BIG BIG flatty

[crumpet_avenger]

i was thinken about drifting out the front of kilcunda for some big flatty. My oldman told me 2 decades ago there were monsters out there. anyone know if they are still around on the sandy bottom out that way?

Ive tried drifting out the front of flinders in about 80 feet of water but I think the bottom is too reefy. all we catch are bloody wrasse and sergeant baker. I really want a good feed of big flatty in westernport...

[borntofish]

40mtres of water off kilcunda, no probs at all getting some good flatties, unsure about monsters tho, biggest we have caught are upto 1kg 2kg, mostly are all sizes, some drifts woohoo, other times arghhh!! tiddlers, plenty of arrow squid out there, always a good chance of threshers too!!!!!!!!!!!! couta, etc

[crumpet_avenger]

beautiful, thats what im after, what baits do you use?

we were thinken pilly, havent yet got onto the soft plastics...

what do you catch the arrow squid on? when you get them do you use them for bait or eat them?

1-2 kg is perfect flatty size, also love couta... hope they are a good size..

what time of year is best for out there? hope its right now! haha ill be going out in a fortnight, gotta work this w.e

[borntofish]

we use big 3.5 or 4.0 squid jigs, normally use my big cheapys, because they tend to destroy them!! i also tie one off at the top of my bottom bouncing rig, because i get alot down deep, top eating, not as good as calamari, need to be iced staight away tho. becareful of the beak, they like to have a go!! i use any bait i can find for the bottom, i usually use the silstar squid rig setup, 3 or 4 small squid on a paternoster rig, couta go ape on it!!! so its a cheap setup, like $5 . its pretty strong too as i pulled up a 100kg estimate 7 gill on it, but it broke off near boat, thank god!! nows the best time, all the bait around, stripeys too!!! we drifted a live gar behind us once, we saw a fin come up, we thought nothing of it, balloon popped, gar gone!! not happy!! as we saw a thresher swim away, first and only time i ever saw one!

[zack268]

when they get real big they get tough

[CremeDeLaCreme]

just a quick question...

at what size do you consider a flathead a "big breeding female" that should be released back to do her thing?

[fishingvic]

just a quick question...

at what size do you consider a flathead a "big breeding female" that should be released back to do her thing?

I personally would release back into the water any flathead above 55 centimetres in length...

take a quick photo and release asap

[Berto Pescatore]

I sure will release back to water (unharmed) any big flathead over 55 - 60cm
Because (as it said before) it will be most probably a female breeder, which will bring plenty of generations for us to enjoy fishing for many years to come if it kept alive, plus I also noticed that it get tougher flesh and less tasty as it grow bigger than 50 cm