If you're heading to the Riverland then you shouldn't miss the opportunity to catch a Callop in the mighty Murray River.  Callop are also known as Golden Perch and are usually between 33cm and 40cm in length.

October through to April are ideal times to try for a Callop.  Early on your best chances are in water that is about 2-3 metres deep, although as it warms up you can go deeper and still have good success.  The best places are along side snags or in the Willow Trees.

There are plenty of boat ramps along the Murray.  For example you can launch at the Ski Club in Renmark, Custom's House on Murtho Road outside of Paringa, Bert Dix Park in Paringa, and many more in Loxton, Berri, Barmera and Cobdogla.

Large live shrimp make the best bait for Callop, but tiger worms available from most local service stations work great too.  Your shrimp will live for longer if you hook the shrimp sideways through it's tail.  This allows it to swim around nicely under water and will act as a good bait.

A size 2 to size 4 hook will be large enough, along with about 3kg line and a soft tip rod.  Don't go too heavy on the line and don't go too heavy on the rod, otherwise you are more likely to lose your hook-up.

Remember the minimum legal size for Callop is currently 33cm in SA, so be sure to return it to the water quickly if it is undersized.