A nice mulloway landed from the surf near Salt Creek.

If you have a four wheel drive vehicle and a day or two to spare you could do far worse than pack a few surf rods and head to the beach to wet a line. Anglers are reporting good catches of Australian salmon biting from the shore along the back of the Coorong. Situated between Kingston and the mouth of the Murray, this stretch of coastline allows vehicle access to the beach opening up some truly awesome fishing. At present time salmon up to 5kg are keeping anglers busy and at this size they are a handful on rod and reel. If intended for the table, salmon should be bled straight away, removing the head and sticking them upright in the sand while you continue to fish is a proven and popular method. Eaten fresh or smoked, salmon make a fine dish and their rich pink flesh is of excellent texture and quality. Salmon do not freeze very well so it is best only to take what you can use at the time. Salmon also make excellent bait for other fish species and a fresh slab cast into the waves is sure to tempt any larger predatory fish in the area. Amongst the catches of salmon have been a few Mulloway and while most of these have been of the smaller variety, some bigger fish are starting to show.

This is a great time to hit the beach as a cross section of species go about their spring run where they skirt the coast feeding up on schooling baitfish that take refuge amongst the breakers. Gummy sharks have also been another notable and welcome catch over recent weeks with some larger specimens weighing in at 15kg or more. There are plenty of fresh flake fillets on a shark this size and they are great on the plate and freeze well for future meals. A great point of localized fishing information and up to date reports can be gained locally at the Salt Creek Road House. Overnight camping is available along the beach and these areas are clearly marked with a post and number. You will require a permit to do so at a cost of around four dollars a night. These can be purchased at Salt Creek along with bait, ice and other essentials.  The 28, 32 and 42-mile crossings are popular entry points as is the Tea Tree Crossing just a few kilometers from Salt creek. This is just the start of the surf fishing season and over the next few months as the weather warms we can expect to see the action continue as snapper begin to show, followed closely by a variety of other species that include school and bronze whaler sharks. Add to this the odd thumping great Mulloway and it’s easy to see why so many anglers get excited about casting a rod along this section of the coastline.