Our much-loved Australian bass can be caught in a range of environments, but to many bass die-hards, they are at their best in small, skinny streams. These places are the domain of the land-based angler with a sense of adventure.

European carp have a bad wrap in this country, and there are good reasons for that. Since their introduction to Australian waterways in the 1960s, their numbers have exploded and this has had lasting ecological effects. 

For many anglers, estuary perch (or EPs as they are often known) are something of an enigma – a kind of ghost of the estuary. While similar and even identical in many ways to their better known cousins, the Australian bass, they possess their own quirks that set them apart.

Trout, both brown and rainbow, are often associated with old men in Tweed jackets smoking wooden pipes and casting fly gear more expensive than the family car. Sure, in some parts of the world this is still true, and you may be forgiven for thinking this is the only way to catch trout in streams. 

The nice thing about bass fishing in stocked impoundments is that we don’t have to stop fishing for them during the cooler months. While these fish still get the urge to breed, they’re inability to access saltwater means they can’t successfully complete their life cycle. 

Sooty grunter are the bandits of the northern freshwater. Their willingness to attack lures, and tendency to hang out in groups make them a much-loved sportfish for visiting southern anglers, however they possibly don’t get the recognition they deserve from local anglers. Their abundance and aggressive nature can make them seem too little of a challenge to some, but with appropriate tackle they are as good as anything!

Love them or hate them, English perch or redfin are here to stay, and anglers may as well enjoy these sporting and great tasting fish. Introduced for angling purposes in Australia in the 1800s, refin now dominate many freshwater fisheries in the southern half of Australia. 

Catching fish on surface presentations is the pinnacle when fishing for most species, and the humble Aussie bass is no different. When the barometer rises above 1020 and the insect activity picks up, you can bet bass will be looking up for their next meal.

Saratoga, either the southern or gulf variety, are one of those species that sit on anglers’ bucket list for years. Given their limited range, they’re not available to everyone, meaning many have to travel in order to lock horns with these prehistoric leapers.

Fishing with jerkbaits is another one of those techniques from the US that somehow made it across the ditch and was let loose in the hands of Aussie bass anglers. For almost two decades, most tournament anglers have included a range of long, slender hardbodied lures in their box of tricks.

Yellowbelly, yellas, golden perch, or callop (to our South Australians) are a great sportfish of the west. Being receptive to a wide variety of techniques, including bait, makes them prized as a sporting proposition alone.

Like them or not, introduced trout species from North America and Europe are here to stay, and these days they are fairly widespread in our southern regions. NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and even Western Australia have good populations of both brown and rainbow trout.