How cool are Aussie salmon in the surf?! There aren’t many southern species of fish which move along our coast in such vast schools, aggressively eat lures and fight until the bitter end. Throw in their acrobatics and the fact they reach a reasonable size and we have the makings of a great sportfish.
I have always been a keen surf fisher and cut my teeth spinning for salmon from the beach. We have a pretty good run of salmon off my local beaches, with winter time and into spring offering some spectacular days casting at these great fish.
And while we do a bit of bait fishing for salmon, most of our sessions involve looking for schools and casting lures at fish within the surf line. It’s an active and very visual form of fishing. By utilising a high vantage point – such as a tall sand dune – you’ll have an elevated viewpoint to prospect the coastline, looking for gutter formations but also looking for that unmistakable black mass of fish.
When you see a school of salmon in the surf they are quite distinctive, standing out as a dark mass with defined edges. Patches of weed or reef are often more irregular in size, colour and shape compared to a salmon school, but the ultimate test is to watch the black mass for a minute to see if it changes shape or moves along the gutter. If you have a good view of the school you may also spot individual fish, especially in the face of a wave as the swell rolls over the school.
Naturally, when the swell is up it’s a lot harder to spot schools of fish with the increased water movement and additional whitewater pushing into the beach. Ideally when we’re on the hunt for salmon schools we prefer a smaller sea with swell forecast under 2.5m, and preferably with the wind at our backs to lessen the amount of whitewater and to aid in casting distance.
It’s pretty cool when a school of salmon starts to move within casting range, and the sprint is on to lay some casts to the fish before they move back outside of casting range. Sometimes the larger schools will sit stationary for quite some time, but smaller fragmented schools have the habit of keeping on the move and rarely holding stationary for too long.
When a school is constantly on the move you’ll need to maximise your opportunities when the fish move within casting range, because they won’t always stay within range for long. This is where casting distance and having a correctly weighted outfit becomes super important.
I remember my first surf casting outfit back in the late 80’s. It was a multi taper glass wrap rod with an overhead reel and mono line. It did the job but it was quite heavy and cumbersome compared to today’s tackle, and it certainly wasn’t an outfit that was comfortable to cast lures with for a lengthy period of time.
In contrast I love using the lightweight tackle available these days; it’s so much more user-friendly when compared to the heavier tackle of yesteryear. And you’re not compromising performance either, as you can punch out a metal lure just as far (if not further) on a lightweight carbon or graphite rod with a small to medium size spin reel spooled with braided line.
In my opinion a 9ft (2.39m) to 11ft (3.35m) rod which is rated at around 6-12kg is perfect for punching out metal lures and stickbaits in the 40 to 80gram weight range. Some favourite rods of mine include the Anarchy 9’0” Shore Spin at 6-12kg and the SpeedMaster Surf 9’0” at 5-10kg; both of which fall within in a very affordable price range.
While for the more serious surf fisher, the T-Curve Surf 10’0” spin at 6-10kg, and the Dialuna 10’0” Medium Spin PE 0.8–2 offers a more premium product in the surf casting range. All of the above rods are lightweight, crisp and very responsive in the hand and are ideal for casting lures to our salmon down south.
In the reel department, a 4000 to 6000 sized spin reel will be perfectly matched to the above rods, with the Stradic SW, Sustain FJ and Sedona FJ all tough and reliable reels for use in the surf. For the 4000 and 5000 spin reels I would recommend 20lb braid and for the larger 6000 reels I would recommend 30lb braid for casting in the surf. Always run a short length of mono or fluorocarbon leader to act as a shock absorber.
As for lures, choose a design and weight which will aid in casting distance – you’re probably picking up the theme that distance is king when spinning for salmon in the surf. Salmon aren’t fussy eaters, especially when they’re schooled up en masse and they will generally swipe most lures which make the casting distance. Metal slugs in the 40 to 80g range are ideal, along with smaller profile stickbaits in the 60 to 70 gram range. The thinner profile of the metal slugs are the lure of choice as they cut through wind better than the larger profile lures.
Once I’ve laid my cast I wait a second or two to allow the lure to sink a few feet before beginning the retrieve. If the fish are sitting deep I’ll let the lure sink a bit longer before starting the retrieve. When a school is holding in the shallows though, this is when really memorable fishing can be had with lures cranked at speed across the surface inciting spectacular surface strikes and hook-ups.
To tap into this style of fishing all you’ll need is a quality rod and reel combo to allow for good casting distance. You’ll also need a pair of polarized sunglasses to help spot schools of salmon in the surf, a waist bag or backpack with a selection of lures, a pair of pliers, spare leader material and drink bottle – it’s that easy. Spinning for salmon in the surf is an uncomplicated form of fishing yet offers plenty of fun and exhilaration.
