SALMON OF THE SOUTHERN SURF

KEEN readers of this magazine will be well aware of the great surf fishing to be had along the coasts of NSW and Queensland. The phenomenal beach fishing for bread-and-butter species like tailor, sand whiting, bream and dart in the warmer northern states is compelling and well documented. What isn’t so well publicised, however, is that there is also some very good surf fishing to be had from beaches further to the south, and particularly in Victoria. It’s a different, but it’s good different.

THE MAIN GAME

In Victoria, the most commonly targeted species in the surf would have to be the Australian salmon. When it comes to sportfish, “sambos” just about have it all. They are frantic fighters that pull hard and often jump when hooked, they grow to a good size, and they are voracious consumers of both bait and lures. They are a schooling species, too, so once you’ve found one you’re likely to find a lot. What’s more they