West Coast
WA
Salmon run worth waiting for AUGUSTA
Anthony Gillam
So here we are, waiting with rod in hand for the 2022 salmon run to come sidling through Augusta. The anticipation and hope is for this season to be much better than the last; where things went out with a fizzle rather than a bang. Most disappointing when you wait all year for a chance to sight cast into a thousand ravenous fish. The latest information to hand is that after leaving Esperance the salmon have started moving on their way towards Albany, just very slowly at this stage. Although they are in small numbers so far they are definitely beginning the
Salmon time has come around once again. Georgia Gillam with a lure caught Cosy Corner thumper.
Light gear and solid salmon means a whole lot of fun. trek around the coast and school numbers and sizes should increase quickly. It is expected that in the next month or so the schools should reach Augusta as they head towards the metro area waters. Unfortunately it was a very warm summer and autumn so far, keeping the water temperatures in close to shore above 20ºC. This has previously meant that schools stay out in the deeper, cooler water instead of coming in close to shore where shore based anglers can get a crack at them. Here is hoping for a sudden drop in temperature and big schools of bait. If you are shore bound try your luck at Hamelin Bay where most schools seem to come in very close as the beach shelves quickly meaning that often a school will be only several metres from shore and can be fished by even the youngest member of the salmon chasing fraternity. The beach can be accessed easily from the car parks at Hamelin Bay and you can find very comfortable accommodation at the caravan park only 100m from the beach. Any of the beaches 114
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from Colourpatch around to Skippy Rock are all two-wheel drive access and only a short walk from parking down to the water. The schools can generally be observed from the carpark and then the short trek down to the water made anticipating where the school is heading and casting bait or lures at the head of the schools. If you have a 4WD then there are many more options open with Boranup Beach accessed by Bobs Track, Deepdene from Cosy Corner Road and Conto’s from Caves Road. All of these beaches are salmon magnets and allow plenty of places to set up and wait for them to come to you or also allow you to patrol the beaches searching for them. Make sure to have lures or baits ready to go because once a school comes through the action can be frenetic leaving those that are unprepared standing there wishing they were more organised. Any lure from 30g up is worth a try and they have a penchant for mulies and herring tossed out in front of them. While waiting for
the salmon to turn up try honing your skills on the ever-present herring who’s numbers also increase as the season progresses. Not only
are they miniature versions of salmon they also breed during this time and migrate along the same path. Being a food source for salmon they are a good indicator that they are on the way. Numbers of herring on the beaches will suddenly increase and there will be a large amount of mature females ironically known as ‘bull’ herring aggressively competing for food to nourish their ever growing eggs that can number as much as 100,000. They will be released around Augusta in late May to create the schools for the future. Typically herring love anything they think they can swallow that moves much like salmon. Almost any lure will work but I have a preference for chrome bubbler style lures such as the Halco Streaker that has a red plastic flasher tab mimicking
Peter Nash with a decent bait-caught Flinders Bay dhufish captured on a trip with Leeuwin Marine Charters.
Mal Swarbrick with a beautiful example of a harlequin landed while working on Leeuwin Marine Charters. the red gill flash of fleeing prey. Any lure in the 10-30g range will work but if you swap out the treble hooks for a single inline hook you will be able to catch and release any unwanted fish without damaging their mouths. Should a salmon come along and take the lure you have a much better chance as they are known to wreck inferior treble hooks. For quick changing of lures try a Mustad Fastach clip, not only are they strong but the time you save will result in more fish when the pressure is on. Lure changing takes only a couple of seconds. During Easter the night fishing off the Ellis Street Jetty and Town Jetty is very active with plenty of tourists settling in for a few hours of bread and butter fishing. The bright lighting on Ellis Street Jetty provides for a safe night fishing spot for children to experience the difference to daytime fishing. Tailor and herring are a certain visitor to the jetty with the lights bringing them darting in to pick off any of the baitfish or insects attracted to the light. Recently there have been some legal sized flathead, flounder and black bream coming up with the regulars. Try small chrome lures straight off the jetty towards the channel for herring and tailor, prawns, glass shrimps and cockles for whiting and black bream and drop nets for crabs. Autumn weather out on the bay can be absolutely magic with light winds, low swells and flat calm days that are perfect for spending your time looking for new secret spots. With good polarised
sunglasses it is great fun to fish the shallow water reef that abounds in Flinders Bay where you can spot the predators hit a soft plastic jigged in front of them. The advantage of fishing these shallow waters in the 12-15m range are that barotrauma can be almost entirely avoided with any demersals that are undersized. Places like Bessies Reef and Little Bessies are perfect for this type of fishing and the size of some of the dhufish and pink snapper will amaze you. Just pay attention to the sounder because the reef can get really close to the surface in places and there is nothing worse than damaging your hull or sheering off a prop because you are too busy sticky-beaking at the fish on the bottom. Soft plastic jigging is the perfect way to chase everything living on the reef. Try bright colours like fluorescent orange or green in the 5” range. If you get the chance to head out deep and wide then make sure you are prepared, try to go with other boats and take plenty of fuel just in case the weather comes up which will cause you to chew through the fuel scary fast. Keep your eye on the weather reports and if there is a chance that it’s going to turn then err on the side of caution and head back. If you are not confident enough to give it a try then why not go on a charter trip? Leeuwin Marine Charters operate from the Augusta Boat Harbour and will take all the work out of getting onto the fish as well as providing the security of a well equipped To page 115
