How To Catch Australian Salmon

I've decided to put together a series of blog posts that will help teach you exactly how to catch many different kinds of fish, starting with a very popular catching and eating fish, the salmon.

About Australian Salmon

When you're lucky enough to see a sizeable salmon launching itself out of the ocean, arching its back in a body-shaking attempt to free your hook, it will pump the adrenalin of even the most hard-nosed angler.  Australian salmon are most frequent off the southern coasts of Australia, and also located in New Zealand waters.  Despite their name, these fish are not related to the salmon of the Northern Hemisphere.

When Is The Best Time To Catch The Fish?

The months of May through to Novemberis best off Victorian beaches, but may be caught all year longin bays, estuaries and from the piers.  In Western Australia, February to April are the greatest times, especially in southern parts.  The best stage of day to catch salmon is either around dawn or dusk, as this is what time the fish are most actively feeding.

Where Salmon Can Be Caught

Lorne and Frankston piers will usually produce good numbers after there's been strong onshore winds.  Albany in WA can also give really heavy specimens at times.  At the beach search for some good gutters with deep water and some wash/whitewater over it.  From the rocks search for areas with some wave action and whitewater coupled with deeper water.  Fishing from the rocks can be perilous, so always be cautious.

The Best Equipment To Use

Great salmon fishing rods are12' with a 600 or 650 alvey side reel, particularly for beach or rock fishing, with a 15lb main line and a 15kg lead will work well.  Fishing for salmon is similar to fishing for tailor, and you can even end up hooking a decent jewfish, gummy shark or even yellowtail kingfish while targeting salmon, so the extra weight on your rig will be worth it just in case.

Light tackle spin gear is also great for catching salmon.  You can use a 3kg outfit rigged with a small chrome slice, soft plastic or bibbed minnow lure.  Trolling with white or pink coloured skirted jigs at six to eight knots is trendy.  At the beach, make use of a fixed paternoster rig with a pyramid-style sinker at the bottom.  This will help to make longer casts, and will hold really well if there's a current.

You can use a berley trail with an unweighted bait if you're fishing off a pier or in a boat.  Depending on your location, you should ask your resident fishing tackle store about the number of wraps you ought to have.  A 6 or a 7 wrap is by and large very good, light enough to have a good feel, yet heavy enough to have a bit of grunt about it and get stuck into the fish with.  Not only do they make for good salmon fishing rods, it will also work well to catch tailor, trevally, bream and flathead.

The Best Bait For Salmon

Salmon's favoured bait is pilchard, whitebait and squid.  Live bait like Tommy Rough works really well, especially from the rocks and under a balloon on your line.  Salmon will go for most fishing lures, however I think that medium-sized raiders are best.  Depending on what they're chasing, you may want to stick to smaller saltwater fishing lures though, as larger ones can be disregarded if the salmon are going after smaller baitfish.

Fishing restrictions can apply, check the regulations in your area.  In Victoria it is - Size limit: Min 21cm.  Bag limit: 20