Flatties, Croc's, Lizards, Flat Fish and Frogs are all very affectionate names for the Flathead. Flathead taste amazing and are easily accessible in our shallow estuaries and bays, meaning you don't need a "Big Boat" and all the expense to chase these fish. Actually the preferred method of using a small Tinnie or Kayak to get up in the shallow waters to hunt these fish that works a treat...
(Below - Gobblers team member Darren Hudson a nice Lizard on a White Magic 4" Curl Tail, note the customised colour jig head).
(Below - Beau Fox with a cracker Flatfish on a Hyper Bubble Gum 3" Curl Tail in super shallow water from the Kayak)
(Below, 2017 Gold Coast Flathead Classic Female Winner, Megan Savas, with a great shot of a cracker point scoring Flathead on Gobblers Lures)
Targeting Flathead on Soft Plastics has exploded in recent years and it is a surprisingly simple and a very effective way to catch plenty of Flatties.
Selecting your Lure Profile, Size & Colour is very important if you want to get consistent results when using Soft Plastics for Flathead...
Most of the colours Gobblers Lures produce, like UV Croc Bait, Motor Oil, Pumpkin Seed, Red Pepper, Camo, Aged Copper, Hyper Bubble Gum and just about all the others work a treat on Flathead and are deadly when applied with the right profile in the right conditions.
To assist with your colour choice, Gobblers Founder Andrew Turnbull, has written a book called "Cracking the Code" that is free to download that will point you in the right direction when choosing the right colours and profiles for the conditions and is well worth the 30min read if you want to dominate on the water using Soft Plastics.
(Below - Lee Massey - Found this stonker of flathead under Sean Conlon's tuition on-board Moreton Bay Fishing Charters using the 4" Paddle Tail in Pumpkin Seed colour.)
Some of the Key things to remember when targeting Flathead to increase your chances of getting the desired results...
1) Last 2 hours of the run-out tide and first hours of the run in tide.
2) Flathead will face into the direction of the water flow. Therefore, bring your lure back with the direction of the water flow how the fish would expect to see bait fish being swept down with the tide. The more natural you can present the lure the better chance of a solid hit.
3) Cast your lure at the bank and hop your Lure back to the boat. Ideally, lift your rod tip between 50cm to a meter for the hop. Then allow the paddle tail/shad or curl tail to do their thing by fluttering down back into the strike zone.
4) Look for drains or run-off water flowing back into the main channel and target the water around these areas. Flathead will sit and wait for the bait-fish to flush off the flats in these channels...
5) Use a light drag..and you can get away with using a light 2-4kg rod attached to a 2500 size spin reel.
6) Fish as light as possible. 10lb Braid with 14lb Leader will in most cases land you a trophy flathead without their teeth wearing through your leader.
7) Jig Head Weight between 1/16oz and 1/4oz for shallow water and go heavier if in deep water with current. Vary this depending on the current and wind, making sure the soft plastic keeps in very close proximity of the bottom.
8) You can even troll your Gobblers Lures with heavier jig heads keeping the lure in the strike zone, slowly around the bank edges for awesome results too...
9) Fish Shallow. Big Flatties will sit in 0.5m - 1.5m of Water along the Bank Edges.
The best Soft Plastics in the Gobblers Range for targeting Flathead are the 3.75" or 4.75" Paddle Shads, 4" Paddle Tails and our 3" or 4" Curl Tails are perfect... These lures have consistently proven themselves over years by catching thousands of Flathead...and it all comes down to the size, colours and profile of the Lure.
All this information is something Sean teaches in his Tutorial's, although, Plenty of Flathead have been caught on the Gobblers Jerk Shads also, but when were honing in on Flatties...
This inspired us to make up a $49.95 4" Paddle Tail Kit and a $49.95 4" Curl Tail Kit, for those of you who want a dedicated kit just for this purpose....
3.75" Paddle Shad Kit
3" Curl Tail kits-Very effective and come with rigged jig heads to get you started.
Below are a few more Flatty catches to get you in the mood for chasing these awesome fish...
Remember they’re dead easy to catch if you’re setup right and fishing the right times. Take the time to get the right gear and set yourself up for results...
Work the right times of the tide and the right time of year (Winter) for best results. Of course, you will need the right Lures...
Flathead are also a great option for land-based Anglers who are prepared to walk the banks and put in the casts...
Gobblers Lures have been specifically designed to match the bait profile of the common bait-fish that Flathead and many other species feed on. Lot's of time and effort has gone into producing the right designs and the right colours to help our customers get the results they want from a high-performance product like Gobblers Lures.
To help you out even more, Gobblers Lures Founder - Andrew Turnbull has even gone to the effort of writing a book called "Cracking the Code" which he offers for free as a PDF download on the Gobblers Lures Website.
This book covers the intricacies of Lure Colour choice and what times are the right times to use certain colours to get the best results.
Now is the time to chase them. I hear they are thick along the banks and you can't miss...
Go give em a crack...
Best Regards
Wayne & Julie Palmer
Gobblers Lures