The start of the salmon season marks the beginning of Australia's largest fishing competition, the Salmon Slam

The beginning of cooler weather marks the beginning of Western Australia’s salmon season, with Albany right in the centre of WA’s awesome autumn of salmon. Each autumn, West Aussie salmon migrate from WA’s south coast northwards, sometimes reaching metro waters, with the annual run supporting world-class fishing experiences. Albany beaches are often teeming with schools of fish as recreational fishers descend on the region. With more than $300 million invested by recreational salmon fishers annually, the salmon season represents a significant boost to State and local economies. WA salmon are hard-fighting, acrobatic and abundant, making them ideal targets for WA’s sport fishers. As part of the salmon season celebrations, Recfishwest is running the 2023 Slamon Slam, Australia’s biggest land-based fishing competition, kicking off at the start of March. Nearly 2500 anglers have taken part over the past two years. Recfishwest chief executive Dr Andrew Rowland said salmon were a part of the West Aussie fishing lifestyle. “The chance to catch one of the world’s most accessible sportfish off some of the world’s most spectacular beaches is unique to Western Australia and should be celebrated — it’s also a good sustainable fishing option for fishers looking to get ‘get their fishing fix’ with the new demersal closure in place until April. “The sheer abundance of these fish in WA means they can grow bigger than anywhere else in Australia and it’s what underpins these fantastic fishing experiences. “That’s why we’re committed to protecting it and celebrating it.” This year’s Salmon Slam is supported by Shimano and Western Angler Magazine, which are based in Albany. Fisheries Minister Don Punch said the slam was very popular on the south coast and represented a good opportunity for WA anglers to change their target species as part of the State Government’s Switch Your Fish campaign. “It also provides a fantastic alternative fishing experience while the demersal fishery is closed for rec-fishers to switch it up and join the Salmon Slam fishing competition,” he said. “It is timely to remember to make your safety a priority when heading out salmon fishing and choosing to fish from the beach as your first option. “Make sure you also download the SharkSmart WA app before you head out to keep up to date with the latest information and alerts.” Competitors can sign up by downloading the Salmon Slam app and tagging their biggest fish with #SS2023. Competitors are in the running for prizes from Shimano.