Still time to snag the salmon rush

A bumper salmon season is still in full swing and WA’s COVID-19 restrictions have been relaxed just in time for people to head to the beach and snag one before the rush is over. Each year, the salmon season draws tourists and locals to the beach in the hope of finding a big school, but this year restrictions meant beaches were mostly empty when the salmon were running. Albany fishing guru Scott Coghlan said 2020 had been the best salmon season in Albany in the past few years. “It has been better than it has been for quite some time because there are more fish around more consistently either side of Albany,” he said. “Cheynes Beach in particular has been pretty good, even around Little Beach, the Salmon Holes and most of the spots have had fish. “This year with warmer current coming down the west coast, they have stayed more on the south coast and the metro area hasn’t had much of a run at all. “They migrate west and then they start returning to the Great Australian Bight again, so you get a forward run and a back run, and we are probably in the back run now.” The salmon started running at the start of March and Mr Coghlan hoped they would stay around until the end of May. His best spots for anglers are Cheynes Beach, Shelley Beach, Salmon Holes, Sandpatch and Nanarup. But he said the fish could turn up anywhere, even at Middleton Beach. “There is no doubt that first thing in the morning can be good. Often they will sit in very close at night and the sun comes up and they get a bit cautious so they move out deeper, particularly if there is a lot of people fishing,” he said. “Really with salmon is it just a bit of pot luck, because they are very mobile and they can be in one spot one hour and then go.” Mr Coghlan said he typically waited until he could see salmon before casting, but plenty of people caught them by sitting and waiting with a bait in the water. “I am a lure man and I like lures that you can cast a long way because often schools can sit a long way out where it is a trick to get it to them,” he said. The Albany Salmon Spectacular, a new event cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, will be back on next year.