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