Fish

Samson fish

Pez sansón (samson fish)

Seriola hippos

Saltwater

At a glance

Typical size

20–60 lb.

Depth

10–1,000 ft; mostly 60–300 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: A heavy, deep-bodied amberjack with a bronze-olive back, silver sides, a faint yellow stripe, and red-pink teeth and gums. Young fish have dark vertical bands.
Typical size: 20–60 lb.
Maximum size: About 5 ft and over 110 lb (53 kg).
Diet: Fish, squid and crustaceans.
Behavior: Gathers in big schools on offshore reefs, wrecks and lumps to spawn in summer; famous for a dogged, deep fight.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from Northern Territory & Western Australia and South-East Australia & Tasmania. Reefs and wrecks from south-western Western Australia (Rottnest, Perth, Albany) across South Australia to Victoria and New South Wales.
Habitat: Reefs and wrecks from south-western Western Australia (Rottnest, Perth, Albany) across South Australia to Victoria and New South Wales.
Depth: 10–1,000 ft; mostly 60–300 ft.
Fishing depth: 60–250 ft.
Best season: Summer spawning aggregations (about November to March) off Perth and Rottnest.
Best time: Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon.
Best tides: Moving water: the hours around the tide change, when current pushes over the reef edges and bait gets swept along.
Best weather / conditions: Calm to moderate seas; light wind against the current stirs up bait. Watch for storms and cyclone season.

What to tie on and what to throw.

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

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Reefs and wrecks from south-western Western Australia (Rottnest, Perth, Albany) across South Australia to Victoria and New South Wales.
Rig up: Heavy jigging outfit (PE 5–8). 80–130 lb fluorocarbon.
Pick your bait: Live or whole squid, mulies and yellowtail scad. Lures: Heavy knife jigs and slow jigs.
Fish it: Find the schools over wrecks and lumps on the sounder, drop jigs to the bottom and crank hard. Use a harness — they pull for a long time.
Time it: Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon. Moving water: the hours around the tide change, when current pushes over the reef edges and bait gets swept along.

Fishing techniques: Find the schools over wrecks and lumps on the sounder, drop jigs to the bottom and crank hard. Use a harness — they pull for a long time.
BigJoe's tip: Samsons often come up with you after a long fight; vent or use a release weight to send them back down.
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: Small fish are good grilled or smoked; big fish are coarse and can have parasites.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Very strong fish — use a harness and gloves.
Regulations: WA and other states set bag limits; check West Coast demersal rules and closures. Each Australian state sets its own rules: NSW and Victoria require a recreational fishing licence in fresh and salt water, Western Australia needs a licence for boat fishing and freshwater angling, Tasmania for inland waters, and Queensland only for stocked impoundments; the Northern Territory needs none. Bag limits, size limits, closed seasons and marine park zones apply everywhere.
Conservation: Release the big breeders; fish under about 20 lb are best for eating.

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Sources & photo credits