Eastern Australian Salmon
Arripis trutta
Eastern Australian Salmon (Arripis trutta) is a fast-swimming coastal predator common along temperate southeastern Australia and Tasmania. Despite the name, it is not a true salmon; it feeds in schools on baitfish and is a popular surf and estuary sportfish.
Identification points
- Long, streamlined body with a deeply forked tail
- Blue-green to olive back with silvery sides and a pale belly
- Small mouth and relatively large eye; often shows dusky spots or blotches along the sides
Habitat
Temperate inshore waters, surf beaches, rocky headlands, bays, estuaries, and coastal reefs; often near bait schools, rip lines, and current edges.
Bait notes
Use pilchards, whitebait, striped tuna strips, prawns, or metal slugs and small minnows. Small unweighted or lightly weighted baits work well when fish are busting up on bait schools.
Behavior
Schooling, highly mobile predator that chases anchovies, pilchards, and other small fish. It often feeds aggressively at the surface, especially in cool months and when bait is pushed to the surface by birds or current.
Caution
Strong, hard runs and sharp gill covers can cause cuts; handle carefully. Check local size and bag limits, which can be strict in some areas. Flesh is edible but best fresh; no major toxin concerns are typical.
Fishing notes
Cast into breaking schools, bird activity, or current lines and retrieve fast. In surf, fish the wash and gutter edges; in estuaries, work tide rips and points. A light-to-medium spin outfit with fluorocarbon leader is effective.