Australian bass and Estuary perch season opens
Now that the big girls have bred in the lower reaches, the Aussie bass and Estuary perch fishing is back onFishing Advice: Australian Bass and Estuary Perch season opens
Now that the big girls have bred in the lower reaches, the fishing season for bass and Estuary perch is back on
The three-month fishing closure for Australian Bass and Estuary Perch ends today (Friday September 1), allowing anglers to get back to targeting some of Australia’s great native sportsfish. This is the case for NSW and Queensland waters.
Department of Primary Industries (DPI) NSW Senior Recreational Fisheries Manager, Cameron Westaway, said the annual zero bag limit for Australian Bass and Estuary Perch aims to protect these species during spawning.
"Over late autumn and early winter, Australian Bass and Estuary Perch form schools and migrate to parts of estuaries with the correct salinity, to trigger spawning," Mr Westaway said.
"When they are in these large groups they can be vulnerable to fishing, so a zero bag limit applies to these fish from 1 June to 1 September each year."
Mr Westaway said the spawning period for Australian Bass and Estuary Perch is finished at the end of winter, with most returning to their spring and summer feeding ground higher up in the catchment.
"From 1 September, anglers can once again take these native species, however they are reminded that strict bag limits do apply," Mr Westaway said.
"The total bag limit of two Australian Bass or Estuary Perch per person or a combination of both with a possession limit of four will be in place [in NSW].
"Only one fish is permitted to be over 35 centimetres in length when fishing in rivers [in NSW]."
In Queensland, the minimum size is 30cm and the possession limit is 2 fish. More on
Australian bass fishing in Queensland.
Download the NSW Freshwater Fishing Guide here.
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