Record tailor caught at St Georges Basin
This 7.845kg tailor was landed in a NSW estuary on a soft-plastic lureForget the choppers and the greenbacks. For this massive tailor is a black belt wth incisors big enough to slice your finger clean off. The record fish was taken from St Georges Basin and there's quite a tale to share.
NSW South Coast angler Scott Tillman caught the amazing 103cm tailor in St Georges Basin on Monday morning (November 20). The huge fish weighed in at 7.845kg and is being submitted for a potential ANSA record claim.
Scott caught the mighty chopper on a 100mm Squidgy Fish soft plastic rigged on a 3/8oz jighead in 9m of water. He was fishing for flathead and reports the tailor hit on the drop, making only the slightest "tap" on the line.
Scott struck, came up tight, and the fish made a series of big runs with heavy headshakes.
After a torrid 15-minute battle, Scott landed it for a quick measure and photos. Unfortunately the fish couldn't be revived so Scott has kindly donated it to NSW DPI's Research Angler Program.
DPI scientists will now analyse the fish's otoliths (ear bones) to determine its age. Some of the oldest tailor so far assessed by DPI in NSW include two six-year-old specimens, one measuring 81cm caught in Lake Macquarie earlier this year and an 86cm monster caught in St Georges Basin in 2015.
Scott's fish is significantly bigger than these so it will be really interesting to get info on its age.
Internationally, tailor (known as "bluefish" in North America and "elf" or "shad" in Southern Africa) have been aged at up to 12 years old.
This article was compiled by NSW Fisheries. More at NSW Research Angler Program.
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