A great isolation evening fishing

[Sebb]

Started to work from home today. Was told to isolate myself from the crowd. So me and a mate prepared to fish straight after logging off the computer. Packed the kayak off we went to look for some flathead during the 2-3 hrs before sunset. And boy oh boy we got lucky. Was only two of us on the water (we're isolated I'd say).

Time fished : 6pm-8:45pm.
Barometer : 1018-1020
Weather : sunny 29 degrees
Wind : north 20kmh
Moon : waning crescent 39%
Tide : peak high 10pm
Gear :
• 2-4 kg rod 2500 reel 10lb braid 10lb fluorocarbon leader, 1/8 #1/0 jig head with gulp nemesis plastic 4 in pumpkin seeds.
• 8-12 kg rod 4000 reel 30 lb braid and 40 lb fluorocarbon leader, 7/0 double snelled KL hook, running sinker, coles squid strip.

Plan was to flick lures and dropped bait, anchored in 4-5m water.
And the plan worked! Burleying every now and then with the gotcha burley pellets thing. No special technique, just cast, wait, tap tap pull.

Two of us caught :
11 flathead, all legal in average 40cm, being the biggest 53cm
1 king george whiting 33cm
1 undersized pinkie
1 gummy 40cm gill to base of tail (undersized)

All caught on the plastic, except the gummy on bait just after dark.
A lot of smaller hits too, probably smaller whiting or small pinkie. Dropped a few.
Took only 7 flathead and the one whiting for the two of us, released the rest.
They were still biting but we had enough fun and mrs was waiting at home. Now I can sleep well.

[Tim399]

Nice effort and report write up Seb. It’s been too long since I’ve been out for a flatty bash, haven’t wet the kayak in months now, I’ve been distracted with this fly fishing thing

[Aimless]

How do you go about getting flathead on plastics? Roll across the bottom?

[happyfriggincamper]

Good work mate

[Troy McLure]

Great little session. Work from home and then go fishing sounds like a good way to turn a negative into a positive.

[Sebb]

Nice effort and report write up Seb. It’s been too long since I’ve been out for a flatty bash, haven’t wet the kayak in months now, I’ve been distracted with this fly fishing thing

Thanks.
Fly fishing is definitely a fun thing to do. Do you fly fish for trout or other fresh/salty fish?
Kayaking and fly fishing can be done too, I might try. Lakes like Wendouree and Upper Colliban seem ideal.
There were times I was so into it and would travel for hours into lakes and rivers to catch the evening trout rise twice a week. Sold my push bike, used my 4 years worth of piggy bank, and bought Sage One 6wt fly rod (worth $800 at that time). LoL. Still have it.

How do you go about getting flathead on plastics? Roll across the bottom?

To me, the key with flathead fishing on plastic is to get the plastic on the bottom as long as possible, almost like bait fishing. The 'movement' is only to get a bit of their attention, whether be a twitch, slow roll or hops. Just make sure you wait a little longer in between the 'movement'. Make sure you got the right jighead too. My mate was using 1/32 , waaayy to light for 4m waterm changed to 1/8 and straight away he was onto some flatties.

Though I caught flathead with diff plastics in the past, lately I've been getting them on the gull nemesis pumpkin seeds 4 in. They seemed to love it last night. Few times I just dropped the plastic vertically and on the rod holder, the flathead took it like a bait.

Great little session. Work from home and then go fishing sounds like a good way to turn a negative into a positive.

Certainly.

[re-tyred]

Great session Seb. I intend to isolate myself on Thursday.

[Sebb]

Great session Seb. I intend to isolate myself on Thursday.

Thanks!
good luck on Thursday!

[Lightningx]

Very nice Seb! Some nice flatties there mate

[purple5ive]

Nicely done, those sized flathead are great sized ones.