# Advice - Using Tailor for bait.



## breamingfromabass (Aug 22, 2007)

Hey Guys,

Looking for comments on using tailor as bait... I have not done it before but a few fisho's I know said it works.

There have been big schools in the lake lately and instead of just catching them for fun I was thinking of gutting, scalling, filleting, salting and freezing for bait. I want to have a few baits out where I would normally snapper fish - anyone tell me if I could expect snapper to take tailor?

Has anyone done this? Any suggestions?

Thanks a lot.

Luke.


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

Yep - Snapper eat tailor. Fillets seem to work best either ganged or just pinned through the top and left to flap in the current. Have also caught sweetlip and small jewfish on them as well the odd cod. They don't freeze well though they tend to go too mush. Make sure you use heaps of salt if you try it.


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## JakeJ (Aug 31, 2008)

I think that your tailer is our bluefish, here in the States. The NortheEast coast tuna fishermen live line them for bluefin tuna.


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

a mate swears by tailor for jewies and has several impressive catches to back that up


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Live or dead Tailor is great bait.

Live, they tend to swim around a lot, making a big scene, attracting big fish.

Dead, fresh is best, but you can freeze them. I've caught Snapper just using a whole fish frame (Snapper will eat anything)

People actually eat them. :shock: :shock: ......Yuk! I cant stand them......only use them for bait.


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Astro said:


> a mate swears by tailor for jewies and has several impressive catches to back that up


Thirty years ago the fishing clubs jewie champion took me out on an outing on the rocks, and our first job was catch many tailor for fresh bait...this bloke caught jew all year on every outing and fillets tailor were his main bait


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## breamingfromabass (Aug 22, 2007)

Hey Dodge,
So tailor can work for jewies? Would you say alive or dead?

do you think a snapper would take a whole live tailor? Pretty big don't you think?


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

breamingfromabass said:


> So tailor can work for jewies? Would you say alive or dead?


Luke this is what this jew champ did from the rocks, and might add this bloke fished for nothing else but jew, and of course at the start catching tailor for bait

Used a whole fillet on a 7/0 or 9/0 hook and threw it into the wash in a hole and let it float around for a while, and during this time pickers were hitting it but he was happy as he regarded them as berley for Mr Big....if a jew took the bait he gave it a long run without any weight, and after it paused to turn the bait before swallowing, he hooked it at the start of the second run.

If there was no jew bite after 15-20 minutes in the water, he removed the fillet and threw the scrap back into the wash and rebaited with a fresh fillet...his argument being that after 20 mins the juices would have leeched from the bait and so had to be replaced to be attractive.

Having seen it work dozens of times for him when club fishing I am happy to have followed his advice down the years and it got me a big feller many years ago using his technique.

Any remaining and unused tailor he filleted for a feed, and also had some salted fillets for bait use later when no fresh available


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## Breambo (Apr 19, 2006)

Big Knobbies will smash a live tailor and so will just about anything, best are just legal size. Cut tailor is also killer on bream but tends to break apart, leave the skin on amd use the silvery underbelly cut in slithers.


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## blaggon (Jan 14, 2008)

breamingfromabass said:


> So tailor can work for jewies? Would you say alive or dead?
> 
> do you think a snapper would take a whole live tailor? Pretty big don't you think?


live tailor are regarded as one of the best baits for jewies and a decent snapper will also take them.. also very good as a flesh bait... but live will nearly always outfish dead..


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## craig51063 (May 30, 2008)

the biggest taylor i have caught was on tailor also the biggest ,smallest ,only jewfish i have caught was on tailor


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## rnmars1 (Feb 21, 2008)

I caught a kingie last season with a live tailor.

I prefer them over yakkas, provided their not too big.


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## worleybird (Aug 31, 2008)

Hi Luke.

There are a few avid jew fisherman around here that have tailor heads as their favourite jew bait! They stay on your hook even with the pickers and have a lot of smell!! I've used them a bit (I actually really like tailor fillets for dinner) have caught a few sharks, a large tailor and been snapped off several times! I've also struck after what i considered long runs only to have the bait come out of whatever took it (I now know that for jew you have to wait till the second run to strike)!!

I've also heard that two tailor fillets attached skin to skin on the hook is a killer for mulloway too. especially if the tailor are caught on location as the jew tend to shadow the schools!

also if you are going to freeze them i wouldn't scale them as it helps to prevent drying out. I would just gut them and freeze them. You can fillet them and use the head and fillets for bait and hang or throw the frame in the water for burley!!

Stephen


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## breamingfromabass (Aug 22, 2007)

Sounds good thanks guys.

I will have to get down there and get some now.

Thanks again.
Luke.


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## couta1 (Sep 10, 2005)

hope you got good gear...believe me ...BIG FISH ...eat tailor


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## paulo (Nov 1, 2007)

So how do you hook up a live tailor or dead for that matter? Bridle above the eyes live a slimey, hooked straight through the shoulder or pinned sideways through the nose? Im guessing youd need to upsize the hook to. Maybe a 10\0?
The few times Ive tried to tow a fresh dead tailor it just ends up spinning. I have seen some elaborate bridles with leader and snelled hooks floating near the tail but would need a week to tie them.


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## breamingfromabass (Aug 22, 2007)

I am also interested in how to hook up a live tailor?

I would have thought through the shoulder and I completely forgot to ask what size hooks to use?

Hey Couta1,
What would you predict I should expect? On NSW South Coast fishing outside but not far off the shore / headland.
Maybe I should upgrade my gear? I am definitely keen as for some big fish and to be honest I do not really know what to expect.


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## Breambo (Apr 19, 2006)

I just bridle livies and use a slow trolling rig for dead.


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## Clarkos (Oct 11, 2006)

Don't forget in NSW they have to be over 30 cm.


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