<TABLE style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" id=table1 class=med border=0 cellPadding=10 width=400><TBODY><TR><TD>Bass Fishing in Australia
<TABLE style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" id=table1 class=med border=0 cellPadding=10 width=400><TBODY><TR><TD>Best Lures for Bass - The Perfectly Packed Tackle BoxBy Bob Ives
If you are looking for some fishing that sure to provide some heart stopping moments, bass fishing in Australia will definitely fill the bill. Bass are a lot of fun to catch because they put up such a good fight and they are a very smart fish. In fact, they can often outsmart even good anglers.
Not only are these fish very strong, but they can also come in vary big packages, ranging from a pound (1kg) or two all the way up to 9 (4kg) or 10 pounds. Trophy bass can even be caught a bit larger than that. And, don’t be fooled; a two pound bass can give you a hefty fight. An 8 or 10 pounder can keep you smiling for years.
Australian bass are most often found in freshwater and brackish water and are mostly found in the southeastern portion of Australia in coastal rivers and streams along the Eastern seaboard from Tin Can Bay and the Mary River system in the southern central Queensland, south through New South Wales and to the Gippsland Lakes of eastern Victoria eastern Victoria. Thanks to stocking and good management systems, this is an ever increasing area.
Bass can be found around rocks, weed beds, water lily gardens, debris and fallen timber in running streams as well as still water pools. They tend to be more inclined towards hiding in cover in the daytime and clear water during the night. Try them sometime during a full moon!
Fishermen in Australia are able to catch them using most fishing methods, even those used for trout in other areas. Popular bass fishing methods include, floating lures and top water fishing, trolling and even fly fishing. Angling is done via wading, canoes, bank fishing or small boats and motors.
Not only are these fish very strong, but they can also come in vary big packages, ranging from a pound (1kg) or two all the way up to 9 (4kg) or 10 pounds. Trophy bass can even be caught a bit larger than that. And, don’t be fooled; a two pound bass can give you a hefty fight. An 8 or 10 pounder can keep you smiling for years.
Australian bass are most often found in freshwater and brackish water and are mostly found in the southeastern portion of Australia in coastal rivers and streams along the Eastern seaboard from Tin Can Bay and the Mary River system in the southern central Queensland, south through New South Wales and to the Gippsland Lakes of eastern Victoria eastern Victoria. Thanks to stocking and good management systems, this is an ever increasing area.
Bass can be found around rocks, weed beds, water lily gardens, debris and fallen timber in running streams as well as still water pools. They tend to be more inclined towards hiding in cover in the daytime and clear water during the night. Try them sometime during a full moon!
Fishermen in Australia are able to catch them using most fishing methods, even those used for trout in other areas. Popular bass fishing methods include, floating lures and top water fishing, trolling and even fly fishing. Angling is done via wading, canoes, bank fishing or small boats and motors.
You might consider a bass to be knight in shining armor in the sense that it is covered with protective scales. These must be removed if you decide to dine on one. Their tales are usually dark, and the body colors differ slightly from fish to fish. Some have bright coppery-gold on the back and silvery belly, some have black on the back, with dark bronze or gold flanks and a creamy belly tinged with yellow, and some are a silver color all over with a silver/greenish upper back. All of them have big eyes, big lips and large mouths. Bass are very good for eating. Try them fried, baked, broiled or grilled on foil. Again, be sure to get the scales off of them or you will not be happy with your meal. One good way to do this is to take the back of a knife and run it along the bass from tail to head. The scales will come flying off and you can then clean it as you would any other fish. An easier way is just to filet them and you won’t have to worry about the scales at all.
So, if you want a an experience that will get your adrenaline flowing, your heart pounding and challenge your skills against one of nature’s fascinating predatory creatures, grab hold of your fishing gear and a couple of top water lures and head out for some freshwater bass fishing in Australia.
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Australia bass fishing is one of the most exciting, invigorating types of fishing in the world. There’s a lot more to it than just throwing a bait out and hoping it will get bit. You have to be able to outsmart the bass. They’re on to you, and if you don’t make your presentation correctly you may miss a lot of them before you even get a good look at one; particularly in heavily fished areas. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to stock your tackle box and become familiar with the best bass fishing lures for bass fishing.
To Catch Bass, You Must Think Like A Bass
That’s the goal: Learn what forage is in the fish’s habitat. If there are a lot of bait fish, you need a lure that resembles a bait fish; maybe a perch or a minnow (Rapala is a good brand for these). If there are crayfish, you might try a lure that looks like a crawdad or a shrimp. Any lizards? Try a plastic bait that looks like one of those.
So you have a lot of options, you just have to know the water where you are fishing. If the water is clear, try a top water bait; plugs, poppers, fizzers (makes a buzzing noise), paddlers, flies or frogs. Or try a wobbly crank bait just under the surface.
Top Water Baits/Surface Lures
Maybe the most popular of all bass fishing lures in Australia is the surface lure. To be sure, this may also be the most exciting way to land a lunker. Catching a bass will get your blood flowing anyway, but watching a surface explosion as an angry bass attacks your lure is a real heart stopper. Sometimes they will come straight out of the water and it seems as though they sound just like a freight train.
There are many ways to work a top water bait, and every way should be tried until you start catching fish. Some baits should be cast out and reeled in steadily, some should be allowed to sit for a few seconds then brought in some more, some should be ‘popped’ all the way back in. Popping is a method of jerking the bait to cause a commotion in the water, and doing this either steadily all the way in, or as before, with frequent pauses.
Plastic Baits/Lures
Australia bass fishing with plastic baits is not as popular as using surface lures, but should be explored. Plastics (they look and feel more like rubber) require good technique because you really have to move a plastic bait in a fashion that resembles the real-life action of a worm, lizard, crayfish or water you are using. These are mostly used with light weights to get them down near the bottom, and then inched in slowly with pauses. I recommend you experiment with weightless Flukes and Senkos. You can thank me later.
Spinner Baits and Crank Baits
Spinner baits have flashy spinners, or blades, attached that ‘spin’ around as you reel them in. There’s a lot of debate on exactly what they are supposed to resemble, but whatever it is, they work. These are especially good in the morning and cloudy windy days.
Crank baits get their name because you ‘crank’ them in with your reel. These come in every shape and color you can imagine, and usually resemble bait fish. Many anglers love them and use them all the time. There are shallow, medium and deep divers, and they are all great for covering a lot of water quickly while searching for bass.
Whatever bass fishing lure you decide is your favorite, every tackle box should include something to cover all three of the above mentioned water columns. So, maybe you would like some plugs or poppers for surface fishing, a crank bait or spinner bait for the middle column, and a bag of plastic worms and some jig heads to cover the bottom. Loaded up with these tools, you’ll have the perfectly packed tackle box and you’re likely to be the winner in the Australia bass fishing game.
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<TABLE style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" id=table1 class=med border=0 cellPadding=10 width=400><TBODY><TR><TD>Bass Fishing Tackle
The early days of bass fishing involved a very simple setup; a cane pole, a hook and line and some kind of live bait, anything from live bugs to minnows. But, it’s a little more sophisticated today, and a lot more productive. Modern bass fishing tackle usually includes closed-face spincasters, open face spinning rods and reels, and baitcasters, but may can fly fishing gear.
Spincasters
Spincasters
The spincaster is by far the easiest to learn and use. It rarely ever allows the line to get tangled up on the cast, but it doesn’t have the casting distance the others have, or the power to haul in a large Australian bass. It has a ‘closed’ face, which keeps the line on the reel. This reduces ‘bird’s nests’, a term used for the big wad of tangled line you get in front of your reel when you make a bad cast or the wind gets it. Most of these reels use 10 to 20 pound weight lines and are great for beginners.
Open Face Spinning Reels
Open Face Spinning Reels
The open face spinning reel is probably the next easiest to learn and is used primarily for lighter types of fishing, a form called finesse fishing. This is the art of using lighter tackle and smaller baits in an attempt to entice stubborn bass to bite.
The line ‘free-spools’ off the reel in a clockwise manner and because there is no resistance, you can cast your bait a great distance. Additionally, you would typically use a fairly, or even very light line on a spinning reel. For bass, you would use anywhere from 6 to 12 pound test monofilament line.
The cast is usually controlled by the index finger which is used to release the line and as a brake to end the cast. These setups are easier to cast in the wind than baitcasters are. Smaller Australian bass are easily handled with this rig.
Baitcasters
The line ‘free-spools’ off the reel in a clockwise manner and because there is no resistance, you can cast your bait a great distance. Additionally, you would typically use a fairly, or even very light line on a spinning reel. For bass, you would use anywhere from 6 to 12 pound test monofilament line.
The cast is usually controlled by the index finger which is used to release the line and as a brake to end the cast. These setups are easier to cast in the wind than baitcasters are. Smaller Australian bass are easily handled with this rig.
Baitcasters
The baitcaster is definitely the most difficult to learn, but many veteran bass fishermen swear by it, and for good reason. With a good name brand reel, like Shamano, you can cast a country mile and you have plenty of fighting power to muscle a determined bass into your boat.
The fishing line spools off of the baitcaster straight out from the angler. The better baitcasters have a very ‘free’ spool, meaning that it is loose enough to allow the line to flow freely for a good distance. The cast is controlled by the thumb, which acts as a brake to make the bait land where you want it; hopefully causing a soft landing in the water.
One of the main tricks to them is to learn how to adjust the settings; the brakes and the amount of free rotation of the spool. You can use a much heavier line with baitcasters than you can with spinning reels. Normally with a baitcaster you would use fishing line in the 10 to 20 pound range. Some anglers like monofilament, others prefer a good braided line, which is useful for resisting nicks and breaks-offs around a lot of cover.
Braids allow you to use a much heavier strength line but keep a much thinner diameter. For example, a 50 pound test braid may have a diameter which is smaller than a monofilament 10 pound test. This allows for greater casting distance and less line for the bass to see.
Bass Fishing Rods
The fishing line spools off of the baitcaster straight out from the angler. The better baitcasters have a very ‘free’ spool, meaning that it is loose enough to allow the line to flow freely for a good distance. The cast is controlled by the thumb, which acts as a brake to make the bait land where you want it; hopefully causing a soft landing in the water.
One of the main tricks to them is to learn how to adjust the settings; the brakes and the amount of free rotation of the spool. You can use a much heavier line with baitcasters than you can with spinning reels. Normally with a baitcaster you would use fishing line in the 10 to 20 pound range. Some anglers like monofilament, others prefer a good braided line, which is useful for resisting nicks and breaks-offs around a lot of cover.
Braids allow you to use a much heavier strength line but keep a much thinner diameter. For example, a 50 pound test braid may have a diameter which is smaller than a monofilament 10 pound test. This allows for greater casting distance and less line for the bass to see.
Bass Fishing Rods
Bass fishing rods are mostly made fiberglass or graphite. It’s a matter of preference, and each one can serve a different purpose. However, the consensus of most angers for most situations is graphite. It allows you to feel the bait and the strike much better.
For lighter fishing you might want a more flexible rod. For heavier fishing you might want a stiffer rod with more backbone and maybe a faster tip. Again, preferences are as varied as the fishermen that use them.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>For lighter fishing you might want a more flexible rod. For heavier fishing you might want a stiffer rod with more backbone and maybe a faster tip. Again, preferences are as varied as the fishermen that use them.