bass=perch?

[Heath16]

just curios to whether a bass and an eustury perch are the same? are there any noticible differences? if they are different where can i get and EP?

any help apreciated

Heath

[werewolf]

They are a different fish, but that is all I can tell u! I wouldn't be able to pick the difference...

[jeff f]

bass has a pretty straight line from his forhead to lips where as estuary perch have a dip betwoon eyes and lip

eps are not very common up here i've only ever seen one caught this side of the nsw border and are mainly caught in southern nsw and victoria

[Fosh n Chops]

if your ever down in vic try your luck in tarwin river near venus bay on the sth gippsland coast, there is some great ep fishing in there.

[Dinodadog]

EPs also have larger eyes, bass have pale tips to the lower fins. Closest spot for EPs is Richmond river NSW. Hope this helps. OH also EPs feel a lot softer than bass.

[elops]

Estuary Perch are very closely related to Bass the scientific types consider Bass to be a subpecies of Estuary Perch. They spend their life cycle in brackish/saltwater. There is evidence that the two species hybridise. The most interesting thing is they grow larger than Bass the references quote 75 cm as maximum size. Dino and jeff are spot on for identification keys.

Steve

[Heath16]

wow thank you guys so much for all these replys this has really helped me alot!

MUCH apreciated

heath

[jon]

The first pic is a bass and the second is an esuary perch, youd have to have an eye sharper than a razor to pick it

Hey Jon, something has happened. I edited this post last night to put both pictures in one. It worked fine and both pictures were showing last night. However, now one is gone :S The link is still there (click edit or quote on this post and you'll see two image links), but it appears as though it has been lost from the server. Can you upload the picture again? Sorry about this, I've never seen it happen before

Cowfish13

[Feral]

Perch 75cm eh? Hmm can we get permission to stock some!

[elops]

The local paper in Grafton used to run a biggest perch of the year comp. years ago some incredible fish would win it usually EP's 16 pound something the biggest from memory. The monster that used to be on the wall of the Bellingen pub (may still be there ?) was an EP.

[elops]

Just hit the references . Estuary Perch.

Maximum size 75cm.

Reference. Field guide to the freshwater fishes of Australia 2002

Allen, Midgley and Allen.

Maximum weight 10 kg.

Reference. Freshwater fishes of Australia 1989.

Allan G.R.

[Dusky]

Estuary Perch

[Dusky]

Bass

[Dusky]

The EP has a slight scoop on it's head and a higher back in relation to the bass.

I have caught some in my local creek that seem to be a cross between the two ??

When they get big they look like small barra, but I reckon they would fight twice as hard.

They have been seen near full grown down on the Clarence river.

Cheers.

[Heath16]

so is this a bass or perch? i really dony know? i got it in "bassie" waters

[Dusky]

Bass, smaller eye and lower in the back.

[stinkyibis]

generally, the location you catch it in will identify if it is a perch or a bass if you cant tell on sight.

i dont believe a mixed bag of bass and perch is particularly common! as well as that queenslanders dont need to worry

since you just dont get them here. anyone that catches one this side of the tweed or even in the tweed has to be

some sort of fishing master. i am a young padawan in search of such knowledge. btw cracking wild bass heath, nice fish

[Heath16]

so im guessing you get "EP'S" further south? im new to the country...

[Dusky]

Yep, as a general rule of thumb from the Tweed river south, although haven't heard of too many reports of them from the tweed, even here in the Richmond river at ballina they are few and far between.

Have heard of some big one's in the Clarence river.

Cheers