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Fishing for Flathead
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Concentrations
of the flathead can be located in sandy areas between areas of reef and
their location changes throughout the day and from day to day. Many
types of rig have been trailed and used to catch flathead but the most
successful are the drifting rigs with the sinker at the bottom and the
hooks on traces further up the line. These traces are made by the use
of a loop of about 20 centimetres (8 inches) and a blood dropper knot.
The loop stands out from the main line. The loop is kept short to
reduce the possibility of it twisting and tangling around the main
line. Wire traces have been marketed for this purpose however the
flathead are shy to take a bait when attached to a wire trace.
The depth of the water and the speed of the current and drift determine
sinker size. It is necessary for the sinker to reach the bottom fast
and stay there as the boat drifts along. Presentation is also important
and when using prawn, attaching the whole thing complete with the shell
prevents its destruction by pickers and maintains its appearance for
longer.
Fish bait is cut into strips about 7 centimetres long and 2 centimetres
wide and must be fresh. The two best methods of attaching a fish bait
is to either thread the bait onto the hook, exposing the barb at the
end or to just push the hook through the fish once. The second method
allows the fish to float and move in the current and presents as a much
more attractive bait than the first method which is somewhat rigid.
Some of the best fish baits are strips of yellowtail, mackerel, tailor
and flathead.
Fishing for flathead from beaches is different from fishing for bream
and tailor. The letter are more inclined to be in schools whereas the
flathead is usually a loner and bags of half a dozen are rare. The
majority of flathead caught are sand flatheads and they bite all day,
not going off the bite in the middle of the day like many other species
which are best caught at dawn and dusk.
A flathead will move little during the day and it is always best for
the angler to move to different locations along the sandy spit than to
wait for the fish to come to him. A favourite hangout for the flathead
is in the gutters or channels which occur at the end of a sandbar where
the flathead will sit and wait for other fish to drift in from the
sandbar with the ebb and flow of the waves. Other fish can also be
located there.
The best-known bait for flathead, particularly along the northern half
of the east coast of Australia, is the white pilchard. It is best
presented on a 2 hook gang with a short trace. The white pilchard is a
firm bait, even after freezing and will withstand the rigors of
numerous casts without disintegrating off the hook. Sinker size is not
important so long as it is heavy enough to reach the outer rim of the
channel or gutter.
Fishing for flathead with artificial lures is an entirely different
style than that used for other species. As the flathead sits on the
bottom and rarely moves, the lure must pass practically in front of the
flathead's nose to be noticed. Light gear with lures is best and the
trick is to cast and allow the lure to sink to the bottom. The lure is
then retrieved with a jerky rod action, allowing the lure to skip along
the bottom and disturb the sand, giving an appearance as a bait fish
and attracting the attention of the flathead. Too slow a speed and the
action of a fish is not emulated, too fast and the flathead will ignore
it.
The correct spinning tackle should be a light spinning road about 2
metres long with a small threadline reel with line about 3-5 kilogram
(6 - 11 lbs) breaking strain. The lure should be any that has a good
action with a slow retrieval speed. The lure must also represent a
source of food popular with the flathead in a given area. Mostly that
would mean a lure similar to a pilchard, or anchovy, with a long
slender body. Silver is more than likely the best colour but other
colours, even though not fish-like in appearance to the human eye, have
been known to work, such as yellow.
Flathead must be handled with care. They have 2 sharp and poisonous
spines at each side of the head and although the venom is not fatal, it
is enough to cause a very nasty and infected wound. A quick flap of the
flathead's head and those spines can be driven into the soft flesh of
an angler's hand before they realize it. A good method is to grasp the
fish firmly with an old rag or gloved hand and turn the fish over. The
thumb and forefinger of the other hand can then be thrust into the gill
flaps. The poisonous barbs are then out of harms way and the fish can
be de-hooked.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Fishing
Michael Russell - EzineArticles Expert Author
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