Flattie Help Please!

Flathead, common catch that tastes great!
Thomassssss
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Re: Flattie Help Please!

Post by Thomassssss » Sun Jan 05, 2020 10:57 am

purple5ive wrote:
Sun Jan 05, 2020 10:07 am
Jighead weight wont make any difference in the size of fish caught.
Bigger plastics will defenitely weed out the smaller fish as they wont be able to swallow the plastic, but the smaller ones will still have a go at it anyway.
It looks like its infested with the smaller sized fish, could be a nursery .
Move location is what I would do.
Thanks for the response mate. Yep, sounds like it is time to find a new location. Are there any factors I can take into consideration when choosing somewhere? For example I have heard it is good to be nearer a river mouth. I will also head to the local fishing shop and see if they can offer me any guidance.

purple5ive
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Re: Flattie Help Please!

Post by purple5ive » Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:30 pm

Find drop offs and fish the drop off, they will be sitting there looking for anything that moves.
river mouths are also good places, if you have nay nearby..
if you in shallow water, try some deep diving harbodys as well, its an another fun way to fish for them as well, just troll the hardbody behind the yak

eddyt
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Re: Flattie Help Please!

Post by eddyt » Sun Jan 05, 2020 1:02 pm

Try upsizing the hooks. You'll miss all the small ones and it might get frustrating at times, but you will get the bigger ones if they are around. I did well on 4/0's. Also try really shallow, and also on the run out tide. Last time I was in Tassie I got some big ones off the beach in an estuary.

Thomassssss
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Re: Flattie Help Please!

Post by Thomassssss » Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:41 am

purple5ive wrote:
Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:30 pm
Find drop offs and fish the drop off, they will be sitting there looking for anything that moves.
river mouths are also good places, if you have nay nearby..
if you in shallow water, try some deep diving harbodys as well, its an another fun way to fish for them as well, just troll the hardbody behind the yak
This might be a stupid question, but how do I find the drop offs?

I’ll definitely give the hardbodies a go.

Thomassssss
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Re: Flattie Help Please!

Post by Thomassssss » Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:44 am

eddyt wrote:
Sun Jan 05, 2020 1:02 pm
Try upsizing the hooks. You'll miss all the small ones and it might get frustrating at times, but you will get the bigger ones if they are around. I did well on 4/0's. Also try really shallow, and also on the run out tide. Last time I was in Tassie I got some big ones off the beach in an estuary.
Thanks, I’ll give it a go with some bigger hooks. When you say fish the run off tide, does that mean immediately after the tide is at its highest and is beginning to fall?

eddyt
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Re: Flattie Help Please!

Post by eddyt » Mon Jan 06, 2020 2:37 pm

Thomassssss wrote:
Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:44 am
eddyt wrote:
Sun Jan 05, 2020 1:02 pm
Try upsizing the hooks. You'll miss all the small ones and it might get frustrating at times, but you will get the bigger ones if they are around. I did well on 4/0's. Also try really shallow, and also on the run out tide. Last time I was in Tassie I got some big ones off the beach in an estuary.
Thanks, I’ll give it a go with some bigger hooks. When you say fish the run off tide, does that mean immediately after the tide is at its highest and is beginning to fall?
Yep, but starting 2-3hrs after high tide and fish until it bottoms out. Especially in estuaries where the bigger flatties feed on the shallow banks

purple5ive
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Re: Flattie Help Please!

Post by purple5ive » Mon Jan 06, 2020 3:38 pm

Thomassssss wrote:
Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:41 am
purple5ive wrote:
Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:30 pm
Find drop offs and fish the drop off, they will be sitting there looking for anything that moves.
river mouths are also good places, if you have nay nearby..
if you in shallow water, try some deep diving harbodys as well, its an another fun way to fish for them as well, just troll the hardbody behind the yak
This might be a stupid question, but how do I find the drop offs?

I’ll definitely give the hardbodies a go.
In shallow water you can see where the water changes colour from light to darker colour they are generally where it gets deeper those are the drop offs.

Thomassssss
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Re: Flattie Help Please!

Post by Thomassssss » Mon Jan 06, 2020 3:51 pm

eddyt wrote:
Mon Jan 06, 2020 2:37 pm
Thomassssss wrote:
Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:44 am
eddyt wrote:
Sun Jan 05, 2020 1:02 pm
Try upsizing the hooks. You'll miss all the small ones and it might get frustrating at times, but you will get the bigger ones if they are around. I did well on 4/0's. Also try really shallow, and also on the run out tide. Last time I was in Tassie I got some big ones off the beach in an estuary.
Thanks, I’ll give it a go with some bigger hooks. When you say fish the run off tide, does that mean immediately after the tide is at its highest and is beginning to fall?
Yep, but starting 2-3hrs after high tide and fish until it bottoms out. Especially in estuaries where the bigger flatties feed on the shallow banks
Got it, thanks for your help mate.

Thomassssss
Rank: Cephalopod
Rank: Cephalopod
Joined: Sat May 06, 2017 11:12 am
Likes received: 5 times

Re: Flattie Help Please!

Post by Thomassssss » Mon Jan 06, 2020 3:51 pm

purple5ive wrote:
Mon Jan 06, 2020 3:38 pm
Thomassssss wrote:
Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:41 am
purple5ive wrote:
Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:30 pm
Find drop offs and fish the drop off, they will be sitting there looking for anything that moves.
river mouths are also good places, if you have nay nearby..
if you in shallow water, try some deep diving harbodys as well, its an another fun way to fish for them as well, just troll the hardbody behind the yak
This might be a stupid question, but how do I find the drop offs?

I’ll definitely give the hardbodies a go.
In shallow water you can see where the water changes colour from light to darker colour they are generally where it gets deeper those are the drop offs.
Ok, great. Thanks heaps for the advice!

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