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Spinning for Flathead
By Daniel Hutchinson
There's arguably not a more iconic Australian fish than the dusky flathead. There's just something about these fish. I'm not sure what. Their distinct look, shape or colour. Their claim to be masters of the estuary. The way that they morph into becoming a part of the bottom, whether its sand, mud or gravel. The way that that their beady eyes sit on the top of their head, whilst their bodies are submerged in the elements of the bottom, just waiting for their meal to swim above.
The perfect ambush predator. I'm not sure what the apeal of the dusky flathead is but it has me hooked. For years and years I would walk miles down to the local jetty as a youngster and sometimes get a big dusky flathead that was nearly as long as me. I would often return home with it to surprise my parents and enjoy the huge smiles on their faces. That was the pinnacle of fishing for me as a real youngster, before I could explore deeper bluer water.
My fishing has graduated to include bigger, faster and stronger fish. My attitude though, toward catching these iconic masters, has never changed and they are still one of my favourite fish to catch. The only thing that has changed is my attitude toward killing the larger ones and the methods that I use to target them. This article will explore the who, what, where and why of hunting and catching these magnificent fish and the everchanging techniques and attitudes that surround them.
Location
Dusky flathead patrol saltwater lakes, rivers and estuaries throughout the majority of Australia. Their range stretches them from along the beach if there is an inlet nearby, right up into the furthest stretches of coastal brackish creeks and rivers. It is astonishing to see the colour change in the fish as they morph to their background, dependent on their environment. Flathead from the clear sandy water have a sandy, almost yellow colour, whereas fish that lie near weed banks, up creeks or lakes, are camouflaged with dark browns and greens.
Dusky flathead lay on the bottom, often almost half submerged in sand or gravel, with their beady eyes watching everything above. Flathead have the tendency to 'lie together'. This means that they will group in numbers and lie on the bottom as a group. I will never forget going to the Sydney aquarium and in a tank the size of a football field all of the flathead were laying together in a small space, half submerged.
River mouths are a hot spot for flathead and where a creek or several creeks come to form into a bigger water system, flathead will be waiting. They are an ambush predator and all of the small fish and prawns coming out of the creeks on the run out tide make these a real hot spot for the waiting predator. Likewise with channels that run out to the ocean, the same principal applies where flathead will lay on the sandy bottom and wait for the current to provide them with an easy meal.
Drop offs are another excellent location. Drop offs occur generally when a shallow sandbank drops off suddenly to deeper water. Flathead use this as a vantage point, where once again baitfish and prawns get swept out from the flats to the deeper water in which they hide. Dusky flathead can be found just about anywhere in the saltwater system, however sticking to these hot spots increases your chances of finding the ambush predator.
Time
Flathead can be caught anytime throughout the day or night, all year round, using a variety of techniques. Summer months and the warmer water make flathead more active. As they are referred to often as 'lizards' they are not too much unlike reptiles in the sense that you can really notice the difference in how aggressive they become and their active movements in warmer periods, when their bodies and blood is warmer. When the fish are warmer and more active, they are feeding more often and hence better fishing. Not to mention the sport that they provide. In the dead of winter, when the water gets down to the low teens, you can really notice how much the fighting styles of the flathead really decrease and when the water is warmer they provide the best fun and sport.
Ideally the best time I'd argue would be around that first light period. Generally flathead, like many other fish, enjoy that first light period and often will not bite as prevalent as the sun rises higher in the sky. Big duskies will also get right up in the shallows in the early hours, however high sun and boat traffic will often spook them and send them back to the depths. These early hours generally mean a lot less wind also. This will make casting easier and the experience of spinning for these great fish a lot more enjoyable, making the most of the stillness and colours that an estuary provides in the wee hours.
Baits or Lures
I spent many years as a youngster, catching hundreds of dusky flathead on a variety of baits. They will take just about anything, from the humble frozen prawns and squid to strip baits. The best bait is by far small live fish, including mullet or yellowtail. As much as I did enjoy catching flathead on baits, it does not compare to that of lure fishing with light soft plastics. The enjoyment, sport, thrill and accomplishment far exceeds that of bait fishing. A large range of lures will work. ZMan offer an excellent range, with the majority of these lures also offering a variety of common bycatch, including bream, mulloway and tailor. I have caught flathead on a variety of lures including curl tails, jerk shads, crustaceans and paddle tails.
Some honourable mentions are the:
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ZMan 3" MinnowZ are an excellent lure that I have had a lot of success with. All colours that I've used have caught flathead, with the Electric Chicken being a favourite. The vibration of the tail and bright colours makes it very visible in deeper lakes.
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ZMan 3.5" EZ ShrimpZ, 3.5" rigged prawns, are an excellent durable lure that do not require a jig head. They look extremely natural in the Greasy Prawn or Laguna Shrimp colours, with flathead loving them.
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ZMan 3.5" Trick SwimZ are another excellent flathead lure. The vibration and visibility make them a flathead favourite.
It is extremely important to match these plastics with a suitable size jighead from the TT Lures range. The new Big EyeZ jigheads, along with the DemonZ jigheads, provide more colour and glow, which flathead love. When considering a jighead, two things that need to be considered including size and weight. A hook size generally from 1/0 to 3/0. Match the smaller hooks with smaller plastics and larger plastics with bigger hooks. This is highly important as an appropriate size jighead will ensure the most natural presentation and in turn the best possible swimming action.
The other consideration is weight. I suggest weights ranging from 1/8oz to 3/8oz. Factors such as depth, current and wind will determine the weights required. As flathead are a bottom dwelling fish, it is highly important that your plastic is reaching the bottom.
Technique
When selecting your area to fish, it is really important to remember some stealth, especially when fishing in the shallows. Driving over areas that you intend to fish, at high speeds making lots of noise, is not a good idea as it can really spook the fish and send them scurrying from that area. A great technique is to either use an electric motor to navigate the areas that you intend to fish or if this is not possible, use the wind.
Drive around the areas that you intend to fish, giving them a wide berth, then use the wind to drift back over these areas. If the wind is strong, place a wind anchor (drift chute) out the back of the boat, which will dramatically slow the drift. Once the drift has begun, cast forward in the direction that you are drifting, not out the back of the boat. Casting forward will ensure that your lure is getting into undisturbed areas where duskies will be lying.
The biggest mistake that many new anglers make, when attempting spin fishing for flathead, is that their plastics and lures are not being worked along the bottom. Many new anglers will just cast and start twitching and winding, without allowing their lure to sink. Try and stand tall and get the longest cast possible, using the wind to assist you. Let your lure sink and be confident that it is on the bottom. Using your wrist get 2-3 flicks in and wind. This will generate your lure coming off the bottom.
Once you have done this, let your lure sink back down to the bottom. When using braided line, which is very easy to see, watch it closely at your rod tip and you will see it go slack when your lure is on the bottom. Once it's slack, repeat the process. If a lure gets within close proximity of a flathead, they will not be able to resist and the movement and this will generally result in a strike. It is very likely that if you catch one there will be several more hook-ups within a short turn around in that area.
Gear
The 7' 2-4kg Okuma Helios SX spin rod is an absolute special for the estuary. This rod teamed up with the Helios SX reel and spooled with 8lb Platypus Platinum Plus Braid is great. The casting capabilities of this outfit are phenomenal. It is a light rod and is very sporting, enjoyable and handling the fish above 80cm has some real skill is involved. The lightness of the rod tip ensures that the slightest flick of the wrist imparts some great action down below with your plastic. Another must is the 8lb Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader. Leader is an absolute must! A good four foot of leader is required from your braid to your jig head to reduce line visibility and increase abrasion resistance.
Good luck, let me know how you go!
Gear List:
Okuma Helios SX Spin Rods - HSX-S-702ML 7' 2-4kg
Okuma Helios SX Spin Reels - HSX-30
Platypus Platinum Plus Braid - 8lb
Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader - 8lb
ZMan 3" MinnowZ
ZMan 3.5" EZ ShrimpZ
ZMan 3.5" Trick SwimZ
TT Lures DemonZ Jigheads
TT Lures Big EyeZ Jigheads