Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Saltwater-Estuary » High Tide Flathead Tactics

High Tide Flathead Tactics

By Bo Sawyer

Most of us would probably prefer a low tide when chasing flathead, however the good news is that we can still catch great fish around the higher stages of the tide. In fact, as I was wondering how to begin this article, I remembered a session I once had that is quite possibly the best flathead fishing action that I’ve ever experienced... and it was on the high tide. So, what better way to kick off this article than with a nice juicy flatty story.

A little over a year ago, my mate Benno Pamment and I set off on a flatty mission, in some less than desirable weather conditions. The rain was coming down, the wind was cold, and the sky was dark. ‘We’re in for a tough session’, I thought to myself. Little did we know, we were about to stumble onto an area of STACKED fish.

We were flicking along an island that had a pressure point with water flowing hard into it. For over two hours it was just fish after fish after fish. We landed twenty flathead between 60 and 79cm, with plenty more in the 40’s and 50’s. Every single fish was landed on the ZMan 3.5” Trick SwimZ in Green Lantern colour and they wouldn’t touch another colour that day. I have never caught so many flathead over 60cm in my entire life and it will definitely be a hard session to forget.

Where to Look

There are a few different locations / types of structure that we can target on the higher stages of the tide. There’s going to be more water in the system and on the flats, so we need to be mindful of where we are fishing as the fish could have dispersed over a larger area. Before we get into the nitty gritty, I want to place a high importance on bait. Whether you’re using a sounder in deeper water or using your eyes to find bait on the flats, baitfish in the area are a dead giveaway that larger numbers of flathead could be in the area. You’re better off losing some fishing time searching for bait than having more time to fish in areas that aren’t holding fish.

Mangrove Edges

Mangroves are a great fish holding structure and there’s a good chance you’ll find plenty of mullet, garfish, crabs, and prawns in the area. Flathead will sit right up against them, in the softer ground, waiting for a meal to pass by. If the mangrove line is quite long, then you need to focus on specific areas that have bait jumping, points and any drainage areas (even if they’re not draining there’s still a good chance of flathead laying in this area).

Pressure Points

These spots can hold large numbers of tightly grouped fish. They are areas where the tidal flow pushes onto structure, creating a ‘pressure point’. Due to their nature, they will quite often hold good amounts of bait, which will of course attract flathead. They can be a little tricky to identify if you’re not a seasoned fisho, but it’s a great encourager for beginners to start paying more attention to water movement. Learning to read water movement properly is the single best thing an angler can learn to increase their catch rate.

Weed Clumps

Flathead LOVE sitting in between raised weed clumps. They will be in the mud or sand, picking off any bait that swims around them. Polarised sunglasses can help you to identify these areas and it’s really important you work your plastic to suit the area. I will position my boat within five metres of these spots, flick to the edge of the weed, work my plastic for a few hops or flicks, then quickly wind it back and cast straight at another clump (or even the other side of the same clump). It’s super fun when flathead whack your lure so quickly and so close to the boat. The reason that I prefer this method is because you want to be very specific in terms of where you’re casting, otherwise you will continually foul up your jighead with weed.

Gaps Between Weed

This might sound awfully similar to fishing weed clumps, but it isn’t. These spots are generally found in larger weed beds, where you’re looking for small areas of sand or mud that break up the weed bed. Weed beds hold good amounts of bait and the only spot a flathead can hide are these gaps in the weed. You can still fish them super close, like weed clumps, however the bigger fish will scare off easily, so try to keep your distance and throw long casts.

Deep Holes

Fishing deep holes and other deep structure is also another fantastic way to target flathead on the high. You can check this out in my article ‘Flathead Fishing Tips – Deep Water’.

Well, there’s a few of my favourite places to target flathead on the higher stages of the tide. Remember, fish can spread out more with the extra water in the system, so you want to find bait and fish holding structure to improve your chances of a great session.

Key High Tide Points

• High tides will generally bring in clean water so make sure you are fishing clean water colours. (Green lantern, Opening Night and Smelt are prime examples)
• Find the bait to find the fish.
• Match the hatch - use plastic sizes that match the bait.
• Look at water movement to find pressure points, water flow over banks and eddies.
• Weedy areas attract flathead.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this article guys.

Tight lines, Bo