Fish

Australian salmon (kahawai)

Salmón australiano (kahawai)

Arripis trutta

SaltwaterBrackish

At a glance

Typical size

2–6 lb.

Depth

Surface to 130 ft.

Best time

Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon.

Found in

2 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: Not a salmon at all: a torpedo-shaped silver fish with a green-blue back covered in small dark spots, a yellowish pectoral fin and a forked tail. Young fish have brownish bars and spots. Called kahawai in New Zealand.
Typical size: 2–6 lb.
Maximum size: About 3 ft and 20 lb (9.4 kg).
Diet: Pilchards, anchovies, krill, whitebait and other small schooling fish.
Behavior: Fast, hard-fighting fish that travel in big schools along beaches and headlands, often blitzing bait at the surface where birds dive. Jumps when hooked.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from South-East Australia & Tasmania and New Zealand. Surf beaches, rock platforms, river mouths, harbors and bays from southern NSW to Victoria and Tasmania, and all around New Zealand (kahawai). The related western Australian salmon lives in WA and South Australia.
Habitat: Surf beaches, rock platforms, river mouths, harbors and bays from southern NSW to Victoria and Tasmania, and all around New Zealand (kahawai). The related western Australian salmon lives in WA and South Australia.
Depth: Surface to 130 ft.
Fishing depth: Surface to 20 ft.
Best season: All year; autumn and winter bring the biggest schools to the beaches in southern Australia, summer in New Zealand.
Best time: Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon.
Best tides: The rising tide and the top of the tide, when gutters and holes along the beach fill with water.
Best weather / conditions: Any weather; a bit of swell and wash on the beach is good.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Whole or half pilchards on ganged hooks, bluebait, squid strips and surf poppers (a float with a fly).
Best artificial lures: Metal slices and slugs, small stickbaits, soft plastics and flies.
Tackle setup: 10–12 ft surf rod for the beach; 7 ft medium spinning rod from boats.
Hook size: 3/0–4/0 ganged hooks for pilchards; single hooks on lures make release easier.
Line: 12–20 lb monofilament or braid.
Leader: 20–30 lb monofilament.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

Also at Bass Pro Shops: Rod Reel Line Rig Sinker Bait Tool

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Surf beaches, rock platforms, river mouths, harbors and bays from southern NSW to Victoria and Tasmania, and all around New Zealand (kahawai). The related western Australian salmon lives in WA and South Australia.
Rig up: 10–12 ft surf rod for the beach; 7 ft medium spinning rod from boats. 20–30 lb monofilament.
Pick your bait: Whole or half pilchards on ganged hooks, bluebait, squid strips and surf poppers (a float with a fly). Lures: Metal slices and slugs, small stickbaits, soft plastics and flies.
Fish it: Look for gutters and holes on the beach, or follow birds working bait, and cast metals or pilchards into them. From boats, cast lures at surface schools.
Time it: Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon. The rising tide and the top of the tide, when gutters and holes along the beach fill with water.

Fishing techniques: Look for gutters and holes on the beach, or follow birds working bait, and cast metals or pilchards into them. From boats, cast lures at surface schools.
BigJoe's tip: Bleed salmon the moment you land them; it turns a strong fish into good eating.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Edible but not prized — strong or bony; many anglers release it.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Dark, oily meat with a strong taste; bleed and ice it, then smoke it, make fish cakes or cook it fresh on the grill. Also a top bait for sharks and mulloway.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: No teeth or dangerous spines. Rock platforms are deadly in big swell — wear a life jacket and never turn your back on the sea.
Regulations: Bag limits apply in Australian states and in New Zealand (where kahawai is important to Māori). Check current rules. Rules differ between Australia and New Zealand: NSW, Victoria and Western Australia (boat fishing) require a recreational licence, other Australian states and New Zealand's sea fishing need none, but bag limits, size limits and marine reserves apply everywhere.
Conservation: A great fish to catch and release on light gear.

Tap an area to open its fishing map.

Sources & photo credits