Australian Bass
Percalates novemaculeata
Australian Bass (Percalates novemaculeata) is a native eastern Australian perch found mainly in cool forest streams, rivers, and impoundments, with some populations moving downstream to estuaries to spawn. It is a popular sportfish, especially on lures, and is closely managed because many rivers support stocked and regulated populations.
Identification points
- Olive-bronze to silvery body with a deeper perch-like shape
- Nine dark vertical bars or blotches on the flanks, especially in juveniles
- Two-part dorsal fin with a spiny front section and soft-rayed rear section
Habitat
Shaded freshwater streams and rivers with pools, snags, undercut banks, boulders, and riffle-to-pool transitions; also dams and impoundments in eastern Australia. Some populations are catadromous, using lower estuaries and tidal reaches for spawning migrations.
Bait notes
Live shrimp/prawns, yabbies, worms, and small gudgeon or live baitfish all work; soft plastics, bibless minnows, small hardbodies, and surface lures are effective. Natural colors suit clear water, while darker or louder lures help in stained water.
Behavior
A crepuscular to nocturnal ambush predator that eats insects, crustaceans, worms, shrimp, and small fish. Feeding activity often peaks at dusk, night, and during overcast or high-flow conditions, especially around structure and current breaks.
Caution
Handle carefully because the spiny dorsal fin can prick; many waterways have strict closed seasons, minimum sizes, or catch-and-release rules for Australian Bass. Check local regulations before fishing or keeping fish.
Fishing notes
Fish tight to timber, rock ledges, submerged banks, and eddies; cast upstream or parallel to cover and work lures slowly with pauses. Best results often come at low light, after rain, and in spring-summer migration/spawning periods; observe seasonal closures and size/bag limits where they apply.