5 top tips for catching estuary perch

Estuary perch, or EPs as they're more affectionately known, are often confused with another closely related iconic Australian sports fish, the Australian bass – they share the same family and genus.

Both EPs and bass inhabit similar areas, so often the only way to tell them apart is via careful observation.

The estuary perch has a concave head profile, like a barramundi, while the bass does not. To make things even more difficult they can hybridise, making identification a lottery.

Estuary perch can be difficult to target as they like to hold tight to structure, so having a boat is key to improving your chances of catching one as you can cast towards where the fish are holding.

Fibreglass bream and bass competition boats are ideal, with designs that offer a wide and unimpeded casting platform and a hull that is relatively quiet on the water.

The humble tinnie can also be a great fishing platform but can be noisy, startling the fish.

Estuary perch generally are found most of the year in the upper reaches of estuaries but venture to the lower reaches in the winter months to spawn.

They tend to hang around structure in decent numbers, giving you the chance to catch multiple fish.

Look for areas such as trees that have fallen into the water, bridges and bridge pylons, rock walls, cliffs, and weed beds.

Some of the biggest EPs I have seen and caught came from the south coast of NSW in areas with scattered rock and weed beds in between – I remember some good stitch-ups by big fish.

Look for those far reaches, and rivers that are difficult to access, as it should be easier to find quality fish in these systems.

EPs will readily take a variety of lures depending on the areas and structure you are fishing. If you are fishing a rock wall, a lightly weighted soft plastic like a curl tail grub will often work magnificently, although using just the right amount of weight for the jig head is crucial.

Similarly, a small vibe will also be devastating.

Another sure-fire method is casting hardbodies lures at structure. A diving lure that floats, such as the Atomic Crank, will help avoid the lure becoming snagged on tree branches – if you feel the lure hit a branch, stop the retrieve and allow the lure to float over it.

The most spectacular way to target EPs is with surface lures cast right next to the structure – even if you're 30cm or so off it will not be close enough.

Lures such as the Bassday SugaPen are great for this style of fishing, and there is nothing like watching the wild spray of water as an EP lunges at its target.

If bait is more your go-to, try live prawns or shrimp pinned lightly on a hook and floating down to structure. Saltwater yabbies will also work but again they must be alive – not many perch fall to a dead bait.

EPs will eat all throughout the day. They do tend to hug structure at these times, so fish as closely as you can to it.

Stealth also is key. Don't go in guns blazing and making heaps of noise in the boat, as the fish will easily spook. Approach structure quietly using the electric trolling motor and stay as far as you can while still being able to reach the structure.

EPs have huge eyes and will feed at night. They will be more likely to hit surface lures as darkness falls, so use the daylight hours to set yourself adjacent to a weed bed and you may be surprised as the sun sets.

EPs are not what you would call a dirty fighter, but bigger fish can run you around rocks and sunken trees.

It won't help that you're also likely to be casting right into the worst structure imaginable.

Generally, bream gear is ample. A 7.0-foot spin rod in the 1-3kg or 2-4kg category will suffice.

In terms of line, I use anywhere from 4-10lb braid. The lighter braid is incredibly thin, and even at the upper end is still light enough to cast small lures. The heavier line also gives you, at times, crucial stopping power on bigger fish.

Lures such as small plastics in curl tail, jerk minnow and prawn patterns are dynamite, with anything up to about 4.0 inches a goer.

In the hardbodies, small bibbed jerk baits and crankbaits should work best, and don’t forget the small vibes.

For surface lures, long slender ones up to about 80-100mm will work. I prefer lures with a small cupped or curved face rather than large open-faced poppers.

Some anglers believe that releasing fish back into the water as you catch them can spook the school. While some anglers swear by this rule, I’m not sure it is a tried and tested theory.

However, if you are at all worried about spooking other fish, place legal-sized fish in a live well to keep them healthy so you can release them when ready to move on to the next spot.

Always check local size and possession limits before chasing any EPs, particularly if you plan on keeping them in a live well, and good luck.