still chasing my first illusive flattie

[pwalnuts]

I got a couple from Kerferd Rd pier on Saturday night on a Squidgie Wriggler in Bloodworm and a Gulp Turtleback worm in Pumkinseed, both with a 1/8 jighead. Was using the retrieve Denada describes and they took the plastic exactly the same way.
They were only around 20cm so they went back in but I did get one close to 50cm on a pilchard chunk on the other rod. Also a stingray, undersize pinkies etc.

[ratbag]

my biggest flattie is 98cm, caught it in 30cm of water! sun baking on a spring day :crazy:

Most flatties I catch are in the 1-3mtr depth. the most reliable plastic is a 3-4 inch grub in white or pumpkin seed. we caught over 40 in 3 hrs on Sunday, I fish out of a tinny on the drift, alb braid with a 8lb leader.

cast - drop, gentle lift of 6 inch & drop, most we catch are on the drop. I teach my 8yr old son to wind very slowly, no lift or twitch, just a slow retrieve & he often out fishes me with larger flatties.

the best areas to fish are over the sand flats with some current, but not lots. An overcast day with a northerly wind is ideal.

good luck.

[Moffo]

I caught my first flathead at lagoon pier (on bait though). The pier was chockers, so I was a fair way down towards the beach. I would think you could reach that point fairly easily with a soft plastic from the beach, but haven't tried it.

Lagoon pier is swimming with them at the moment. I've been down about 3 times a week over the past month or two, had quite a few good flatties.

Apparently Rosebud pier have some ripper Flatties at the moment too!

[Denada]

yeah mega slow retrieve won't miss a thing only problem is you need a lot of patience to pull it off, too fast and your jig not gonna stay the bottom, too slow and you gonna fall asleep, at the end of the day persistence is what's gonna get you the fish :> oh and if you are unlucky and there is snag, the slow bottom retrieve will kill your lure with certainty if it does cross path with rocks since the slow motion almost guarantee a secure (unwanted) snag snag lol, but glad I'm not the only one that uses the snail retrieve lol (ratbag son +pwalnuts )

ratbag! next time you run out of grub try the motoroil (zman), its godly! I haven't had any luck with bubblegum but record for me is 6 fish with the same motoroil grub jg until it got snagged!