Last few metro tailor sessions
Last Tuesday and Sunday I visited my usual metro tailor spot looking to catch a feed. I didn’t have high hopes on the Tuesday because it was a lowish high tide and not ideal moon phase. I don’t evaluate moon phases too much, but I have been keeping a keen eye on it, just to see if it does make a difference (and I THINK it does?). I pay more attention to tides, but the two are related at the end of the day. Although not huge, high tide was just on sunset and it was blowing a decent southerly, ideal!
What a dramatic evening (for all the wrong reasons!), it was one of those nights where you lose more fish than you land, getting bitten off at the swivel, fouling hooks, and resorting to using makeshift rigs because I was very low on stock. Still managed to come home with 5 tailor, ranging from 32-40cm. They didn’t hang around for long, but I wasn’t expecting them too. All in all, success. Also went back to using cork to keep the mullie off the bottom. As much fun as rays are, they are a burden during peak tailor time! Which my mate experienced, Tuesday tailor score: 4-1 to me.
Sunday I was quietly confident, all stocked up with rigs, sinkers and an esky full of VBs. High tide was around 9pm with the usual gusty southerly and from my research, an ideal moon phase?? …few days either side a new or full?!?!
Anyway, my mate and I were surprised to arrive to a near-empty rock groyne! This spot is usually very popular so it was a nice surprise. We got there right on sunset and it didn’t take long before the VBs came out and the esky became an ice slurry full of tailor. They hung around for an hour and a half, and there was a 30min period where they were smashing the bait before I could close the bail arm!! Sunday tailor score: 7-3 to me. Again I used cork. The ones we kept were between 35-43cm, 30-35cm specimens were released. My mate also got onto a fat 45cm snook, which came bait. I will never get sick of the tailor aerial displays and their final lunge close to the rocks!!
The Port Jackson’s moved in, so out went the snook fillets. They didn’t take long to get some attention, however we both got smoked. I was devo because I reckon I may have been onto my first ever toothy, but I stupidly didn’t top up my spool and was soon on shitty old unknown poundage mono backing. 
Then lost a few rigs to rays on yellow tail fillets. After losing 7 star sinkers for the night and no more beers left, we packed up.
After 3+ years of fishing the same spot, learning from my own experiences/mistakes and doing my own research, I think I can finally say I’ve sussed that spot out. Now I am no fishing expert, but if I am to give any advice, it is to go out and see for yourself. Pick a fishy spot and keep trying. Observe what others around you are doing and pay attention to conditions. And if you’re getting outfished, don’t get angry, GET BETTER! It has taken me ages to be a confident fisho at this spot.
But, im still searching for my first 50cm tailor and for a shark with teeth 
I really need to get off my ass and buy some gas for these bloody balloons sitting in my boot!
Dark, phone pic of dead fish available upon request.
Cheers, Alex.
tim-o
Posts: 4657
Date Joined: 24/05/11
Well done, yeah the likely
Well done, yeah the likely spots for tailor on the chew are spots that hold bait fish, hasnt been hard to get into them with the sun well up. I dont get outa bed early anymore, as long as the water is clean, then lure fishing for them works. like you said, once you have the spots which hold a food source, the predators are not gunna be far and tailor less than 40 cm are usally in decent schools and these spots are always good to fish after dark. You gota work harder for the bigger specimens as they are usually in small groups and req better camo to hunt like in white wash. Gota love haven a spot or several that always produce.
I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.
Snags
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 07/05/09
Tim-o thanks!!!!!
Thanks for the advice about chasing the bigger ones!!!
It does make sense, and ties in with what one of the locals was explaining to me about finding the big ones at that spot. He told me to really hug the reef/white wash with a surface rig.
I always just thought that the big ones were just a matter of luck and waiting for them to come through where the smaller ones are...
tim-o
Posts: 4657
Date Joined: 24/05/11
Tailor are great predators, I
Tailor are great predators, I lure fish for them trollin but most spots are accessable landbased any how. I reckon they see the lure and go f##k yeah Im guna eat that and hit it agro. Bigger lures may attract big fish but yeah gotta get lucky with the big ones. I gota big one once on a small twisty. I wouldnt hesitate to put a live tailor on as a bait if I was to fish landbased after the sun goes down. Using bait caught from a spot ur fishin at makes all the sence to target the fish that are there to eat those fish.
I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.
ca11um
Posts: 335
Date Joined: 25/12/11
Great write up mate,
Great write up mate, thoroughly enjoyed it!!
Snags
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 07/05/09
Thanks mate :)
Thanks mate :)
nightfish
Posts: 326
Date Joined: 18/10/10
50+
Great report there EasySnag good to see the rockwalls still produce. As tim-o said deep gutters along rock ledges with whitewater washing over are the go. Last two times fishing in metro have picked up a 65cm, 60cm and 50cm and in full sunlight. Lures are great fun when a big boy belts it in full view and takes of on light gear.
Not hard to find the right areas north of the river if you look!
mulloway_hunter
Posts: 455
Date Joined: 18/04/11
good story and its true
good story and its true getting angry and frustrated dont solve anything so it aint worth doing. and for the toothy critters you dont really need a gas baloon for sharks i ussualy use party baloons and just blow them up.
Snags
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 07/05/09
Party Balloon
Just by blowing them up.. do you find that conditions have to be perfect for them to go where they should? Because if theyre sitting on the water, wouldnt the balloon just wash back into shore? Cos thats what eventually happened to me.
I blew up one of those proper balloons in a ESE, it got out there ok, but on a big diagonal! After a while it just washed back in.
mulloway_hunter
Posts: 455
Date Joined: 18/04/11
thats because the ese
thats because the ese proberly changed and where were u balooning
Snags
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 07/05/09
Was at Trigg beach. Didnt
Was at Trigg beach. Didnt have much time so i went the closest easiest option... It managed to stay out there for a good hour or so!