Little_Flatty Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 Morning Raiders, Headed down to Tarban Ck this morning again armed with my 3-6kg Flathead Raider, 8lb braid and 20lb leader. Had my trusty 120mm sugapen tied on as usual. Got casting. About ten casts in, I get a little splash and hook up. Nice...maybe another legal tailor? But then the rod bends more deeply and the reel screams with a blistering run. This is NOT a 30cm fish! Recover a bit of line and then the fish screams off towards the moorings. Uh-oh, have I got myself a king here? Anyhow it soon becomes apparent that I'm not the one in control here, so I just try my best to keep tension on the line, recover what line I can and try to steer the fish away from trouble. As the fish gets closer I start fumbling with my head torch and get ready for a net job. I can see that the fish is silver but no positive ID apart from that. The fish takes one more lunge at a sunken tree limb and then settles into a holding pattern of steady resistance close in. Deploy net, and in a couple of net shots the fish is in, but it is jutting out a fair bit. It's a tailor and definitely a PB. The net groans under the weight of the fish...this is NOT what it signed up for...it was meant for bream and flathead! 62cm...beating my previous PB of 53cm. Couldn't believe how thick and heavy it was. After this photo, I return the fish to the water and find a tangle so bad that I didn't cast again for the session. Turns out the fish had swum into some snagged braid which wrapped around the lure and leader and made a complete mess. But I was already happy and after cutting the line, I went home. The tailor bit a hole in my net as well. Not sure what I'm going to do about that, suspect a replacement net is in order. Small price to pay for a special fish. 26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirvin21 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 Nice Tailer Mike, You're doing well on the winter surface fishing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 Congrats on the PB Mike, that’s a very nice fish. They’re great fun on light gear. Just tie the hole in your net loosely with a bit of heavy mono and it will do the job, even if its just until you get around to ordering a replacement. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted July 7 Author Share Posted July 7 19 minutes ago, dirvin21 said: Nice Tailer Mike, You're doing well on the winter surface fishing Cheers Dave, better than donutting like I usually have done in winter! 12 minutes ago, Green Hornet said: Congrats on the PB Mike, that’s a very nice fish. They’re great fun on light gear. Just tie the hole in your net loosely with a bit of heavy mono and it will do the job, even if its just until you get around to ordering a replacement. Cheers Pete, I might try to repair the net like that and see how I go. Will likely still order a replacement. I’m on my third net for this frame but it’s been good to me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackfish Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 That’s a great Tailor in anyone’s books. Excellent result. 👍 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 Great fish Mike, good sport at that size. 👍 Once caught one around that size on a 10 pound handline, that was fun. 😂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutsaboutfishing Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 A monster, Mike, on topwater as well!! Exceptionally well done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyFil Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 Congratulations on the PB, that's a cracker tailor. The big greenbacks often turn up in mid winter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faker Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 congrats mike. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james Cutler Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 Top fish. How's the lure ? Well done. Great photo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 That is a belter of a tailor and it sounds like you used every bit of skill to land the beast! Congrats on the PB! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 3 hours ago, Blackfish said: That’s a great Tailor in anyone’s books. Excellent result. 👍 Thanks Blackfish, I'm very happy with that fish. Hope all is well up there. 3 hours ago, Yowie said: Great fish Mike, good sport at that size. 👍 Once caught one around that size on a 10 pound handline, that was fun. 😂 Cheers Dave, yes that would be quite the challenge on a 10 pound handline. Coincidentally I've copped a cut recently from over tightening one of my leader knots, can't imagine what 10lb would do to your hands on a big fish! 2 hours ago, nutsaboutfishing said: A monster, Mike, on topwater as well!! Exceptionally well done Thanks @nutsaboutfishing. Topwater is a great way to target them as a lot of the time they are in the upper part of the water column. 2 hours ago, LuckyFil said: Congratulations on the PB, that's a cracker tailor. The big greenbacks often turn up in mid winter Thanks Fil, I was looking for them but for sure didn't expect one that big. 2 hours ago, faker said: congrats mike. Cheers faker. 2 hours ago, james Cutler said: Top fish. How's the lure ? Well done. Great photo. The lure is fine, not a scratch! I had low expectations when I bought it, thought it would end up as a wall ornament, but it's caught a few fish (and a squid) now! 21 minutes ago, jenno64 said: That is a belter of a tailor and it sounds like you used every bit of skill to land the beast! Congrats on the PB! Thanks Rob, Not used to fish the size that you catch, so I couldn't work out if I was doing it right or botching it up🤣 I guess it made it into the net and onto the brag mat in the end, so I guess I'm doing something right, or at least had a heap of luck on my side 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james Cutler Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 @Little_Flatty I have 3 Sugapen lures. Two 70mm in different colours & 120mm. They are a great lure. There is a guy on line that sells copies at half the price if you are interested. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhan Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 That's a cracker tailor especially on light gear and I wouldn't be surprised to see your kingies report soon! Amazing work! I might need to book in another topwater tutoring session so land a similar one on my own! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linewetter Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 Huge fish! Congrats on the PB and to nail it on topwater too...an amazing feat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaxland Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 Thats a green back well done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 4 hours ago, james Cutler said: @Little_Flatty I have 3 Sugapen lures. Two 70mm in different colours & 120mm. They are a great lure. There is a guy on line that sells copies at half the price if you are interested. Nice James. They are good lures. I think the name of the game for me is to make a few stickbaits and see how they hold up to the tailor. 3 hours ago, lhan said: That's a cracker tailor especially on light gear and I wouldn't be surprised to see your kingies report soon! Amazing work! I might need to book in another topwater tutoring session so land a similar one on my own! Thanks Henry. I'm 0 for 2 kingie hookups so far. I know from Derek that your technique is down pat so let me suggest something controversial: take only topwaters with you, leave the jigs at home. Then you'll get yourself a fish 46 minutes ago, linewetter said: Huge fish! Congrats on the PB and to nail it on topwater too...an amazing feat. Thanks Linewetter. Contrary to what one might think, topwater isn't necessarily a more challenging way to fish. Topwater can sometimes be more effective than other methods if the fish are high in the water column or the water is shallow. Particularly for tailor. I struggled to catch much at Tarban Ck over the past decade with plastics until I started using topwater lures this summer. That's when everything changed. 7 minutes ago, blaxland said: Thats a green back well done Thanks Blaxland. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kantong Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 this is what it's all about, big fish, light gear at the local fishing hole. Love it! Well done on landing it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskey299 Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 Well done on the PB tailor that is truly a solid greenback. There have been a good ones cruising the waters this winter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 20 hours ago, kantong said: this is what it's all about, big fish, light gear at the local fishing hole. Love it! Well done on landing it. Thanks Kantong, I love my local sessions! 17 hours ago, whiskey299 said: Well done on the PB tailor that is truly a solid greenback. There have been a good ones cruising the waters this winter. Thanks whiskey, I think they have been bigger the past couple of winters. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 Nice Tailor Mike! Big Chunky fish! bet that was good fun when it grabbed the lure and took off - well fought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted July 11 Author Share Posted July 11 25 minutes ago, Larkin said: Nice Tailor Mike! Big Chunky fish! bet that was good fun when it grabbed the lure and took off - well fought! Thanks Chris, it was a thrill for sure. Haven't found another one yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 4 minutes ago, Little_Flatty said: Thanks Chris, it was a thrill for sure. Haven't found another one yet. Haha - that’s the problem we all have. Trying to get onto another… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazatherfisherman Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 Good fish Mike, worthy of sacrificing the net! The big ones always look angry! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 I love catching Tailor, they are very strong fighters and powerful adversaries. Also, ruthless killing machines that hit hard and mercilessly. That is a very fine specimen Mike...well done. I know that most people don't rate their eating qualities but FRESH they are pretty good to eat, excellent if smoked. Well done, bn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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