 AKA: freshwater blackfish, river blackfish, slippery, slimy.
(Limits only apply in waters south of the Great Dividing Range.)
MINIMUM LEGAL SIZE: 22cm.
BAG/POSSESSION LIMIT: 5.
(Closed season 1 September - 31 December.)
Note: a total bag/possession limit of 40 fish applies to all scale fish species.
Belonging to a family of fish found nowhere else in the world except
Tasmania and the Murray-Darling system, blackfish provide fine sport on
light tackle. The blackfish is largely nocturnal and will bite best at
dusk and dawn. Fish south of the Great Dividing Range, particularly in
south-eastern Victoria, often grow much larger and darker than those
further north.
SIZE: Up to 60cm and 5.5kg although more commonly 30cm.
WHERE:
Common in rivers and streams south of the Great Dividing Range and in
high waters in the south-eastern Murray-Darling basin. Blackfish prefer
sheltered waters with plenty of in-stream and overhanging cover.
TACKLE:
Light tackly with a 2kg line and No. 4 to No. 6 hook with a very light
sinker or a couple of split shot about a metre above the hook. Sinkers
should be able to run to within a metre of the hook. In weedy areas a
float can be used and small lures and wet flies fished close to the
bank at dusk can also be very effective.
BAIT: Scrubworms, small yabbies, mudeyes and woodgrubs.
BITE: Bass will hit and fight hard and are a very fast fish.
EATING: Superb table fish with soft white flesh requiring gently cooking.
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