Tailor Fishing: Newcastle & Lake Macquarie Guide

Good season NSW: min size 30cm · bag limit 10

Aggressive surface feeder. "Greenbacks" are trophy fish 60cm+. Jan-April = BIG Greenbacks 60cm+. Winter = school fish 30-45cm but BETTER NUMBERS. Extremely sharp teeth - use pliers and watch your fingers!

Adaptable: Feeds in low light anyway - tolerates murky conditions
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Best spot for Tailor right now:Stockton Beach (Gutters)tide + time + season alignedView spot guide →
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Where to Catch Tailor

Newcastle

Lake Macquarie

Tackle & Setup

Rod & Reel

Rod 9-10ft beach spin, 6-10kg, moderate action (for casting distance)
Reel 4000-5000 size spin reel
Mainline 15-20lb braid
Why Long rod for distance. Tailor often feed beyond the breakers.

Leader

Material Wire trace or heavy fluoro
Strength 30-40lb single-strand wire OR 60lb fluoro
Length 30-50cm wire trace
Why Their teeth shred mono and fluoro quickly. Wire is insurance but may reduce bites in clear water.

Sinkers

Weight 1-3oz ball or star sinker
Style Running sinker above swivel, or fixed above gangs
Tip Just enough weight to cast and hold bottom in wash.

Lure Recommendations

Name Colour Size Note
Halco Twisty Chrome, Gold 20g, 30g, 40g, 70g BCF stocks all sizes. The classic tailor lure.
Berkley Gulp! Minnow Smelt, Pearl White 4" Scented paddle tail when tailor are finicky.
Zerek Fish Trap Soft Vibe Silver, GS1 65mm Small vibe for picky fish.

Bait

  • Whole pilchard: The #1 tailor bait. Gang hooked or single hook through head.
  • Whitebait: Smaller but very effective. Hook through head.
  • Mullet strips: Cut into strips, hook once at top.
  • Bonito strips: Oily and tough - stays on the hook.

Gang hooks (3-4 x #2 hooks in series) through whole pilchard - snout, middle, tail.

How to Catch Tailor

Tailor Gang Hook Rig

  1. Tie 3 x #2 hooks in series (each hook tied to eye of next)
  2. Thread pilchard: first hook through nose, second through belly, third near tail
  3. Pilchard should sit straight, not curved
  4. Add ball sinker above swivel for casting weight

Technique

Basic
At dusk/night, cast into deeper gutters or channels. Let bait sink, slow retrieve. For lures - cast, let sink briefly, then fast wind with occasional pause.
Advanced
Watch for "busting up" - tailor chasing bait on surface. Birds diving = tailor below. Cast metals into the chaos, wind FAST. No pause.
Retrieve
Lures: Fast and erratic. Bait: Slow or stationary on bottom in gutters.
Presentation
Dark water (deeper gutters) holds bigger fish. Avoid shallow wash zones at night.

Pro Tips

  • Summer (Jan-Apr): BIG greenbacks 60cm+, but fewer fish. Fish deeper gutters.
  • Winter (May-Aug): Schools of 30-45cm fish, big numbers. Fish beaches and breakwalls.
  • Best nights: Overcast, slight swell, run-in tide pushing bait
  • Headlamp spooks fish - use red light or no light
  • Bleed immediately - tailor flesh goes soft fast. Ice well.
  • Wire trace: Necessary but may halve your bites in clear water
  • Right on dark is the hot beach window - small metals, and when a school is in the gutter it can go fish-a-cast
  • Beach schools sort by size class - catching all small fish? Walk to the next patch of beach; the next school might be all big ones
  • Winter lake tailor hold hard on the bottom in 8-10m between feeding bursts - soft vibes sink fast and stay in the zone; bird-marked bust-ups give the school away at dusk
  • Keep a couple of the small ones - fresh tailor chunk is prime mulloway bait

Best Time to Fish

Best Time of Day
Dusk (4-8pm), Night
Best Tide
High tide
Peak Season
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August

Size & Bag Limits

30cm
Min Size
10
Bag Limit / day
NSW DPI full regulations →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I catch Tailor in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie?

The best spots for Tailor include Stockton Breakwall (End), Stockton Beach (Gutters), Nobbys Breakwall (End), Newcastle Beach (Gutters), Bar Beach. Peak season runs January to August. At Stockton Breakwall (End): May-Aug (winter peak, big numbers). Key spots: Stockton Beach gutters (opposite Corroba Oval), Nobbys Beach, Bar Beach, Stockton Breakwall.

What is the best time to catch Tailor?

Tailor fish best at Dusk (4-8pm) and Night. Best tide: High tide. Peak season: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August.

What bait and lures work best for Tailor?

Top lures: Halco Twisty, Berkley Gulp! Minnow, Zerek Fish Trap Soft Vibe. Best bait: Whole pilchard, Whitebait, Mullet strips. Use a 9-10ft beach spin, 6-10kg, moderate action (for casting distance).

When is Tailor season in NSW?

Tailor are in peak season around Newcastle and Lake Macquarie during January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August. Within the day they bite best at Dusk (4-8pm) and Night. You can catch them at other times of year too, but those are the months they are most active.

What is the legal size and bag limit for Tailor in NSW?

In NSW, the minimum legal size for Tailor is 30cm. The recreational bag limit is 10 per person. Rules change, so always check the current NSW DPI limits before you keep a fish.

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