Bass Fishing Hot Spots in NSW
Okay, you’re all stoked up and ready for a great Australian bass
fishing trip and the only question you have now is, “Where do I go?”
Have no fear – there are plenty of places in Australia and one of the
first that you want to consider is New South Wales (NSW). There are
enough bass hot spots there to last you a good while.
Lake Glenbawn
If you’re looking for the big bass, consider Lake Glenbawn in the
Barrington Tops National Park near Scone. This is a large lake that is
good for trolling, and also has rocky shorelines, weed beds and timber
that hold some big ones. If the wind isn’t too bad, head over and try
your luck around the Glenbawn dam and fish around the sunken trees and
tree tops. Take some extra lures to replace those you lose in the
branches!
Kangaroo River
If you want to get the jump on Australian bass, head a couple hours
south of Sydney to Kangaroo Valley and try the Kangaroo River. Not only
is it gorgeous, but it’s home to some lunkers. This winding river has
plenty of snags and eddies that make good cover for an unsuspecting
bass. Be ready – they hit very hard here!
The Clarence River
Along the northern coastal region of New South Wales is the Clarence
River system which is a big attraction for many Australian bass
fishermen. A good for bass is the Clarence Gorge, but if flooding
occurs, the bass get the chance to move out of there to rivers such as
the Mann, Nymboida and the upper Clarence. Other good spots downstream
from there near Copmanhurst and Fine Flower, in addition to the lower
tributaries of the Clarence:Coldstream, Sportsmans Creek, the Esk and
Orara rivers.
The Tweed River - Clarrie Hall Dam
Another river noted for freshwater Australian bass is the Tweed
River, or actually Doon Doon Creek, one of its tributaries. On the creek
is the Clarrie Hall Dam, a water storage facility for Tweed Shire. They
stock Australian Bass at the Clarrie Hall Dam the fishing must be good
because the Australian Bass Association runs an annual tournament there
The Australian bass is a native freshwater fish found in virtually
all eastern flowing creeks and rivers on the N.S.W coast. Mid-October is
pretty much the start of the season on the New South Wales northern
coast, because this is when the bass are in the lower reaches of the
fresh as they are travelling back from saltwater spawning.
Bass have a bit of a struggle with breeding because of the saltwater
spawning because of because of commercial fishermen who accidentally, or
otherwise, net them. So stick to the daily limit and practice catch and
release when you can. |
