Flathead are an endearing and highly sought-after species around Australia. Their no-nonsense attitude towards artificial lures, especially soft plastics, has made them a favorite among flick stick enthusiasts.
Soft plastics are the ideal lure if you're aiming to catch a bunch of flatties for the table or target a trophy monster croc. They're excellent for bulk casting, and if they come within the sight of a flathead, it's rare for them to be refused. So, where should you be casting your Squidgies soft plastics?
AREAS TO CAST
Flathead are versatile in their habitats and can be targeted with soft plastics in various locations. From tidal and landlocked creeks and river systems to protected and semi-protected coastal flats and beaches, there are plenty of options to explore.
Within these broad areas, focus on specific holding points and feeding zones for flathead. Channels, drains, gutters, and edges carved into sand or mud, along with weed beds and low reef/rock formations, are prime spots to search and cast near. Essentially, any feature that disrupts the monotony of an otherwise plain bottom can hold these fish and provide an ambush point for their feeding attacks.
Without obvious structures to aim at, fishing a wide flat can be daunting when targeting flathead. It's best to narrow your efforts to high-probability zones. Start by flicking over the main structures, then work the less obvious ones. From a boat, position yourself in deeper water and focus on run-off drains and outer patches. Land-based waders can also effectively target flathead.
Flathead are voracious predators and will chase baitfish like mullet. Finding bait schools can give you a jump start.
Understanding where to fish at various stages of the tide is crucial for flathead. They have different holding points depending on the tide. Trial and error, along with accumulating knowledge of a particular area, is the key to mastering these finer details
SOFT PLASTIC & JIGHEAD SELECTION
Getting your soft plastic flathead gear together doesn't have to be complicated. Start with lures in the 70 to 110mm size range. The Squidgies Prawn Paddle or Wriggler, along with the classic Squidgies Fish or Squidgies Wriggler, are excellent choices. These lures are proven flathead catchers and have fantastic tail actions, allowing you to fish them almost on autopilot due to their built-in movement on the drop. A simple double flick of the lure followed by a pause to let it sink to the bottom is all you need to entice a bite
Jighead selection is all about using a robust head/hook option that offers good jaw penetration on the hook-up. A heavy gauge hook over finer options is a wise move, as flathead will bend them open, especially the bigger fish that you really want to land. Good hook exposure will also equate to better hook-sets, so consider stepping up your hook size a touch so it finds jaw easily. Flathead have bucket mouths and it's easy to pull lures out on the strike.
Keep jighead weights down, as you can be fishing is super shallow water, and you want to maximise time in the strike zone where possible. Slower sink rates can also mean less snags. 1/8 and 1/6 weight heads are suited to shallow to medium depths from the shore. For deeper water and higher current flow you'll want to increase weight, with a hook size of 1/0 to 3/0 suited to these fish.
When it comes to soft plastic colours both natural and bright coloured plastics will earn their keep in your attack. On the clear water sunny days natural and dark coloured plastics work well, and lizards will easily spot the profile and the contrast. Conversely for dirty water it's bright colours all the way, with the belief that getting a flathead to spot your lure is most of the battle won as they're in the shallows to feed and not spectate! Matching the hatch also comes into it, and a nice prawn or mullet profile will often replicate a prominent local food source.
SELECTING A SOFT PLASTIC OUTFIT
Flick stick outfits should be kept light for flathead soft plastic efforts if you want maximum fun from each encounter. You can tame most sized lizards on reels a 2500 Sedona FJ or a Vanford 2500 FA matched with an entry level Raider 6'10 Flathead spin rod or a high end JDM Zodias 7'0 spin rod spooled with 6-12lb Kairiki 8+ braided line and with an 8-15lb Ocea Fluorocarbon leader depending on the terrain and the size of the Flathead you are targeting.
A crisp tipped rod for this fishing can be of benefit, to offer good hook setting when your lure is first inhaled by a fish and to turn and land the better lizards. They're not a fish you want to prolong fights with if you can help it, as their violent head-shakes, jaw flexes and short bursts of speed are ideal for popping out jigheads and even bending them open. A landing net, such as the Environet, can help seal the deal quicker.
The bycatch on soft plastics is much greater than with any other lure types, so even if flatties aren't playing the game there's usually something else jumping on to keep the interest levels up. But overall they're a confidence lure for flathead that is hard to go past if you're after results on these fantastic ever-hungry fish.