Help catching flatties on lures
Hi guys, im 15, its almost holdidays and ive only got one more set of exams then im done for the year :)
Ive been hitting up the river near zephers café, around to bicton baths using scorpions, blades and sp's. IM really having trouble getting flatties. Mainly I don't think im working my lures right.
Any info about what type of bibbed lures are good and how to retrieve them, as well as info on how to retrieve blades/vibes would be really appreciated. Also some basic locations around pt walter would be great to get me started as I cant drive (yet) and both my parents don't like fishing, so I gotta walk or ride. I ask this mainly because ive put hours and hours into fishing the flats east of pt walter along burke drive, but no luck, no hits, its too weedy and never seen anything other than mullet there.
I just really want to get my retrieves working well and get into my first ever flattie on lure. (been trying for years)
(and yes ive used the search bar and read all the latest threads :)
Thanks, Nic
Fishing and catching are two different things. But i want to learn how to catch.
tim-o
Posts: 4657
Date Joined: 24/05/11
I do very little cast and
I do very little cast and retrieve fishing but I have caught a few flatties this way on tt blades. Just cast, let it hit the bottom and use various retrieves such as short quick lifts or long slower lifts, letting the lure hit the bottom after each lift. I like to feel the blade working through the rod as I lift so with that and the contact on the bottom, I just visualize what the lure is doing. They are an ambush predator so dont be afraid to work the lure fast. You probably arent doing anything wrong with your retrieve, you may just need be at the right place at the right time, that's the key to having a good session for any species
I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.
Uluabuster
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 12/12/10
Try canning river n
Try canning river n maylands. Always get them when after bream.
They are not fussy. I reckon plastic will be better in terms of $ but just as effective.
So is my home-made jig ready? Been waiting for more than a year....lol
Fisher Kid
Posts: 358
Date Joined: 16/10/12
lol, talking about them im
lol, talking about them im just gathering supplies to make some proper ones, my 2 original prototypes I had were taken by some unstoppables up at cape Leveque :( When im done ill definitely give u some for ur help :)
Fishing and catching are two different things. But i want to learn how to catch.
Cardinal
Posts: 364
Date Joined: 28/05/12
Too easy buddycouple of tips
Too easy buddy
couple of tips to get you an idea...
low tide - mid divers / high tide deep divers
clean water - bright colourful lures / dirty murky water - dark low profile lures.
I recommend getting yourself some shad and minnow hard bodies. On the flathead all you need is a slow retrieve on the hard bodies.
Sponsored by Atomic HardZ Lures
Fisher Kid
Posts: 358
Date Joined: 16/10/12
Thanks for the help Cardinal,
Thanks for the help Cardinal, tim-o, and Uluabuster, im definitely going to try and use these tips this weekend.
Fishing and catching are two different things. But i want to learn how to catch.
luke t
Posts: 163
Date Joined: 22/02/10
I have given up on the SP
I have given up on the SP when fishing the river for flathead !!
My preferred method now is to use hardbody lures (sinking bib-less minnows) 50mm up to about 80mm.. Work out the "sink rate" for the lure your using eg. 1metre every 3 seconds !! Then try and get the lure to sink almost to bottom, then a few cranks on the reel.. then pause ..
I find they'll hit the lure on the pause more often than not !!!
Also a bibbed diving lures (like RMG scorpions OR HALCO laser pros... For some cheap examples) will work ok even if they are digging their nose on the bottom. Just keep adding the pause in your retrieve!!
Good luck
soupster51
Posts: 2724
Date Joined: 29/11/06
Flatties
Flatties are pretty dumb as far as fish go. If you haven't caught many its probably because they weren't where you were. Like the lads have said, slow retrieve with inconsistent pauses. Crank extra hard every now and again and get the bib into the sand, the puffs of sand will stir them into action.
The best reason for doing what's right today is tomorrow.
jighead
Posts: 739
Date Joined: 03/02/12
Soft plastics
Don't give up on the the soft plastics as I reckon they are your best bet. Fish them on a steep drop off right on the bottom but the trick is to retrieve them quickly once you get to the shallow water so the blowies don't eat them. I have had alot of success around mosmans near the canoe place and in the lower reaches where there is a steep drop off. Just hug the bottom with your placcie until you get near the edge then get it out of there and cast again. You will succceed. The blowies are only a problem when it gets shallow.
Versus
Posts: 918
Date Joined: 06/03/09
Have to disagree with u a
Have to disagree with u a little on the shallow theory. By that I mean, I don't think you should discount the shallow water, even when it's shin deep. The amount of times i've been wading in knee deep water, casting to drop-offs only to watch one burst away from where it was sitting 1m from me...
Sunburntfeet
Posts: 160
Date Joined: 04/01/13
Never fished metro rivers,
Never fished metro rivers, had the most success Busso/ Dunsbrough area with sinking stickbaits - subdogs, let it hit the bottom then short sharp twitches like you would work a shad style plastic. And fish the tides, catch heaps high and low, never in the middle. Hope this helps
Fisherman, constantly trying to out-smart fish.......with limited success
Leemo
Posts: 3712
Date Joined: 22/02/07
Flathead
plastics are my favourite weapon for flatties. Currently i'm using 4" SnapBacks Finnese Jerkbaits in bubblegum colour....... and reaping the rewards! getting plenty around perth water in the river. just slow bounce over weedbeds into sandpatches. Zmans work just as well - the old man has been doing well with the grubz in violet sparkle (semiclear with violet specks). I prefer my jerkbait and 3-4" minnow styles. Thinking behind it is that a 50cm flathead has a mouth that can swallow a very big bait. I have found they are more aggressive (the bigger ones), when chasing larger offerings. Saying that, I do get smaller ones from time to time, but I have found no where near as many small ones fishing with the larger placcies. As a rule, I like to say anything Pink or Purple will have you in with a good chance. As SBF said above ^^, fish the tides! they are way more active on the flats during the peaks - And I have also found that 2 hours after the high, (supposed bite-time), they are more active too!
bludgin' since 94'
the_dude84
Posts: 145
Date Joined: 15/03/11
Have had reasonable success
Have had reasonable success on Ecogear SX40's mainly when fishing the flats on high tide for bream as a by-catch... usually fire a cast out over the drop off and vary my retrieves. Now that I think of it I've caught more flatties then bream in last few weeks in the canning. The end of 5th Ave in Rossmoyne isn't a bad place to start... also the flats around canning bride on the freeway side have produced for me in recent years