Chasing tailor in Ballina - rig question

[kmcrosby78]

Am in Ballina this week and going to go have a crack for a decent sized tailor on Sth Ballina beach on Friday night. Have read/heard that the bigger tailor are generally caught on flesh/slab baits like bonito or mullet so I'll grab some mullet (or bonito if it's not too expensive) and try some once they come on the bite. Just wondering if I would be best using gangs to do this? In my mind any other option would require a wire trace but I could be wrong?

Tailor seem thin on the ground down here at the moment. Don't appear to be any decent gutters around Ballina (north of the wall). I tried Boulder Beach off the rocks this morning and got none - did have something VERY LARGE take me around behind the next rocky outcrop. Would have loved to have seen what it was - didn't take off like a jewie so I suspect something reefy, not sure what cod species they get down here? Or blue groper, etc?

Was looking for a decent gutter along Sth Ballina beach today on the way back from Evans Head and when we got to the south wall of the river there were two guys that had just finished a spearfishing session and were putting their catch on ice - had a couple of jewies and a heap of bream. I asked if they'd heard of tailor catches and they said they hadn't seen a single one today so obviously not many in the river!!

Anyway, fingers crossed!!!

[youngy]

KM, the locals that chase the big tailor down there use mustad 7766 hooks, they use a 4/0 on top and a 2/0 on the bottom with a swivel in between.

They use wire trace and always use Bonito for bait, there was a 5.6kg Tailor caught 2 weeks ago and the same guy had 3 Tailor for over 11 kg in a club trip last weekend, also a few school jew caught, cheers wayne

[kmcrosby78]

Thanks for the info Wayne. Some big greenbacks around by the sounds of it!!!! Is there much involved in putting the swivel in between? ie. is it just a matter of choosing a swivel size that can't slip over the barb? EDIT: having thought about it for a mere 20 more seconds, I would assume the best way would be to thread it onto the eye of the 4/0 hook BEFORE closing it (I was originally thinking you would just manoeuvre it over the barb ....) and then use pliers to close the 2/0 eye onto the swivel?

My lousy tailor PB is just 43cm so really hoping to better it - hopefully substantially!!!! Of course if a jewie comes by I won't complain!!!!

Any rough idea on approximate size of bonito slab Youngy? From memory they have them more rectangular then triangular? Sorry for all the questions - grew up on whiting fishing up Hervey Bay and Mackay way as opposed to surf fishing down this way.

Going to try Boulder Beach again tomorrow morning - not overly hopeful after the other morning but doesn't appear to be any better options easily accessible for a 3 hour fishing window this side of the river so worst case hopefully that big sucker visits me for round two!!! Going to get the ferry over tomorrow arvo and fish into the night for a while. The gutter I found is right in front of the camping grounds at Sth Ballina AND there is a fishing comp on so I'm assuming I'll be sharing the gutter with a few others!!!

[youngy]

KM, yes mate rectangle shape the same length as the gang of hooks and around 2 and a half centimeters wide.

North Coast fishing Bonanza Comp this weekend and it will be busy, i can assure you if you find the gutter on South Ballina Beach with the most anglers in it that will be were the big fish have been caught, cheers wayne