Species
Tailor
Pomatomus saltatrix
Also known as bluefish
Tier 2Eating6/10light tackleVulnerableNSWVICQLDSAWA
100 waypoints~30–50 cm typical
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Range & spots
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Overview: about tailor
Aggressive surf and headland predator found from southern QLD around to WA. Targeted with metal slugs, gang-hooked pilchards and stickbaits in beach gutters, off rocks and around inshore structure. Best around dawn and dusk — wire or heavy fluoro saves on bite-offs.
Biology: Tailor size, diet & habitat
- Habitat
- Beach, Estuary, Inshore, Reef
- Typical size
- 30–50 cm (max 90 cm)
- Weight
- 0.5–2 kg (max 9 kg)
- Depth range
- 0–30 m
- Diet
- pilchards, mullet, baitfish
- Most active
- crepuscular
- Global range
- Cosmopolitan temperate-subtropical (Pomatomus saltatrix; bluefish elsewhere)
How to target: Tailor angling strategies
Generally fished with light tackle — match gear to the conditions and the size of fish you expect.
- ganged pilchards on a wire trace in beach gutters at dawn
- metal slugs cast into surf and around headland washes
- stickbaits and poppers over shallow rocky reef at first light
- trolling small bibbed minnows around inshore headlands
Best season: when to catch tailor in Australia
- NSW
- Apr-Sep (beaches)
- QLD
- May-Sep (Fraser Island gutter run)
- WA
- year-round
Seasons shift with water temperature and local conditions, so check recent reports before a trip.
Where to catch: tailor fishing spots in Australia
100 mapped fishing spots, marks and waypoints for tailor across Australia, covering land-based fishing, rock fishing, beach fishing, surf fishing, estuary fishing, jetty and wharf fishing, offshore and bluewater fishing and freshwater fishing. Each location below links through to access notes and coordinates.
Western Australia40
- Ammo Jetty (Woodman Point)Jetty · WA-32.14°
- Becher PointBeach · WA-32.36°
- Binningup BeachBeach · WA-33.15°
- Bremer Bay Back BeachBeach · WA-34.41°
- Bunbury Cut (The Plug)Estuary · WA-33.33°
- Busselton JettyJetty · WA-33.64°
- Cape AridHeadland · WA-33.97°
- Cape Le Grand BeachBeach · WA-33.96°
- Cape Peron (Rockingham)Headland · WA-32.27°
- Cape RicheHeadland · WA-34.60°
- City Beach GroyneBreakwall · WA-31.93°
- Cottesloe ReefReef · WA-31.99°
- Dawesville CutEstuary · WA-32.63°
- Emu PointBreakwall · WA-34.99°
- Floreat Beach GroyneBreakwall · WA-31.94°
- Fremantle North MoleBreakwall · WA-32.06°
- Fremantle South MoleBreakwall · WA-32.06°
- Garden Island Careening BayBay · WA-32.22°
- Geraldton ForeshoreShoreline · WA-28.78°
- Heirisson IslandShoreline · WA-31.96°
- Hillarys Boat HarbourBreakwall · WA-31.82°
- Israelite BayBeach · WA-33.61°
- Kalbarri / Murchison River MouthRiver Mouth · WA-27.71°
- Leighton BeachBeach · WA-32.02°
- Mindarie Keys MarinaBreakwall · WA-31.69°
- Mosman Bay (Swan River)Shoreline · WA-32.01°
- Murchison River Mouth (Chinaman's Beach)River Mouth · WA-27.71°
- North Cottesloe ReefReef · WA-31.99°
- Old Dunsborough BeachBeach · WA-33.62°
- Penguin Island ChannelShoal · WA-32.31°
- Preston BeachBeach · WA-32.88°
- Swanbourne BeachBeach · WA-31.97°
- Thomas RiverRiver Mouth · WA-33.85°
- Trigg Island ReefReef · WA-31.87°
- Two Peoples BayBay · WA-34.97°
- Two Rocks MarinaBoat Ramp · WA-31.49°
- West Beach (Esperance)Beach · WA-33.87°
- Whitfords Beach ReefReef · WA-31.79°
- Wylie BayBeach · WA-33.86°
- Yallingup ReefReef · WA-33.64°
New South Wales32
- Bass Point - ShellharbourHeadland · NSW-34.60°
- Black Head, Hallidays PointHeadland · NSW-32.07°
- Black RockRock Platform · NSW-36.45°
- Bombo HeadlandHeadland · NSW-34.65°
- Box HeadHeadland · NSW-33.53°
- Camden Haven BarRiver Mouth · NSW-31.65°
- Camel RockRock Platform · NSW-36.35°
- Coal Loader, WavertonWharf · NSW-33.84°
- Crookhaven HeadsBreakwall · NSW-34.91°
- Currarong - Beecroft PeninsulaRock Platform · NSW-35.02°
- Diamond BayRock Platform · NSW-33.87°
- Diamond HeadHeadland · NSW-31.74°
- Evans Head BarRiver Mouth · NSW-29.12°
- Forster-Tuncurry BreakwallBreakwall · NSW-32.17°
- Hat HeadHeadland · NSW-31.05°
- Hawkesbury River - BrooklynRiver · NSW-33.55°
- Iluka BreakwallBreakwall · NSW-29.41°
- Lake MacquarieLagoon · NSW-33.08°
- Macleay River EntranceRiver Mouth · NSW-30.88°
- Narooma BreakwallBreakwall · NSW-36.22°
- Newcastle HarbourEstuary · NSW-32.93°
- Norah HeadHeadland · NSW-33.28°
- North Avoca HeadlandHeadland · NSW-33.46°
- Port Kembla BreakwaterBreakwall · NSW-34.47°
- Port Macquarie BreakwaterBreakwall · NSW-31.43°
- Sandon BluffHeadland · NSW-29.68°
- Swansea ChannelEstuary · NSW-33.09°
- Tathra WharfWharf · NSW-36.73°
- The EntranceRiver Mouth · NSW-33.34°
- Tweed BarRiver Mouth · NSW-28.17°
- Ulladulla HarbourBreakwall · NSW-35.36°
- Wollongong HarbourBreakwall · NSW-34.42°
Queensland19
- 8 mileReef · QLD-26.62°
- Bribie Surf Gutters (Woorim)Beach · QLD-27.08°
- Currumbin AlleyEstuary · QLD-28.14°
- Double Island PointHeadland · QLD-25.93°
- Elliott HeadsRiver Mouth · QLD-24.93°
- Jumpinpin BarRiver Mouth · QLD-27.73°
- Manly Harbour MoleBreakwall · QLD-27.45°
- Ngkala Rocks GutterBeach · QLD-24.97°
- Noosa North ShoreBeach · QLD-26.33°
- North Stradbroke Main Beach GuttersBeach · QLD-27.48°
- Rainbow Beach GuttersBeach · QLD-25.90°
- SS Maheno WreckWreck · QLD-25.27°
- Scottish Prince WreckWreck · QLD-27.93°
- Snapper RocksRock Platform · QLD-28.16°
- Southport SeawayRiver Mouth · QLD-27.94°
- Tangalooma WrecksWreck · QLD-27.18°
- Tweed Sand Bypass Outlet (Letitia)Shoreline · QLD-28.17°
- Waddy Point GutterBeach · QLD-24.90°
- Western Rocks/YellowpatchReef · QLD-27.02°