10 Tips - Land Based Flathead Fishing

Flathead are a cool fish... they love eating lures, are readily available to anglers in many parts of the country and regardless of your fishing experience there is a chance that you could find yourself in a battle with a trophy size fish, even when fishing land based. You also don't need to spend a fortune on gear or own a flash boat to get yourself or the family hooked up to some flathead. Let's have a look at some basic gear, techniques and tips that should see you hooked up land based, with much of this information handy for those chasing flathead from watercraft also. Fish on!

Where

Flathead can be caught in many parts of Australia, from the rivers and estuaries, to the open coastline and beaches. They are an ambush species that bury in the sand or mud, exploding at speed to inhale bait that finds itself to close to their ambush point. You will find them on open sand and mud flats, however like most species they are attracted to different types of structure that creates current flow and breaks in the current, while also holding bait. This structure can be as obvious as rock walls, rock bars, mangrove points and timber laydowns, or as subtle as rubble patches, weed edges and depressions and ledges in the bottom.

On the higher stages of the tide flathead will often move up onto the flats that are exposed on the low tide, where they will cruise and hunt, while also taking up position near prime structure, such as mangrove edges, timber, drains, rock walls and weed edges. On the lower stages of the tide they will often drop back onto the channel edges and also hold on structure in deeper water. Keep an eye out for flathead lies as these depressions in the sand show where flathead have been laying buried on a previous high tide and may be a sign that flathead are still in the area. Make a note of the month, tide and moon phase when you see groups of flathead lies as this can also be a reference point to when fish may school here in the future.

When

For many anglers tides are crucial and they will focus their flathead fishing around the higher stages or lower stages of the tide. We often refer to different areas as a good 'high tide' or 'low tide' flathead spot. The difficulty with the middle stages of the tide in many areas is that there is not enough water depth to bring the fish right up to the shoreline, while having too much water to comfortably wade out and work the channel edges. I often see people wading in no man's land, where they may still catch a flathead, however a couple of hours prior or after and the fish would be more concentrated in an area and the fishing more productive. If you are fishing a bank that is a channel edge and has access to at least a metre of water at low tide, then you can probably catch fish throughout any stage of the tide.

You will soon work out the best tides for fishing particular locations, with some spots needing a minimum tide height to have enough water to hold fish, while others fish particularly well and allow easiest access on a really low tide. Tide times are readily available online or you can grab a tide book to assist with planning missions.

When fishing the higher stages of the tide I will generally focus around the last couple of hours of run in and first couple of hours of run out as this provides enough water for the flathead to move up on the edges and around structure. On the lower stages of the tide I will focus around the last couple of hours of the run out and first couple of hours of run in as this is when the flathead line up on the channel edges and drop offs, waiting for the bait to be forced off with the dropping tide. Many consider this low tide period to be the easiest and most productive fishing.

How

Gear wise I generally fish a 7' 2-4kg or 3-6kg spin rod and 20-30 size reel, loaded with 8-10lb braid and 10lb Platypus Hard Armour Leader. If I am mainly casting 1/8oz - 1/4oz jigheads I will run the 2-4kg rod and if I am fishing deeper edges and stronger current, mainly with 1/4oz - 3/8oz jigheads, I will fish the 3-6kg rod.

Depending on the location I will generally fish two different techniques, 'run and gun' or 'stand and deliver'. Basically I will run and gun if I have a large area to cover during the prime section of the tide and this involves fanning casts in an area, taking 10-20 steps and then fanning casts to cover the next area. I will cast up current and bring the lure back naturally with the water flow, casting along the bank and then fanning casts out to almost straight out from the bank. It is often not worth casting straight out or down current as the current will drag the plastic, lift it off the bottom and make it difficult to stay in touch with the lure. If there is little or no current you can fan casts in any direction.

When running and gunning along a bank I will keep an eye out for structure that may hold fish and give this a few extra casts. On the lower stages of the tide this may include weed edges, sand patches, rubble, snags and especially drains. Drains are 'bait funnels' as they are the last place bait can hold before being forced off the edges into deeper water and into the mouths of waiting flathead, so spend a little more time around the drains. On the higher stages of the tide prime structure can include mangrove points and breaks in the mangroves, timber, rock walls, storm water drains, sand spits and other areas that focus the current into pressure points or create eddies. If you do catch a fish it's worth spending some more time in that area before continuing to cover water as flathead are a schooling fish.

The stand and deliver style of fishing is more about focussing on a smaller area that has proven effective in the past, or an area where there is quality structure that you can spend more time fishing. Depending on where you fish, the lower stages of the tide may be more conducive to the 'run and gun' technique, with large expanses of banks that can be explored. The higher stages of the tide can restrict movement in some areas and that's where it's worth spending time to find some 'stand and deliver' locations. Google Maps is a great place to start looking for suitable areas to fish, otherwise hit the road and explore a variety of areas at different stages of the tide. If you are restricted to a smaller area, try fishing the structure from different angles and with different lure presentations to entice a bite. Again, spend more time working the key structure and if you catch a fish, spend some time working that area thoroughly.

Bait

If there is bait in the area there are often fish in the area. If you have been fishing a bank for a while without any action, try moving further along the bank or even to another location, while keeping an eye out for bait movement. Seeing bait in the water is a good sign, along with bait movement on the surface that often appears like the surface of the water is shimmering. If the bait is more actively flicking on the surface it can often mean that there are predators harassing it, so get a cast in!

Structure is again important as it provides shelter for bait and predators, while also creating breaks in the current, so locating structure can often also assist with locating bait. Structure doesn't have to be large or obvious, it can be as simple as a rubbly bottom, weed edge or slight change in the bottom. If you can see the bait, it may be worth trying to match the bait size and colour with your plastic, referred to as 'matching the hatch'. Alternatively, showing them something different can fire up the bite, be it a different profile or an out there colour that stands out from the bait in the area.

Another area where bait can be concentrated is around artificial lighting and this makes night fishing for flathead with soft plastics a viable option. Boat ramps, jetties and street lighting can all provide artificial lighting that attracts bait and in turn predators. Cast past the edge of the light and into the shadows, where many predators wait in ambush, and retrieve the lure back from the shadows and into the light. It's worth having a Fish Inc. Egilicious squid jig in your kit as there's nothing worse than spotting a few big squid and not having a jig with you.

Soft Plastics

Without doubt I have caught many, many more flathead on soft plastics than any other lure. They are inexpensive, easy to use and most importantly, effective. ZMan soft plastics are 10X Tough, allowing you to catch up to 50+ flathead on a single tail, while also being super-soft and flexible so they feel realistic and fish keep biting. The ElaZtech material is also buoyant, so when your weighted jighead is laying on the bottom, the plastic is floating up and moving naturally with the water. For some plastics this represents a natural feeding pose, while for others it may be a claws up defensive pose that also attracts fish and triggers strikes.

Most plastics will catch a flathead, however I have a few main go-to plastics that have seen cricket score catches as well as big fish. The important thing is to have a few different profiles, sizes and colours in your kit so that you can mix things up until you find what works. I am big on the colour theory that revolves around a clear / natural colour for clear water and bright days, darker / silhouette colour for dirty water and darker days, and a fluoro colour for when they don't want to eat the other two. Fluoro colours often prove so effective that they become a go-to for many flathead anglers.

In terms of soft plastic profiles, I often have a 2.5" plastic and a 3-4" plastic rigged and that seems to cover most land based flathead applications. If the area you fish has predominantly smaller fish then focus on smaller plastics. On the other side of the coin if you're lucky enough to have large populations of big fish then you may even go beyond the 4" plastic and up to 5, 6 or even 8" plastics. It's important to remember that big fish eat big lures, while all fish eat small lures and I have seen some monster flathead landed on a 2.5" GrubZ or Slim SwimZ. The advantage of a 2.5" plastic is that you will often have more action and catch more by-catch species, such as bream and trevally.

Here's a few ZMan proven performers across a few sizes -

2.5" - 2.5" GrubZ, 2.5" Slim SwimZ, 2.5" TRD CrawZ
3"-3.5" - 3" Slim SwimZ, 3" MinnowZ, 3.5" GrubZ, 3.5" Trick SwimZ, 3.5" EZ ShrimpZ
3.75"-4" - 3.75" StreakZ, 4" DieZel MinnowZ, 4" SwimmerZ, 4" StreakZ Curly TailZ, 4" Scented Jerk ShadZ
5"-6" - 5" DieZel MinnowZ, 5" StreakZ Curly TailZ, 5" StreakZ, 5" Scented Jerk ShadZ, 6" SwimmerZ

All of these plastics have proven themselves on flathead and it often comes down to angler preference in terms of tail type, such as curl or paddle, and the environment being fished, for example a jerkbait style plastic has less built in action and can be very effective for making long casts in wind as well and dealing with deeper water and heavier currents. Remember it has less built-in action, so you need to apply the action with the rod.

When rigging your plastics swim the rigged plastic in the water near you so that you can see what the plastic does in the water and how it responds to different retrieves and rod movement. This can assist you when fishing the plastic, ensuring that you 'drive' it in a way that makes it appear realistic.

Jigheads

When fishing land based the jighead weight becomes a balance between casting distance and the action of the soft plastic. You need enough weight to cast a reasonable distance, with reasonable accuracy and to stay in touch with the soft plastic on the retrieve. When I target flathead land based I carry a mix of jighead weights, including 1/8oz, 1/4oz, 3/8oz and a few 1/2oz just in case I need additional casting distance or weight to counteract heavy current on a deep edge. Most of the time I will start with a 1/4oz jighead, however this is based on the estuary system that I primarily fish, while when fishing the beach or deeper drop off I would automatically step up to a 3/8oz or 1/2oz to get the casting distance and control the plastic amongst the wave action.

When running and gunning I will often fish heavier to quickly cover water, while when fishing the 'stand and deliver' method, focussing on a smaller area and concentrated structure I will often lighten things up and slow things down. A lighter jighead often gives the plastic a slow, natural fall that will see it settling on the top of the weed, while a heavier jighead can bury in the weed and make fishing weedy areas difficult. It's a matter of balancing the jighead weight to ensure that you are on or near the bottom, while lightening it up enough to give it time to swim in the strike zone. I generally err on the side of heavier, to ensure I am on the bottom where the flathead lay in wait, and you can watch your line as the plastic sinks, cutting a 'V' in the surface of the water until the plastic hits the bottom and the line goes slack.

You will find a guide to selecting plastics and jigheads in the 'Rigging Guides' section of the Tackle Tactics website, including recommended hook sizes for different plastics.

If there are too many options and you're looking for a quick and easy starting point to catch a flathead land based, my go-to options would be -
ZMan 2.5" GrubZ or 2.5" Slim SwimZ - TT Lures 1/4oz 1/0 HeadlockZ Finesse or DemonZ jighead
ZMan 3" MinnowZ - TT Lures 1/4oz or 3/8oz HeadlockZ HD or Big EyeZ jighead

Weedless

At times land based anglers can become frustrated due to the weed and snags in some areas they fish. Unfortunately the weed and snags are what often holds the bait and fish. Fortunately TT Lures has you covered with a selection of weedless jigheads that dramatically reduce the chances of snagging or fouling. You can learn more about how to rig weedless and the jighead options available by clicking on the link in the jighead section above, that will take you to the rigging guide section of the website.

When fishing heavily weeded edges I will often fish a TT Lures SnakelockZ or NedlockZ EWG. I have found the hook up rate to be excellent, thanks to ZMan super-soft ElaZ and it's great to be fishing where the fish are and where many other anglers don't fish. You can use the same techniques when fishing the weedless jighead, however you can really get it right in amongst the structure. One thing that I do to ensure a solid hookset when fishing weedless is to keep the plastic moving a little more, keeping my pauses on the bottom shorter than I do with a standard jighead. This ensures that the plastic is generally moving on the strike and the hook clears and sets solid in the jaw hinge.

Here's a few common weedless jighead selections for my flathead presentations. You can vary the weight according to your requirements -
ZMan 2.5" Slim SwimZ - TT Lures SnakelockZ Finesse jighead - 1/8oz or 1/6oz #2
ZMan 3" MinnowZ - TT Lures SnakelockZ jighead - 1/4oz #3/0
TT Lures NedlockZ EWG #1 - 2.5" GrubZ, 2.5" Slim SwimZ, 2.5" TRD CrawZ, 2.75" TRD BugZ

Retrieves

The most common retrieve when targeting flathead is a 'hopping' retrieve. This is basically casting the plastic, allowing it to sink to the bottom and then imparting one, two or three hops up off the bottom with the rod tip. You then allow the plastic to sink to the bottom again on a slack line, while winding the reel to manage the slack as it falls. Watch the line for signs of a bite as the lure sinks and if you see a movement in the line, often described as a 'tick', or the line speeds up or stops prematurely, strike! Someone once told me, 'strikes are free' so if you think a fish has the lure, set the hook. You can vary the speed, aggressiveness and length of the hops and duration of the pauses until you find what the fish want.

When I head out fishing my aim is to make them bite. If I do the same thing over and over again and it's not working, then I am not really doing what I can to change the equation. I will often mix up the retrieve if it's not working and this can include a simple slow roll (slow wind) close to the bottom with the odd pause, a burn and kill (wind and pause) varying the speed of the wind and duration of the pause, or even casting close to structure and shaking and dragging the plastic until I fire up a bite. I often see anglers changing lures, thinking it's the lure that's not working, when a change of retrieve or location change to where there is more bait can change the session from a donut to a hot bite.

Scent

I always add Pro-Cure Super Gel to my soft plastics to assist in masking foreign odours, such as fuel, sunscreen and bug spray, while also attracting fish and triggering strikes, thanks to the real ground bait, powerful amino acids, bite stimulants and UV enhanced formula. This scent is super-sticky, so I add a small amount to the head of the plastic every 30-50 casts and then use my fingers to smear it right down the plastic to the tail. I am a big believer in scent as I have had too many times where I have thought the bite had gone a bit quiet, added scent and fish on. Likewise when I get half committed bites, I will often add scent and get a solid hookset. If scent attracts one fish or makes that fish hold on a split second longer so you can get a solid hookset, it can be a game changer.

If you offered me any flavour Pro-Cure Super Gel I would happily take it and apply it to my plastics, however a few favourites for me over time have included, Mullet, Sardine / Pilchard, Saltwater Yabby / Nipper, Bloody Tuna and Inshore Saltwater. These are just a few of my favourites and the next person you speak to will have a different favourite... that's because they all work.

Landing & Handling

When it comes to flathead I like to include a note about handling them as they do have spikes on either side near their gills and also on top of their head. A landing net is handy for landing them, although I will often slide them up onto the bank if it is smooth and flat, ensuring that they are well hooked and the lure isn't fully inhaled. They can chew through leaders quickly with their raspy mouths and violent head shakes, so it's a good idea to keep their head under the water as long as possible. If you have someone with you they can hold the landing net in the water, allowing you to guide the fish into the net.

Once in the net or on the bank a set of lip grips makes handling simpler and safer for both the angler and the fish. When lifting the fish it is also a good idea to comfort lift them, supporting the belly and spine with one hand, while holding the grips with the other. Personally I keep the odd fish under 60cm for a feed, preferring to release anything 60cm and over to produce more flathead to catch. You may like to carry a measure mat or ruler to measure your fish, even when releasing fish, so that you can keep track of PBs and the size of fish caught. Always wet the mat or ruler prior to measuring the fish to assist in maintaining their slime coat.

Other handy accessories you may wish to carry on your adventure include a backpack with snacks and water, a communication device, basic first aid kit and a camera for capturing the action. Being a land based adventure it's always worth considering the environment that you will be venturing into and selecting clothing appropriate to the environment that you will be fishing in, including sun protection, sunglasses, bug protection, long pants to protect the legs if bush bashing and a decent pair of water shoes to protect you from the elements and the creatures that reside there.

Hopefully this article has given you a few tips for targeting this aggressive and lure loving species. Jump on Google Maps and check out what high tide and low tide areas you have available, grab a handful of plastics and jigheads, along with some Pro-Cure scent and get out there. You will discover some great locations, encounter some cool wildlife, gain more confidence and knowledge as you catch more, and even without any watercraft you may find yourself hooked up to a trophy flathead.

See you on the water...
Justin