A total of 47,000 Australian bass fingerlings were released by Fisheries Victoria into seven Gippsland waterways this week. This is the second year of a five-year program.

Broodstock used to supply the fingerlings were sourced from Gippsland rivers. Bass are an important species to anglers and are regarded as an excellent sport fish.

This year’s stocking is the ongoing rate for the next four years. It is set to provide a depth of age classes for the fishery into the future.

Fisheries Victoria Executive Director Anthony Hurst said the growth rates for bass in this part of Victoria would likely see these fish reach the minimum legal size in about four years.

“These stockings will provide an ongoing fishing opportunity over many years. Bass are a long-living species and many of these fish will be around for over 15 years,” Mr Hurst said.

The minimum legal size for Australian bass is 27cm and the bag limit in Gippsland is two bass per person, per day.

The areas and number of fingerlings stocked for this year are: Mitchell River 5,000; Avon River 3,000; Macalister River (downstream of wall) 2,000; Lake Glenmaggie 10,000; Cowwarr Weir 2,000; Lake Narracan 10,000 and Blue Rock Lake 15,000.