Comparative Angler Catches of Australian Bass (Macquaria novemaculeata) in Three Major River Systems in New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

A joint program between New South Wales Fisheries and three fishing clubs was initiated in 1988 with the aim of collecting standardised catch and effort data during biannual fishing competitions on three major rivers in New South Wales. This paper examines the data to determine trends in the catch of the target species, Australian bass (Macquaria novemaculeata) and to evaluate whether the data can be used to assess Australian bass populations over time. Distinct trends in Australian bass mean length in each river system were evident but catch rates were more variable. Median catch per unit effort was similar (mostly between 0.5 and 1.5 Australian bass·h-1 ) in the Nepean and Williams Rivers although catch rates in the Manning River were nearly always zero. There was an increasing trend in the mean length of Australian bass in all three rivers, possibly representing a recovery in fish populations following severe drought from 1979 to 1983. Low or zero catch rates were continually recorded in the Manning River and size composition data indicated a lack of recruitment through most of the study period. The standardised format of the data collection program provided qualitative and reliable time series data allowing the determination of long-term trends in the population structure of Australian bass which can be used for monitoring and management purposes.