SgtBundy

Nice report. Now wishing I had taken a trip out after an early finish today Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I will see if he got some photos of it - certainly was a surprise.

Interesting that it had some boys with her - when I was a teen my mate caught a similar size one on a handline of all things. When he get her in we discovered there was another smaller almost legal flathead down her gob.

Ok - will give that a go next time.

My office just got moved up the top of kent st. First thought was how can I stash some light gear to be able to wander down to Walsh bay at lunch or after work Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, I was a little disappointed with the taste of the tailor, not as nice as a smaller one I got a few weeks back. Next lot will become bait Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had a few casts that I managed to get out just behind the break, but had no takers. Not sure if it was too late past the top of the tide by that time but I suppose you never know what might be cruising past.

Thanks - I have been inspired since I saw a couple that some guys took from the surf at the entrance a few months back. Now that I have some suitable gear I can start working on it in earnest. The advice and information from this forum has been fantastic.

I had it in my mind that if I got a 3rd tailor he was going out with a 10/0 in his back to find me a jewie

With some very welcome advice from Crossfire63 I planned a trip out to Narrabeen this evening to have my first go at Jewies. Rocked up at the surf club around 5pm and found what appeared to be a gutter right in front of where I parked. Got setup and decided to hedge my bets with a 6/0 gang hook rig instead of the 10/0 Gamakatsu hooks I bought for the occasion. First time using mullet fillet so first few attempts were in-efficient slabs rather than some decent strips, but soon figured out what I was doing. Right around dark I got my first customer - a nice 40cm+ tailor - was a little excited and forgot to measure it, but even without its head it was bigger than the 36cm tailor I picked up next. Neither was a challenge with my new surf rig, a few little runs but nothing that wasn't easily stopped. Was happy with the tailors but decided to try upsizing my baits to try and pick up the jewies instead. Next was a 40cm flathead that was attempting to down a mullet slab as big as its head. He came in without much fuss and decided to keep him. About 10 minutes later I had what I thought was a hit, but it seemed odd. As I brought it in I found I had a 46cm flathead that got foul hooked on his underside with two of the gang hooks - the three fish I had were enough for now so I sent him back. Switched to the single 10/0 hook and tried using some larger slabs but at this point everything went quiet except for a few takes that I was unable to hook - figured it was tailor taking chunks out of the bait but missing the hook. The tide retreated fairly quickly and it turned dumpy out in front of where I was. I kept trying a few things even using the first tailors head as bait but had no sign of anything taking it on. Called it a night about 9pm. Happy to take home a decent feed including one very nice tailor, plus learned a few things for my next jewie attempt.

I was there in front of the surf club from about 5:00-9:00 tonight. I wasn't sure it was a gutter (still a novice) but it looked right to me, breaking in close and no sign of breaks further out. Was there for my first crack at going for jewies but had no luck in that department. Took one nice 40+ tailor, another 36cm tailor, a 40cm flattie and another larger one that I let go (3 fish I had were enough for the family). Bit was good around the peak of the high tide around 6pm, but the tide retreated quickly after that and it went quiet.

I did see a large calamari hovering around early when I got there, but had nothing ready to have a go at him. He jetted off pretty quick anyway. Would have liked to have had hooked up on what probably was a tailor that took the back of the first yakka - he was big enough to swallow 4-5" of yakka before he took the bite.

Nice tailor - good to see they are about Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Booked it so I could get the entire week off this week (3 days leave for 10 days off) but despite about 6 various trips out I so far have one 25cm bream to show for it (plus one cranky long tom that got sent back). This included a few surf fishing attempts, some light lure and SP attempts around the entrance and a few varied hours on the harbour. Some advice I have had is just that they go off the bite around his phase of the moon, plus from what I read some of the species are not active in the harbour at the the moment. I can do the regular bream/flathead targeting easy enough but I am looking for something different and hopefully with a bit of fight in it. I am only shore based so that sort of limits my options, but I am wondering what I can target at various times of the year around the harbour? From what I have read any kings in the harbour at the moment will be sparse and probably hard enough to get from the shore. I know there has been a bit of tailor activity but so far I have only encountered choppers. I would like to go for jewfish at some point but my time and ability to properly prep to get decent bait is limited. What sort of species can I expect at the moment around the harbour? What are the normal cycles of the species that come through - from what I gather kings are during the warmer months, while the tailor should start to fire up in the next few months, is there anything else that is an option at the moment? If I can't get out during dawn/early hours is what is the best way to use my time during afternoons that I can get out? Any tips appreciated.

Book some days off work - happen to pick the exact conditions for nothing to show up. Stuck at work - get to read all the reports of everything showing up where you were two days ago.

Thanks. I need to setup more varied rigs at home so I can do them properly and adapt to situations, that is one thing I am learning already. The back hits had me thinking I needed a second hook as some of the yakkas were big enough to support a couple, but I would rather set them up at home where I can reference a proper rig rather than improvise in he field Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Given it a few goes now, yet to get anything solid on it yet though. Casting is great and seems to do better with heavier loads. Reel has plenty of power, a few weed snags and a just legal bream were no match. Hoping to find something to give it a fight soon Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Woke up early on a day off and decided to head out to see if I could entice something onto my new heavier gear. Got out to Clifton Gardens about 7:30 and sent out a few pillies only to have them stripped off the hooks by pickers. Yakkas started up so I had a go with a sabiki rig and found they were only interested if I baited it. Got a few so sent one out live under a float hoping for something interesting. First one got in a panic and went quiet, brought it in to find it bitten clean behind the head (hook in the nose). Got a few more yakkas, Unfortunately the shags picked up on my action and chased out the float to harass my bait. Lost several trying to avoid the shags. Finally got another out that got bit on back and left dead. Gave up around 12 and took some dead yakkas for fresh bait. Changed location to spit bridge and went lighter casting around the pylons. Got bites but nothing took, except one that put up a fight but popped off. So good to try some new things but all up bust for the day. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tuggerah lake has some, though from what I have been told not like it used to. Aim for edges of weed beds or sand drop offs. Bouncing off the bottom seems to give best results but I have also had them snatch them on slow retrieves across channels. Have a go across the channel at north entrance, there is normal a few about there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh, and the Fin Nor Biscayne/Rovex Air Surf prime combo is $99 this weekend (with some rovex braid thrown in) where I picked up my new kit. Seems quite a decent setup and the price was hard to go past, but as above it just was not going to be able to be used as much if I couldnt transport it.

Finally made my choice. Shimano Aerowave Graphite 1203 - got it specifically because it was a 3pc and that means I am far more likely to be able to take it with me when we go away somewhere. A 2pc anything just was not going to be practical unless I was by myself and could transport it in the car cabin, and a lot of my fishing will be when I take the kids away somewhere so it needs to be able to go in the car boot. Decided to go with the graphite as I like the feel of it and I think for the most part I should be able to stay within the limitations of a graphite rod. Fin Nor Lethal LT60 - was going for a Pflueger Salt but this seemed very similar and i could get it at a better price on the day. There seemed to be very little splitting the reels at this price point anyway. Should be able to give this a crack on the weekend.

It was looking pretty rough and the wind was out, but Dad and I had a go with some lures at the entrance just before dark. Dad took a nice salmon that he sent back, the next guy along pulled 3 very good flathead and a long Tom. The swell off the beach was fairly strong, kept surging up which made it hard to get into a good casting spot for the channel but otherwise not too bad at that time if the day. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was there 1am to 3am sat morning. The chopper tailor were smashing every pillie I was putting in. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Something that would take a live legal tailor would be interesting on a 2500 reel with 6lb mono. Short, but interesting Should have my heavier rig next week. But as per the original question, are the larger tailor likely to be on the harbour mixing with those sorts of choppers, or should I have tried to change up to avoid them? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Last night I seemed to have gained the attention of a school of chopper tailor, it wasn't hard to just cast out and get a hit and hook up. But all were constantly undersize getting as big as 26cm. Do tailor schools tend to be all similar sized and was I just wasting my time and bait pulling choppers hoping for a larger one? It was entertaining with their hard hits but a little disappointing to have no take home. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk