# Flathead specialists



## roscoe (Feb 11, 2011)

Hi guys,

After spending time fishing for bream & catching Flathed as a by catch I thought bugger it I will concentrate on just flathead.

Now for you guys that specialize in flathead could I ask the following-

Best SP & jig head weight for fishing 1. Flats 2. Channels/drop offs 3. Trolling 
Hard bodies for the same.

Are HB making a comeback?

If you could only take two lures (SP or HB) what would they be?

I know these questions have probably been asked a thousand times but I am trying to get it all in a nutshell.

Thanks in advance.


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## rob316 (Oct 2, 2007)

Gulp 2 inch shrimp in pepper or banana flavour on a 1/16 or 1/12 jighead and a pink micro mullet h/b...
retrieve with the outgoing tide over eddys and sandbanks/mudflats and across the corners of creek mouths...
Guaranteed to get your pb within 2 trips...maybe , hopefully , if your lucky...


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## redman (Jun 5, 2008)

Personally on the flats I use 3 or 4 inch Gulp Minnow in Chatreuse colour with a 1/16 or 1/20 jighead on longer shanked hook for strength and, in my opinion, improved hookup rates. Generally use the 3 inch.

I have found Chatreuse seems to be the most effective, possibly beacuse bright and shiny underbelly resembling baitfish, but probably biased because I use it so often to detriment of others.


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## JET01 (Dec 30, 2010)

I started fish about 18months ago, started off wading the flats and walking the coast going for flatties. Then bought a Stacer Nomad boat. I can't get away from hunting flatties with soft plastics, it's only been the last few weeks i have been looking into HB lures and since discovering this website, and getting sick of all the BS that goes with boats, i'm thinking of getting a yak.

I digress.

3 inch minnows in Nuclear chicken.
3 inch minnow grubs in Pumpkinseed

Best 2 lures for Flatties in my experience.

But I caught my PB (71cm) on a 2inch Bay Prawn Gulp with 1/8th Jig head in about 50cm of water in Botany Bay.

My girlfriend is cooking me a Red Flathead curry right now, sorry boys and girls, i'm off


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## slapper (Mar 25, 2011)

G'day Roscoe
I have the same problem (targeting bream and catching flathead,pretty damn good bycatch i reckon!) The plastics i have found to be the most successful for me are ,in order of success . No 1-100mm squidgy wriggler in bloodworm.No 2-65mm squidgy fish in black and gold.No 3-any of the gulp range of 2 or 3 inch shrimp. For jigheads i use Gamakastu 2/0 in various weights depending on depth/current etc when using squidgies, and for gulps the usual jigheads used for bream , hence flatties being a bycatch for me ! My choice for hardbody would be anything with a wobble in it's action and you don't have to spend a fortune on expensive ones but may have to upgrade the trebles. The one thing i can be sure of is flatties aren't as cunning as bream. 
Cheers.


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## alpha (Aug 18, 2006)

> Gulp 2 inch shrimp in pepper or banana flavour


Had'nt realised they tasted different?  :shock:

3" berkely Bass Minnow powerbait in pearl watermelon
Maple Rack Glider in colour; Spiced Coffee (toughest soft plastics I know of)

Dont know why you would target flathead on hardbodies, sept for real shallow or dirty
water.Soft plastics lend them selfs so wel for flathead fishing,although I've done well on R2sea Babyc Crank 40f in the white,pink back(BRBA-15)in the dirty water.

Im still trying to find a pompus substitute for the 5cm Baby Smiling Jack in ''fire tiger''(slooow paced over the bottom has done great on the bream aswel as on the flathead)


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## bundyboy (Sep 6, 2009)

Mainly fish the flats for flathead and in the shallow waters up to maybe 2.5m I mainly use hardbodies...the best and my favourite has been SX40 is natural looking colours closely followed by Tsunami super bream in silver/pink with black spots/stripes. Have also done reasonably well on the trusty old stiffy minnow. Don't really used plastics all the much but when I do usually 2-3" gulp shrimp or 3" minnow.


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## nicktoozoff (Sep 19, 2008)

During the warmer monthe I like to use 4" & 5" berkley gulp minnows and jerk shads in brighter colours. Using 1/8 - 1/4oz heads depending on depth fished and current strength. During the cooler months, or off season for flatties, I scale everthing back to 3" Gulp minnows in natural colours and slow the retreives right down to slooooooooooow.

Hope this helps.

Cheers Nick.


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## RangiRocks (Mar 19, 2009)

For big ones I troll hardbodies slowly in 2 metres max and flick 3-5" softys at the bank/shore

Both work


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## scoman (Oct 4, 2010)

Im not all that experianced myself but I have had the most sucess with

4 inch minnow in nuclear chicken (bream as well)

sx40's

Have used other hb (rmg scorpions, starlo pro) with a little sucess but my best couple have been on sx40's


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## scoman (Oct 4, 2010)

stupid double post

I may not be the flatty specialist but i am becoming the double post specialist


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## southcoastmatty (Jan 21, 2009)

I'm no specialist but I love flathead and target them at some point during every fishing session as they are my family's fave fish [especially the 50-55 cm ones yum].
SPs 2 or 3 inch shrimp or 3 inch minnow on 1.5 to 2g finesse head.
HBs zx 35 in whatever colour you can afford.
Sandflats so shallow you barely float, river bends, rocky drop offs all work well [if they were there last time they will likely be there again]. Murky water appears more productive. I never troll.
Tip that has worked for me this season is use at least 8lb leader as you'll get less bust offs and I inspect leader after every fish and snip/retie if there is any wear. You can use as light a main line as you want, I've been catching the big ones on 3lb power braid. The bigger 2/0 hook [I think] on the 2g squidgy finess head appears to have a better hook set. The pause on retrieval with a little bow slack in the line is vital.
 scm


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## JET01 (Dec 30, 2010)

I love lizards/shovels/frogs/flatbags/crocs/flatties. One day I'm going to catch a meter. 
10lb flouro leader and 3lb braid. 3inch gulp minnow or prawn/shrimp and then let the search begin.
Selling my boat for a stealth hobie yak specifically to chase big shovels on plastics.


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