Episode 166: Geraldton Tailor With Ben Svenson

Ben’s Top Tips For Geraldton Tailor Fishing

• There are numerous beaches in the Geraldton area that fish very well for average sized tailor, but the reef systems to the south of Geraldton are home to the jumbo models. These jut out at right Angles to the shore and can be waded on an incoming tide with care.
• Don’t believe the old wives tale that tailor are only caught in the early mornings and late evenings. They can be caught at any time of day as long as there’s bait present.
• Days with a 30km/hr southerly, an incoming tide and a brewing storm are the absolute pinnacle of tailor fishing on the reef systems around Geraldton. Plenty of chop and white water usually helps stimulate a bite.
• Don’t gear up too heavy. The majority of anglers use long, heavy surf rods and miss out on the thrill of fighting this prime sport fish on light gear.
• Tailor on the Geraldton reef systems can sometimes be taken 30 or more metres from the rocks, but often the largest fish are feeding in the wash right at the edge of the rocks, making long casts unnecessary.
• Ben prefers not to use wire trace when he’s tailor fishing, unless the fish are super aggressive. Instead he uses larger lures in the 150mm size range that are less likely to be taken down deep and result in a bite-off.
• Work your Lures all the way from where they land to the rod tip, don’t stop working them when they get close to shore as big fish are often near the waters edge.

Ben’s Tailor Fishing Tackle

• Ben uses a Penn Conflict freaky light 702 medium 7’,  4 to 8 kg rod and a Penn Slammer reel, 20lb Berkley braid mainline and a 30-40lb Black Magic Fluorocarbon Leader. (This differs from the audio recording, see comments below).

Ben’s Best Tailor Fishing Lures

• Jackson Muscle Shot is Bens favourite lure for tailor fishing and is very simple to work. Cast it long and rip it back as fast as you can, with the rod tip pointed down. As the lure nears the rocks, lift the rod tip to minimise the risk of getting snagged. this lure can work in any conditions.
• Halco Roosta Poppers are a great choice for tailor fishing and can be worked in several different ways. For beginners, cast long and retrieve with the rod tip pointed down. A more advanced technique is to wind fast for 5 turns and then give the lure a big “bloop”, waiting to get nailed on the bloop. Poppers fish best on windy days and give spectacular strikes.
• When the fishing is tough on sunny, clear days with little wind the fish will often go a little deeper. On these days Ben will switch to a metal slice such as the Halco Twisty. If you’re casting over a sandy bottom, let it sink to the bottom and then rip it back at full speed. if you’re over structure start the retrieve earlier.

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