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10 Tips - Fishing for Tailor & Salmon

By Justin Willmer

Both Australian salmon and tailor are aggressive predators that have a strong following among Australian recreational anglers. They grow big, fight hard, love eating lures and can be caught in numbers, should a feeding school be located. Both species are very visual hunters that can be caught using a variety of lures, from epic surface bust ups to plastics fished deeper in the water column. Let's have a look at a few things to consider when gearing up and targeting these two oceanic brawlers.

Where to Fish

Australian salmon, known as kahawai in New Zealand, are found around the southern coastline of Australia, often schooled in large numbers along the open beaches and exposed coastlines, at times entering the mouths of rivers and estuary systems following bait schools. Juvenile salmon are more commonly found in smaller schools, hunting prey in more sheltered waters such as rivers and bays. As adults, salmon will generally hunt baitfish schools, primarily made up of pilchards, sprats and anchovies. Australian salmon are especially popular as a recreational sport fish for anglers fishing the beaches, rocks and mouths of rivers and estuary systems.

Tailor, known as elf and shad in South Africa and bluefish in other parts of the world, are found in temperate and subtropical waters, periodically migrating through open water but generally focussed around more turbulent waters, such as beaches and rocky headlands. Tailor will also move into river and estuary systems, even pushing up into brackish waters. A strong, aggressive and fast fish, tailor can often be seen chasing and busting up bait schools, seeming to continue the frenzied attack even after eating their fill. They are cannibalistic and will even feed on their own young.

For us as anglers, this information gives us a starting point in terms of the baits and lures that we may select to fish with, matching the bait that they are feeding on, along with a general area to begin to research in terms of where to target these fish. If there are beaches and rocky headlands in your region, then this would be a good starting point, along with some internet searches of fishing the mouths of local rivers, estuary systems and bays for either species.

Time the Tides

Both species can be caught throughout the tide cycle, however I have personally had more success when fishing a rising tide. The rising tide sees many beach gutters fill, while also creating an influx of clean water and bait pushing into the system, often followed by these predatory species. This cleaner water is especially important when fishing lures as these species are both very visual hunters. The rising water also allows both species to push the bait up into the shallows, where it is more difficult for the bait to escape in the smaller column of water.

When fishing the beaches, if you are lucky enough to have quality low tide gutters and have a school hold in the gutter on the lower stages of the tide, then the bite can be frenzied and long lasting. Often though as the water drains from the gutters on a dropping tide the fish will fall back over the outer banks and out of casting reach. The opposite occurs on the run in tide and often once the water begins to fill the gutters, the predators will move in to feed on the bait that has been holding in the safety of the shallows. Prime locations to fish include the breaks in the outer banks that allow fish access into the gutter, while also creating turbulence and eddies, along with sections of the gutter where foamy water flows from the outer bank well into the gutter, offering cover for schools of fish moving into the gutter to feed.

Bait, Birds & Bust Ups

There are some key giveaways in terms of where you may locate the fish and the 3B's are a great starting point. Bait is a good starting point, as the old saying goes 'find the bait, find the fish'. While fishing the beach I have spotted schools of bait holding in a low tide gutter and returned to the gutter as the tide begins to rise, foamy water covering the outer bank and tailor pouring over the back and into the gutter in search of food. It's like flicking a switch as the fish have enough water to feel safe crossing the outer bank and invade the gutter.

I have also walked the beach, found a school of bait and walked with it along the beach. It's only a matter of time until the predators find the bait and fish on! For those out on the water in boats and other watercraft, again it's about keeping an eye out for areas holding bait and in turn holding fish. Key areas that focus bait, such as structure, eddies and current lines are all worth paying attention to when out on the water targeting salmon or tailor.

Another animal that's looking for the bait is birds and you will often see the birds before you see the bait. If birds look interested in what's going on in the water, then I'm interested to find out what it is they're looking at. I have heard the theory that the height the birds are hovering above the water, equals the distance that the bait is below the surface... until they eventually meet in a shower of mayhem at the surface of the water as the fish push the bait to the top. Finding the birds has proven so effective that game boats chasing tuna and other pelagic species are often now fitted with radar used to locate birds and in turn bait and fish.

The ultimate confirmation that the fish are there and they're feeding is bust ups, chopping, boiling, among other terms used to describe the fish breaking the surface as they force the bait up and slash through the bait schools. When the fish are busting up they will often eat your presentation with gusto, however at times you will really need to clue in and match the hatch to get the bites. We often cycle through TT Lures Hard Core metal lures, a selection of ZMan 10X Tough soft plastics and Fish Inc. Flanker sinking stickbaits, until we find what the fish want.

Spotting Schools

Locating birds and bust ups can make spotting schools easier, however what if these signs are not evident. When fishing the beach or over lighter coloured bottom, it can pay to keep an eye out for darker patches or shadows in the water as these will often be schools of bait or fish. The darker the patch seems to be, often the thicker it is with fish. Try to train your eyes to look through the waves and surface of the water, rather than focussing on the water itself. Fish are designed to mirror their surroundings and blend in, so sometimes what you will actually spot first is the shadow that the fish are casting on the bottom.

You will cast to the odd patch of weed and coffee rock, believing it to be schools of fish, however you will often also pull other species, such as trevally, from this structure. If you can't get a bite from the patch, rotate through a variety of lures and retrieves to see if you can switch something on. If not you could monitor the patch for a while and see if and how it moves. You will soon clue into the little things, such as the shape, density and movement of the school that identifies it as bait or mullet, rather than the tailor and salmon that you are targeting.

Casting to Schools

Once you have located a school, consider where you cast before letting the lures fly. A larger and more aggressive school of fish may not care if your lure lands right in the middle of the school, however this type of cast can split schools, encourage the school to flee rapidly, push them out of casting distance or even shut them down completely.

If the school is moving along the beach, try and lead the school with your cast (cast in front of the fish) so that your fleeing lure is discovered more naturally by the fish. We have often found that when leading the school we pick up a better quality of fish, while also encouraging the rest of the school to fire up rather than switch off.

If the school is stationary then we will generally start by casting around the edges of the school, picking off fish without spooking the main school. If this strategy doesn't produce a bite then we will cast well over the school and bring the lure back over and then through the school. No bites, it's time to bomb the school and attempt to wake up a fish or two, which can then trigger the school to feed.

Gearing Up

Rod and reel selection will often be based upon the environment and conditions that you are fishing. We generally fish three main types of combos that I would classify generally as light spin, medium spin and surf.

Light Spin - This generally consists of the same gear that I would use for fishing river and estuary flathead, snapper and mulloway. A rod around 7', 3-6kg, teamed up with a 30 size reel and loaded with 10lb braid and 20-40lb leader. This combo is fun to fish with, great for casting lighter presentations and perfect for the boat, kayak or landbased where the surf is smaller. On this combo I would cast 20g metal lures, 85mm Flanker sinking stickbaits, 80mm Fly Half Poppers and soft plastics rigged on jigheads up to around 1/2oz.

Medium Spin - This generally consists of a rod with a heavier rating and additional length, to allow longer casts with heavier lures, along with a larger reel with increased line capacity for heavier line. I will generally run a 7-9' rod, based on the conditions and lures being fished, rated around 5-10kg or 6-12kg. This rod is matched with a 40-55 size reel, loaded with 20lb braid and 20-40lb leader. This combo is great off the rocks and beaches, especially when the surf begins to become more of a factor. It is also ideal when longer casts are required and also when chasing larger fish from the boat, especially if other larger species are possible bycatch. On this combo I will fish 20-40g metal lures, 115mm Flanker sinking stickbaits, 80mm Fly Half Poppers and soft plastics rigged on jigheads up to 1oz, with 3/4oz being a favourite.

Surf Spin - This is the step up to a dedicated surf combo for fishing from the rocks and beaches with larger and more aggressive surf, allowing you to make long casts and stay in touch with baits and lures more effectively. Rods will commonly range from 10-13'6", with some anglers stepping up to even longer rods if required to get increased distance. These rods are often rated around 10-20kg and fitted with a spinning reel from 65 size upward, generally spooled with 30-50lb braid and 20-80lb leader for lure fishing and 20-50lb monofilament line, with similar rated leader, for bait fishing.

This combo is used for casting pilchards and large flesh baits when bait fishing. In terms of lures it will comfortably throw larger stickbaits and poppers, along with metal lures from 40g upward. This rod is also suitable for casting larger soft plastics on jighead weights from around 3/4oz upwards to several ounces, depending on the casting capabilities of the rod.

Bait Selection

Prime baits for targeting tailor or salmon include whole fish and flesh baits. Pilchards, gar, yellowtail pike and herring are just a few of the whole fish options and these are commonly rigged on a gang of hooks that cover the bulk of the body to maximise the chances of hook up when the bait is attacked aggressively. Remember to check your local regulations in terms of the number of hooks that can be ganged together.

Flesh baits are also sometimes ganged or rigged on snelled hooks, while others will fish them on a large single hook, sometimes using a second sliding hook to keep the bait straight so that it doesn't spin. Common rigs include a paternoster rig or running sinker rig, with the running sinker running either directly to the hook, or to a swivel, a leader of 60cm or so and then the hook. Other popular baits for salmon include squid and pipis.

Lure Selection

Tailor and salmon are aggressive feeders and will eat a wide variety of lures, depending on the conditions and their mood. There are a few favourites in my kit though that have proven themselves time and again.

Metal Lures - As their name suggests these lures are constructed from metal, giving them plenty of weight for casting and their profile is that of a baitfish, allowing you to select a size to match the hatch or the conditions. They are generally fished with a high speed retrieve, burn and kill (wind and pause) or a rip and pause. The 20, 30 and 40g TT Lures Hard Core metal lures have served me well when spinning for tailor on light to medium gear, or you can step up to heavier weights on larger surf combos.

Stickbaits - Another realistic baitfish imitation, generally constructed from a heavy duty plastic and available in a stack of sizes and weights. Popular models include the Fish Inc. Hooker 110 and Wing or Right Wing 120 (Right Wing is fitted with singles), with the Prop and Tighthead Prop 140 (Tighthead Prop is fitted with singles) a popular option from the rocks and when chasing larger fish in bigger surf. The absolute standout though is the 85 and 115mm Flanker, a slender profile stickbait that has proven dynamite on both of these species, along with tuna, mackerel and more, even when the bite is shut down.

The Flanker can be fished much like a metal lure, with a high speed, burn and kill or rip and pause retrieve, however it also tends to fall slower than a metal lure, with a shimmy on the fall. Where the metal lure simply plummets to the bottom, the Fish Inc. Flanker is more versatile and allows you to utilise slower retrieves, along with twitches and pauses to entice the tough bites. If you love your tailor or salmon fishing and haven't checked these out, you could be missing out on that one lure that is capable of flicking the switch to turn on the bite

Poppers - When the fish are aggressive a popper can encourage some brutal surface strikes, crazy aerial action and plenty of fish, however many poppers fail in terms of build and also weight for casting. The Fish Inc. Fly Half popper has the catch phrase 'small but fearless' and this just about sums it up. The Fly Half is built tough, with heavy duty ABS construction, through wire design, heavy duty Owner trebles and a solid casting weight of 16g. This little popper also comes in some brilliant colours for targeting tailor and salmon.

The design of this popper, with its keeled belly also allows for a variety of retrieves from a walk the dog (zig zagging, side to side retrieve), to a skip across the top, subtle pop or aggressive bloop. This again allows you to experiment until you find what the fish want, or mix things up to switch the school back on if they shut down on one particular retrieve. This popper has accounted for loads of salmon and tailor, along with plenty of big barramundi, mangrove jack, trevally and more, making it a worthy addition to your kit.

Soft Plastics - The absolute go-to for me in recent years though has been the range of ZMan 10X Tough ElaZtech plastics. They can stand up to the toothies and many times I have landed over 20 tailor on a single plastic. They also don't get torn apart and away from the head with the brutal strikes and aggressive fight of these fish. At the same time they look and feel so realistic that even when the fish are shut down from being spooked by predators, anglers casting at them or whatever reason... they still can't resist a soft plastic.

Another great thing about soft plastics is the massive variety of sizes, profiles and colours. When you talk about matching the hatch, the soft plastic offers so many possibilities, from subtle changes in colour from green, black or blue backs, to baitfish profiles ranging from 2.5 inches to 10 inches in length. Remember that different plastics have different characteristics, including the amount of built in action and potential resistance that they have to casting and sinking.

There are two main styles of plastics that I fish in the surf when chasing tailor and these would transfer well to salmon. Jerkbait profile are a favourite for these species because they have little built in action, allowing long casts even in windy conditions and they can be weighted to sink fast even in waves and turbulent water. The lack of built in action means that they are generally fished with a high speed wind, similar to fishing a metal lure, or an erratic 'jerking' retrieve such as a rip or twitch and pause that sees the plastic dart around like a frenzied baitfish. Favourites for me include the 3.75" StreakZ, 5" StreakZ, 5" Scented Jerk ShadZ and 7" Scented Jerk ShadZ, rigged on TT Lures HeadlockZ HD or Big EyeZ jigheads. Go-to colours include Pearl, pinks and natural baitfish colours.

My favourite profile to fish in the surf is the paddle tail as it appeals to so many different species and responds to almost any retrieve. You may need to weight the paddle tail with a heavier jighead to get the casting distance and get it down through the waves, however once it's out there that paddle tail design can switch on even a shutdown school and it is very rare to get a tailor school that will refuse a plastic, even when they are being bombarded by anglers throwing metal lures or harassed by larger predators such as queenfish or kingfish.

My go-to presentation is a ZMan 3" MinnowZ, rigged on a 1/2oz 3/0 TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jighead, however I have also had good success casting ZMan 4" and 5" DieZel MinnowZ, along with 4" and 6" SwimmerZ. It's just a matter of trying to work out the size of the bait that the fish are feeding on and representing that bait profile as closely as possible for starters. In terms of selecting a jighead to suit the chosen plastic, you will find a simple jighead selection guide in the 'Rigging Guides' section of the tackletactics.com.au website. Go-to colours in paddle tails include Pearl, pinks and natural baitfish colours, such as Opening Night, Pearl Blue Glimmer, Smokey Shad and Bad Shad.

I also scent up my plastics and other lures with Pro-Cure Super Gel scent, with favourite flavours for tailor and salmon including Mullet, Bloody Tuna and Sardine / Pilchard. I apply scent every 30 or so casts, putting a squirt on each side of the head of the plastic and smearing it right down to the tip of the tail with my fingers.

Retrieve Techniques

Regardless of the type of lure that you select, it's worth mixing up the retrieve as the mood of the fish changes based on all sorts of variables, including tide, time of day, weather, what they are feeding on, whether they feel threatened by other predators and more.

I have had times when they want the metal lure skipped across the surface, other times they want in just below the surface, retrieved at a slower speed or fished on a burn and kill (wind and pause). Likewise I have fished soft plastics when tailor are under pressure from predators such as queenfish or kingfish and won't eat a metal lure. They still ate a ZMan 3" MinnowZ rigged on a 1/2oz 3/0 TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jighead though, mixing up the retrieve to keep the school active. When the school shut down on one retrieve, a change saw them switch on again, rotating between a steady roll, burn and kill or hopping retrieve.

Care for your Catch

Tailor and salmon are often kept to be used as flesh baits for larger predators, such as mulloway, pelagics and reefies. Although not considered a prized table fish, many anglers will eat a fresh fillet though, especially on the barbecue or cooked in a fish smoker. The flesh is quite oily, so it's best to focus on recipes designed to suit this type of flesh.

If you are keeping a few for a feed, fresh is best, however vacuum sealing a few fillets for later is fine. The key to the eating qualities comes down bleeding your catch thoroughly upon capture and then icing it down in a slurry and filleting the fish as soon as possible. Although they don't have that delicate, white and flaky flesh of more prized eating fish, I know many anglers that utilise them for barbecuing, smoking, fish cakes, fish pies and various other recipes.

If you're looking to do battle with a species that hits aggressively, pulls hard, loves eating lures and can often be caught in numbers, then it's worth doing some research on the tailor and salmon fishing available in your region. Some of my favourite fishing sessions have been centred around spinning for tailor off the beach on light gear, while also assisting others to catch their first tailor and experience the mayhem of a hot tailor bite.

See you on the water...
Justin Willmer

Gearing Up:

TT Lures Hard Core Metal Lure
Fish Inc. Flanker Sinking Stickbait - 85mm & 115mm
Fish Inc. Fly Half Popper - 80mm
ZMan 3" MinnowZ
ZMan 4" DieZel MinnowZ
ZMan 5" DieZel MinnowZ
ZMan 5" StreakZ
ZMan 7" Scented Jerk ShadZ
TT Lures HeadlockZ HD Jigheads
TT Lures Big EyeZ Jigheads
Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent - Mullet, Bloody Tuna & Sardine / Pilchard