
Berkley Gulp 2.5in Grubs too are a tempting lure when rigged weedless and cast into the twisted riverside snags where the fish are waiting to snatch any passing food or imitation. Rigged on a standard jig head the grubs can be fished like the shrimp, hopped in deep water or along the weed beds that provide ambush for the bass. The depth of water and the water flow will determine the best jig head weight. Jig heads of 1/16 – 1/8oz may be needed to fish deeper holes, effectively, with either Powerbait minnows or craws.
The Powerbait Craws have a unique action when retrieved with a steady wind. The claws wave in tandem and often individually depending on the rhythm from the start of the retrieve. Both actions will draw the bass to follow the lure and with occasional pauses, get them to strike.
As the light starts to drain from the sky, attentions to surface fishing heightens expectations. The best fishing is generally on the new moon cycle where the sky is at its darkest and the river at its creepiest.
*Berkley Choppo in action. It’s no wonder the bass love them.
Surface lures add an element of excitement to bass fishing that is, perhaps, the greatest experience you can have. The Berkley CHOPPO is a lure that brings both the visuals and sounds to every cast. The sound and disturbance these lures make is a bass dinner bell. They leave a bubble trace the fish can home in on and with regular pauses allows the fish to catch up and ponder the strike.
With a diverse range of colours, the Berkley Choppo is perfect for all weather and water conditions. The sound, the bubble trail and the eventual boof off the top make the Berkley Choppo a must have for every serious bass fisho, whether it’s low light or blinding darkness.
*It is the night that brings out the big fish and the opportunity for a PB.
*Late afternoon and the Berkley Choppo is set to hunt mode.
The Berkley Choppo is an audible lure and can be heard working on the darkest of nights when you’re robbed of your sight and allows you to detect/hear any weed fouling. The first and last light of the day is when the visuals happen, and the Berkley CHOPPO offers the most exciting fishing. Long casts to the shoreline snags or parallel to weed beds and worked with pauses it can be the most effective surface lure.
Berkley Extras:
- Pro-Tech SLURP 85mm – a subtle walk-the-dog retrieve style.
- Berkley GULP Nemesis in 3in looks like elver (baby eels) and can be very effective during early season fishing.
- Owner Flashy Swimmer adds the bling to minnows and GULP grub lures and are an ideal search baits for long casts in expansive waters.
- A common method of measuring bass is with their mouth shut and to the fork of the tail – Fork length. The other is to measure to the tip of the tail which can be manipulated by pinching the tail fin together. Purists prefer FL. Any fish of 50cm FL or over are considered trophy fish.
