CALLOP


Callop, Yellowbelly, Golden Perch, Macquaria ambigua, call them what you want, they are the same fish. To my knowledge they are found in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and are probably the most popular inland native fish to chase. This is because of accessibility and the great taste they have on the dinner plate.

HABIT & HABITAT


The Callop is essentially a lazy fish like most native freshwater fish. They like to sit in areas of slower flow and this is why they will often be found in amongst tree roots and sitting under banks or river dropoffs. One of the preferred habitats for Callop in the Murray River in South Australia/Victoria is a sandy bottom in conjunction with a healthy stand of reeds and water depth from 2 - 6ft. The Callop will sit for extended periods in the one region waiting to feed. Reeds beds provide ideal habitat for the Callop as they usually abound in freshwater shrimps - one of the fish's favourite foods.

BAITS/LURES/FLIES/RIGS


Callop will feed on many food sources and will attack many different artificials. What baits to use? My personal favourite baits for Callop fishing are small live shrimps and African Nightcrawler worms. In Victoria I like the worms but in South Australia too many Carp or baby Callop are caught on worms and so I like to use small shrimps.

FISHING AND COOKING


Fishing is quite easy and despite popular belief it is not hard to catch more Callop in a day's angling than Carp. The secret lies in how you fish and where you fish. Firstly there is no use putting on a running sinker bottom rig and casting out to the middle. Out of a boat a small ball sinker directly onto the hook is useful when "bobbed" straight up and down in a snag. Off the shore however the better way to catch Callop is a small paternoster rig with 1 hook and a small 5 - 15g sinker. Casting this rig not too far out and next too a reed bed or weed bed will usually produce the desired results. Callop can be very tentative to hook and so light whippy gear is needed to detect bites.

Once caught place the fish straight onto ice or into an iced slurry (ice and water with 2tblspoons salt or saltwater). Once the fish is anaethatised you kill it by spiking it between the eyes and turning the knife until it clicks and the eyes look outwards. This is humane. My favourite way is to simply fillet the Callop, skin and bone it and before cooking, soak it in milk for 30 minutes so that it gets rid of some of the muddy taste. Then sit down with a beautiful, freshly caught fish meal.


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