The Salmon of Australian Waters Is A Mighty Fish to Catch

 The Salmon of Australia is a fish to reckon with in the water. The salmon wrestles really good, making it an exciting fish worth catching. This salmon in our waters is not related at all to the various trout or salmon of the old world. It is not a ‘true’ salmon, however, it is still a great fish to catch and eat.

 
Our salmon can be found ranging from Gold Coast in Queensland up to Geraldton in Western Australia. The very same species can be found in the central coast of New South Wales in the area near Fremantle and Rottnest Island. It is also common to New Zealand and known as kahawai or pronounced as “car-why,” a melodious name for the salmon by the Maori. The name means “strong in the water,” which is a very apt name for a fish that pulls really hard on a line. The kahawai is truly a champion of its realm.
 
The Aussie salmon usually gather in big groups or school that move back and forth in the cool waters of our southern seas. They are constantly in pursuit of tucker like the whitebait, pilchards and krill, which are tiny shrimp that are considered a delicacy by various whales. However, by the end of the 20th century, the Aussie salmon stocks were at the point of vanishing due to intensive netting by commercial shipping vessels. These valuable fish of the sea ended up in cans for human and their pets to consume. These are also used as crayfish pot baits in the very profitable western rock lobster fishery business. Fortunately, there have been interventions in recent years that moderated all the salmon fishing activity. The salmon stock is now being re-populated showing moderate signs of recovery in the areas where this fish abounds. 
 
The salmon in our local water has a dark and strongly-flavored meat. They are not considered top table food but others have developed a liking to their unique taste and flavour.  This type of fish is best served when casseroled, smoked or used as a base for the ever popular fish cakes. To extract its unique taste, the fish must be bled immediately right after catching it. It is best to fillet and skin them with the darker blood portion cut and tossed away.
 
They may not be everyone’s favourite fish meal, but catching them is a great fishing experience. They averaged about 2 kilos per fish in most areas and they pull hard like raging beasts. They often leap out of the water and rattling their gills when they are hooked. There is nothing more fun than standing on your boat’s platform and hook a huge, black-backed salmon on a moderately light tackle. This will surely get your adrenalin pumping, wrestling with the fish.
 
The salmon of Australia like to go after natural baits like an entire or sliced garfish or pilchards, strips and chunks of yellowtail or mullet, cut squid pieces, prawns and even beach worms. They are wildly enthusiastic with a lure and fly taker. You can partake on an exciting fishing expedition using chromed metal slices, spoons, jigs, soft plastics, and minnows. However, there are times when these salmon can be very particular about their prey especially when they are on the hunt for tiny bait fish fry. Fortunately, in most cases, they like to eat just about anything that are thrown on them.
 
The mighty salmon is a common target of inshore and offshore fishing from the far south coast of the rock cliffs of New South Wales to the desolate beaches of the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia as well as the bottom corner of the Wild West. If you are not particularly fond of the salmon’s meat, you can just try your hand on some great salmon fishing. You can catch them then unhook and release so they may continue to thrive in their watery range.
 

Related Articles