Best Months
Apr – May
Best Time
Dawn and dusk peak; salmon runs are tide-driven on surf beaches
Tide
Run-out tide concentrates bait in gutters and off headlands
Top Locations
59 regions
How to Catch Australian Salmon (Kahawai)
Run-out tide concentrates bait in gutters and off headlands
Dawn and dusk peak; salmon runs are tide-driven on surf beaches
Choppy surf, white water, active gutters; salmon push through gutters and along the beach face
Surf beaches, gutters, headland washes, river mouths, rock platforms
Fast straight retrieve with metals, slowing down as lure clears the wash; allow the wave to carry the lure back toward you in the shore break
Salmon congregate in huge schools on surf beaches in winter. When you find one, there are hundreds — don't move, just keep casting into the gutter.
Best Regions by Month
Seasonal ratings across all Australian regions. Click a region to see the full calendar.
Casting hard body lures to structure, mangroves, and rocky areas in estuaries.
Working metal jigs up and down in the water column over reefs or structure.
Casting from beaches and rock platforms into gutters and breaks for tailor, mulloway, and trevally.
Dragging lures or baits at speed behind a moving boat. Primary technique for pelagics.