Found in coastal waters right around the southern half of the country the salmon, or sambo as most anglers call it, is widely accessible to a vast majority of anglers. Favouring inshore waters they can be found everywhere from estuaries to surf beaches, harbours to headlands. What makes this species all the more popular is that they are common in suburban waters, be it Port Phillip Bay or Sydney Harbour.
What is there not to like: Salmon are a tough fighting fish that love to jump and better still they are just as easy to catch from the shore as they are from a boat. There are few things as exciting as watching a frenzied school of sambos as they churn the water to foam smashing bait and then you cast in a lure for an instant hook up.
That’s what I like best about salmon fishing – it is a very visual style of fishing. Found right around the southern half of the country sambos vary greatly in size from state to state. In Victoria and Tasmania they are rarely bigger than 2kg, while in South Australia and NSW fish double this size are common. Then there is Western Australia which has the biggest sambos in the country.
Despite their size they are still best caught on light spin gear in the 2-4kg range which really allows the fish to perform. Having said that anglers fishing from the rocks sometimes have to beef up their gear just so they can land them. While sambos can be caught with a variety of techniques casting into feeding schools is by far the most exciting style of fishing.
SURFACE ACTION
Sambos are a pelagic species, in other words they spend the majority of their time feeding on the surface. The key to finding active surface-feeding schools is to watch the birds. The common seagull is the best giveaway and at times there are hundreds of white birds hovering over the school, squawking excitedly. The best indication that the birds are on the sambos is when they are right down low close to the water and constantly dipping. Even a patch of gulls just sitting on the water can be a good sign, indicating the fish have sounded and that they are just waiting for the fish to come up again.
When the fish are up and feeding don’t just drag lures through them, instead watch the school, work out which way they are heading. Understanding which way the school is heading is the key factor in planning your attack. Always approach from upwind in the boat, which makes it easier to cast with the wind on your back. By positioning the boat correctly the fish will swim straight to you making them easier to catch. A four-stroke, like my beloved Yamaha, is also invaluable and being super quiet means you can sneak right up to the school without spooking them.
Despite being easy to find, salmon can be frustratingly fussy at times refusing everything you throw at them. Personally, I have found that soft plastic minnow style patterns rigged on a worm hook or a Halco 10g Twisty work best in NSW, alternatively in Victoria or Western Australia a large metal slice or wobbler will draw a strike every time. Irrespective of what lure you use the trick is to get your offering right into the centre of the action, where the fish are thickest. This is where the competition is greatest and with the water churned up visibility is low making it hard for the fish to see the leader. Accurate casting really is essential.
Hooking a sambo is only half the fun. For their size they are great fighters and spend as much time in the air as in the water. Being a lightweight sport fish also makes them ideally suited for kids and a great way to introduce them to fishing. So next time you’re heading out and you spot a patch of birds on the water pull up and see if the sambos are biting.
The only downside to salmon is their eating qualities which is average at the best of times. If bled and iced down immediately they will taste better, especially as Thai fish cakes. Sadly, the commercial fishermen net them by the ton for nothing more than bait in fish traps or, worse still, for cat food. To me, that such a great sporting fish is killed en masse is such a waste of a resource, especially since we can catch them just about anywhere we pull up the RV that’s on the coast.
