Aussie salmon are a hard fighting and spectacular fish that provide a heap of sport for anglers fishing  from shore. They‘re a hell of a lot of fun to catch and if prepared properly taste pretty good too.  

Most Victorian surf beaches will get visits from salmon through the year and when the wind and conditions are right they can be caught in the bay beaches as well. They fight hard, run like crazy and their head shaking and jumping out of the water make them a real “buzz” to catch.  

The biggest fish are usually caught from South Australia all the way up into Western Australia…but Victoria has their fair share of good sized fish too.  

If you want to catch the bigger fish then Winter is the time to hit the surf….and get the right day and you’ll have the time of your life!  

Australian Salmon are predators and they’re always on the look out for small, and not so small, bait fish washed around in the surf… so fish baits, lures and poppers are the preferred options for attracting them.  

The gear for salmon will depend a little on the type of surf beach you want to fish. Big surf needs strong line and heavy sinkers to keep the bait in place….so the gear used at a light surf beach like Point Leo on the Mornington Peninsula would be different to the scaled up gear you’d use at a strong surf beach like Gunnamatta near Phillip Island.  

I tend to use slightly lighter gear as it makes the sport a bit more exciting… but I have to be prepared to lose the odd, very big fish. Standard gear would be a 3 to 3.6m surf rod capable of handling 6kg to 9kg line and a salt water reel to match…nothing too special, just strong enough to handle most of medium size fish you’ll hook in the surf….  

Of course, if you go after gummy shark or other big fish you’ll need to tackle up to handle them!  

When it comes to bait, salmon aren’t too fussy. My preference is pilchard  connected by a hook through the head and one through the tail, held on by a half hitch.  

 I always use a paternoster rig, so the weight is on the bottom and the bait suspended off the sand to keep it away from crabs…and I always, always, berley the beach to attract smaller fish….which attracts bigger fish.   

Other baits you can use are bluebait, whitebait, squid, pipi, sandworm and bass yabbies…and on one occasion, a salted, tuna oil flavored, carp fillet…who would have thought!!  

You can sometimes also tie on a popper, (light weigh floating lure) as an additional attractor above the bait….I’ve sometimes had fish completely ignore the bait and go for these.. but they do add an extra item that can cause tangles if not tied properly.  

When fishing the surf, look for the gutters and deeper water to cast to. Waves break in shallow water. Any areas where the waves are not forming usually indicates deeper water…place your bait in these spots.  

Try to time your fishing to the rising tide…2 hours before and an hour after the top of the tide usually give you the best chance of good sport.  

When you arrive at the beach go to the highest point to look for the deeper gutters, rips and any fish activity. FIND these areas…even if you have to walk a fair way….it’ll be worth it.  

You want to make sure the fish are attracted to the area….so berley up as soon as you arrive, before you do anything else.   

So what do you use for berley.?  

…this is when you make use of  all the old bait you’ve stored in the freezer . Mix it with some tuna oil and chicken pellets. Spread it on the water line in front of you. This little hint of food will bring  small fish in the shallows…and send a message to fish further out that “dinner’s served”.  

Alternatively, you can  berley in a different way.  I use old frozen fish and  sometimes even carp pieces I’ve frozen, add a bit of tuna oil and tie them up in a bait net and let the surf wash the scent around. It’s surprising how useful carp can be as burley…and even bait!   

When you bait fish, change things up when you’re not getting  bites. This change can be different bait, different leaders or different sinkers….or all 3. Always take a few different baits so you can give the fish a different choice.  

You can change your leader, or trace, to fluorocarbon….so it’s invisible in the water . 

You can also change sinker. Sometimes the fish like it to move and sometimes they like it “nailed to the bottom”…  

…Increase or decrease weight till you get action.  

Finally, always take some lures to test the salmon….sometimes this is all they want!  

Metal slices are old and tested lures for Australian Salmon. They cast a mile and flash silver in the surf…just like small bait fish.  

I always have a few casts before I start bait fishing, and as I wait for the berley to kick in. Many times I’ve picked up a “bonus” fish that’s been lurking about waiting for food.  

At the end of my fishing session I’ll also have a few casts to take advantage of any fish brought in by the smell of food but not interested enough to take my bait. Lures can add a few more fish to your bag.  

Salmon are great on lures. I’d use them more often but I’ve generally had more luck with bait…but not always…  

…a trip to King Island, just north of Tasmania, put me in front of some big Salmon that were absolutely smashing any type of fast moving lure. They had little interest in real food but were belting plastic and tin…amazing fun!  

Salmon have a habit of jumping out of the water and shaking their heads….they’re real good at throwing hooks. Keep the tension in the line when you play them and make sure your reel drag is in