Trolling for Flathead

WHATS YA FAV flatty lure & why????????regards bob

Down here we have had some luck hitting flaties on 30g silver spinners when the lines way bay trolling slow.
We were throwing burley out trolling back and forth along a beach blocked off by a rock wall and started with a few salmon but started to get more hits with the flathead getting excited by the frozen shark we were mixen up with some blue bait.
When we were pullen them into the boat they were spiting out the bait we were throwing in.

Hope this gives someone some ideas.

Rick.

Working against the runout with big deep divers along the rockwalls( this can mean going backwards!) can produce some monsters. It also works for Jew

we work zigzag patterns along the wider channels down at jumpinpin and as long as the lure is banging on the bottom we usually catch fish

chris_y wrote: All this talk has me itching to get out and try some trolling for flatties! One question though..... It is pretty much a given that flatties will take almost anything, so I was thinking of trying a metal slug, Halco slice or similar, trolling it in the shallow water and occassionally letting it freespool to the bottom to kick up a bit of sand..... Any thoughts on if it would be effective?

Works good as does flicking metals along the bottom at most beaches too

MXB

Hi guys, been a flathead troller for 30 years. Always been a winner in Sth Qld. Still do it, but what a lot of  people don't know is that it is not a case of dragging and sucking a stubby as you troll merrily along. Always hold the rod, tip down and slightly forward. You must feel the lure kicking the bottom, and watch the rod tip working with it. If the action of the lure stops and the rod action stops, 10 times out of ten there is weed on the treble. A flathead won't grab a lure with slightest amount of weed on it. I work the lure heavily as I troll aka barra trolling style. This sheds weed quickly and adds to the action. Distance back, as most of my trolling is done in not much more than a metre, probably 10m back. Lure, any deep diving minnow 35 to 50mm. Colour, every one has their favourite, my first choice would be something in pink. Work the moving water, the tide over banks, out of creek mouths and gutters. On high tide get up on top of the flats. I think flathead trolling is done in varying degrees around the country. A story to illustrate. Early last year we went down to Mallacoota, started trolling excactly as we did here. We brained them. Did not see one mexican doing the same. A fisho we met in the van park was bemoaning the lack of fish. After supplying a few fish meals he asked what we we doing. I offered to take him out the next day to show him. He went to the local tackle shop to buy a couple of lures. His conversation with the shop person went like this.Bob "Where are your flathead lures?" Owner - "There is a wall full over there" Bob -  "I know, there aren't any I've been told  to get, 40mm deep divers for Flathead trolling" Owner - "Trolling for Flathead, that bloke's been having you on, doesn't work here" Well Bob and I caught a half dozen up to 50cm, dropped a couple of bigger fish in atrocious conditions. First fish Bob had ever caught on lures. He was so stoked, he went up to Merimbula the next day and bought a tinny he had seen, just to go lure trolling. He almost went back to the shop to tell the owner to bend over.

Cheers Gary! I know what I will be doing this weekend......

All this talk has me itching to get out and try some trolling for flatties!

One question though..... It is pretty much a given that flatties will take almost anything, so I was thinking of trying a metal slug, Halco slice or similar, trolling it in the shallow water and occassionally letting it freespool to the bottom to kick up a bit of sand..... Any thoughts on if it would be effective?

Jason when we are flicking plastics or hard bodies around we always have a dead bait ( plastic ) out, the amount of good fish that fall to it is amazing and not just flatties bream, flounder  etc

I just use the 60 - 70mm ones same as I use for whiting but I have had them come up from 8-10ft of water and smash bigger poppers that have been thrown for tailor

Chris I believe it mate cause we actually target flatties at times with poppers they love em and a big flattie leaves a very big hole in the water when they hit, I just love it

Yes mate the mates and I have taken lots of flatties trolling deep diving hard bodies in about 8ft of water seems a good depth for them

Snap Back Spinnerbaits are manufactured by Wayne Simpson of Bendigo Victoria. Wayne is a local Electrician down that way so could be found in the Phone Book. As for Steve Gaunt and outlaw spinnerbaits well they are a great product as steve sources all his parts from premimum part suppliers in the states. Steve also resides near the Bendigo Area in Victoria. The impetus for there products is the great cod fisheries on there doorsteps! I also Have a number of large trolling baits from Wayne Simpson as I used to promote his products nationally! Hey bob hows about posting a photo of your outlaw caught cod/bass as I'm sure we'll all get a kick out of seeing the photos! regards B.J.

Darby are those large spinner baits still available do you know. I have one large one but would like to get some more. I want to use them with large Gulp grubs on the hooks to drag close to the bottom for cod. The one I have is a Snap Back got it from a place that doesnt exist any more, and the card doesnt have any contact details.   

A bloke I know down the Gold Coast used to make Mackeral Spinnerbaits, 1 1/2 - 3 oz heads, massive hooks and equally massive blades. The are a gun trolling lure when the mackas are working Palm Beach reef.

Darbs

yeah well we all learn wayne somehow sometimes its just through sheer boredom I'll try something new just to see what the reaction will be. But of course Someone will stand up somewhere with the remark of Spinnerbaits in the salt yeah been doing it for years! You Watch! regards B.J.

Yeah Puglee no worries mate, people have been doing it for years mate. works on the same principal as the old wonder wobbler. I use size 4/0 eagle claw lazer sharp hooks in my "Flattie baits". I beef up the profile for very big flatties as well. Since I use premium parts in my lure range such as swivels that contain 4 ball bearings to enable it to spin freely to keep tarnish at bay I use White Vinegar and a cotton bud to clean the tarnish away. I find rabbit zonker strips present better in the water as a prey profile and this is why all my skirts are of this nature. They also work over deep reefs with a lady friend just recently capturing a 2kg+ ling on one of my 1ounce models while slow rolling  retrieve over a reef with a 4ounce barrel sinker running freely on the line above the bait to combat the current. Spinnerbaits are very very versatile lures and I've even heard lge yellowfin tuna love blades! I know salmon and kings do, Snapper when in a feeding frenzy will, Also lgerainbow trout love this style of bait as cod etc etc etc. Regards B.J.

Crikey Lofty, you troll for flathead up your way? Until last year we camped at South West Rocks just up the road from you and we couldn't land a lizard because the blasted Cobia kept blowing us away. Where do you target them near home?