Flathead Classic - Kayaking

[SURLY]

Hi all,

I have recently entered the flathead classic in the kayak division. I did this just for fun as I hope to meet similar like minded people who enjoy the challenge (and enjoyment) of kayak fishing for flathead.

Mind you my first 5 trips produced a number of flathead and ever since i paid my nomination my last 4 trips yielded 3 bream and thats it. Might have something to do with all the weed out in broadwater at moment

Since I got my fish finder I have noticed I am struggling to get a lure down past the 6 foot range, does anybody have advice on a lure that would do this (at kayak trolling speed) as if the wind is up my options are really only the canals and river.

My other options obviously would be to fish soft plastics in these areas, but I havent done alot of this for flathead anyway

If anybody is thinking about entering or even keen for afish in the broadwater/paradise point area just message me. Unfortunately I work mon to friday so my fishing days are the busy wekends

Any advice would be much appreciated

[Funchy]

Dont be too worried about lack of flat ones right now. They are a bit quiet and that is to be expected around this time of year. Mid September they should begin to pick up and by the classic it will be firing. I have far more success on soft plastics from a Yak than trolling. I get the majority of my flattys in less than half a metre of water (last 2 good fish were 85cm and 81cm and water was 40cm deep). That is the advantage of the yak.

I am trying the classic for the first time this year (in a tinny). Good luck with it!!

[SURLY]

Thanks Funchy

I have entered the classic a few years back (2 man boat team), it was very well run comp . Can I ask what type of plastic do you use, I have been using 10lb leader with 3/8 jighead and a gulp grub or atomic prong.

I have managed a 80cm plus girl whilst trolling crab a few months back, I so want to get a gopro for yak as it would have been nice to film it in 1 metre of crystal clear water . It was amazing

thanks again and good luck for comp

[Funchy]

Hey Surly,

Do a search for my posts and you should get a heap of info on tides, times, moon phase and placcies however in summary

6lb braid (Nanofil)
8lb Flourocarbon leader
Double uni knot
6ft6in 2 - 5 kg rod
1/8th oz dater jigheads
Any 3inch curl tail grub in a natural colour (I find Gulp excellent) or 3 or 4 inch minnow in smelt

Get ya SP on the bottom.
Ya cant fish too slow.
Never strike too early. (You will feel a light tick through the braid. Count to 5 slowly then firmly raise your rod tip to strike (Not trying to rip its head off).

Good luck and now I want a cut of the prizes you win at the classic hahahhaaaaaaa

[SURLY]

Thanks Funchy

I am really looking forward to classic, although nervous about trying to take a pic of a flathead on a brag mat as only position on kayak would be between the legs :)

I really appreciate your advice and wish you luck too

[bennykenny]

im in again this years aswell (6th year), a suggestion for the photography of the fish, ive made up a small tray that i use to photograph my flathead in my boat its a piece of ply with sides, a front on it and a handle like along thin drawer with out a back piece, might be eaiser to make up something like that for your kayak if you could store it ok.

[Gigantor]

I follow much of Funchy's specs as well when chasing the lizards. I also have had good luck with using pink sp's as well.

I also like to mix the retrieve up a little too - i.e. start with the slow approach and if nothing, then go the 2 or 3 quick rod tip bounces in the same spot and then let the lure fall to the bottom for about 5 to 10 seconds before I go again. Lizards usually grab the lure on either the drop or when it's sitting on the bottom - you'll find that when you go to start the lure bounce again that there is something heavy on the line, and that's when the fish will start to move. I tend to keep the rod tip low when playing lizards because of their rough teeth wearing the leader - if you use a high rod tip playing the fish you'll wear through the leader quicker (I find).

Good luck Surly.

Cheers,

Pete


This is my PB yak caught lizard to date - 78cm caught at Kedron Brook Floodway
95862

[jmwarner]

atomic shiner 60 deep and a micro mullet from lively might work but don't quote me on it. I got a few and am itching to try them out in the local creek

[wayno60]

9589495895
Ive seen one of these and im going to make one. It a section of a 12in round PVC pipe with one of those stick on measures and the small stand it sits on can be made out of alloy or wood.
Has to be better than having flatties sliding all over the shop while trying to take happy snaps.

[bennykenny]

Just to get you excited here is one i got on Friday, she went 85cm.
95900

[wayno60]

Mate nice.....oh by the way keep an eye out for "Team Ausfish" at the flatty classic, that will be Funchy and myself...

[bennykenny]

no worries wayno will look foward to catching up.
Im team Head Hunters.

[wayno60]

Mate, that looks like a fair expanse of water your in there.......the pin??

[wayno60]

As promised but just looking at Brendon's latest I don't think its head will fit in!!


95981959809597995978

[RobSee]

Well, there are currently only 4 or 5 Kayakers entered so far, so the odds of winning a prize (new kayak etc) are looking pretty good at present.

[tunaticer]

Another good lurk with plastics on flatties is a fine guage hook, you do not need heavy guage hooks for lizzards ever. The finer the hook, the easier it will penetrate.

[SURLY]

thanks Pete, you been most helpful. I tried on the weekend but still so much snot weed around Crab it made it very difficult

[SURLY]

definitely keep eye out for you, hope you boys do well

[bennykenny]

As promised but just looking at Brendon's latest I don't think its head will fit in!!


95981959809597995978
Hey wayno your going to have to scrap your measuring device, they are not using the usual stickers this year they are using a brag mat, thats going to make it alot harder, especially for the kayakers.

[wayno60]

Brendon,
I do remember at the launch of the classic that there was some talk of a 20th anniversary brag mat.. all good.

[SURLY]

Hey Guys

Well just finished my first flathead classic from a kayak. Definitely tough fishing but thoroughly enjoyed it. I ended up winning the kayak division, i think i had 433 points in total. Best day fishing for me was around Crab island on day 1 when I managed 10 flathead with only i think 4 legals which gave me 224 points for the day. No real size but had a 50cm as my biggest. I was drifting quite fast but managed to pull 3 legals from the one hole, only problem was I would drift in the breeze for about 100 - 200 metres before i was ready to go again. I am sure there was a big girl in their but after the third fish I was struggling. I ended up drifting down towards wavebreak and tried a few spots for only one other small flathead so then did the paddle from front of Charis back to Hollywell (it took me over an hour into the wind and current to paddle home. In the kayak for 7 hours. Only bycatch was foul hooked whiting and a small tarwhine

Well the second day it was blowy, and cold. I decided to try launching at paradise point and fishing down towards turana street. There was even white caps , I found one hole that I fished where the wind and current was going against each other but at least it allowed me to cast a few times before drifting. I caught 4 flathead from this hole over a 2 hour period, including a 55 cm. total points 96 for the day. I gave up fishing at 11.30, i was knackered. In the kayak for 6 hours. By catch included a 40cm jew and 2 moses perch

Last day back around crab, took a while for the fish to come on chew, caught 8 flathead between 8am and 10.30 with only a 41cm and 43 cm being legal. Did have fun with a big long tom as well as a whiting, In the kayak for 5 hours.

I ended up using a mixture of 1/6- 1/4 jigheads depending on current. Nothing caught on trolling (between spots) except a bite off which assume was tailor as they were busting up. Had most success on turtle back worms would you believe, i thought they would be too big but they had a lot of movement and the flathead were quite aggressive with them. I had a lot of tails bitten off but persisted. The other successful lure was the atomic prong especially up the creek. I lost probably only 3 flathead by the the yak but no real size, did see a 60cm + follow the plastic to the yak.

I ended up deciding to hop out of the kayak on to the sand banks to take pictures of the flathead as it was sooo difficult trying to a do pictures on the yak with such a big brag matt

Thanks for your advice, hope you guys did well

[bennykenny]

well done mate i was thinking how tough it would have been for the kayakers in that wind, sounds like you did pretty well considering, congrats.
my team ended up 40th, we just couldnt get any big ones on the board, our biggest fish went 59cm. Hardest year ive had by far in the last 6. But a very well run event and woldnt miss it.

[wayno60]

Mate wasn't friday a shocker....we headed up the coomera to try and get out of the wind but so did maybe 30 others....we fished from the enterance, north arm, down to the Hwy bridge and we seen two fish all day..

overall we didnt do all that well but we were 2 virgins, so now we have that out of the way and we know alot more about the whole comp i cant wait till next year.

Me thinks the channel on the north side of crusoe is the place to be!!!!

[bennykenny]

Me thinks the channel on the north side of crusoe is the place to be!!!!
Wayno i fished that area quite a lot and let me tell you it was no honey hole. it was as tough there as ive seen it for a long time.
but im sure it had nothing to do with the netters that were in the tipplers area a couple of weeks before hand

[wayno60]

I heard the same for the broadwater, about the netters.

Ive seen a few pics of where Brenden Whyte got his croc and from what i can work out crusoe isl was the place??? have you heard anything??

[bennykenny]

ive seen and heard plenty, ill pm you though.

[wayno60]

cheers....

[SURLY]

thanks for comments guys, definitely hard fishing. I met the team that won it last year and they gave me a fair bit of advice. I was fishing around them on day one although they were trolling and I was using soft plastics. They didnt do as good this year but i was amazed how many fish they pulled amongst the weed

[SURLY]

Hey Guys

Just thought I would let you know, Probably be my last flathead classic. Sort of gone from the high of feeling i did quite well to actually feeling that the kayak category was just a farce to the organisers of the competition. I did not know how many people participated, nor did i have any control over how few kayakers did enter. But I fished hard especially given the conditions and for what. No acknowledgement, apart from getting my photo taken with a stubby cooler. There has been plenty of posts but nothing about the kayak division. I know its only a competition but I paid the same amount of money as other competitors I thought I would have at least got the same level of respect as that paid to them.

Its not sour grapes guys the competition was run 2 months ago, no trophy no mention even on the numerous facebook posts. I do warn future kayakers about entering the competition which is a shame as the Flathead Classic was always a well run event.

[bennykenny]

Surly, i wouldnt take it to much to heart,i know alot of the guys and girls who run the comp are usually for a few months after it, quite burnt out as it takes alot to organise such an event. I know its a bit slack that they havent got the trophy to you yet.but im sure it more an oversight than any malice. As it was the first year that they have involved a Kayakers division im sure they would be open to any feed back. i know the fact about the large brag mat has been taken on board. its the first year that they have used a brag mat, and im sure it will be the last, i know even in the boat it was a pain.
im gathering when they introduced the catagory that they were expecting alot more kayak entrants than they got, so they may either run it again for another year and see how it goes or just cut it completly. I will let the President of the club know about the trophy.
cheers BK

[SURLY]

Thanks bk, i know they all worked there buts of and they then had another comp to do . I did send a letter 2 weeks ago but still heard nothing. I will prefer probably to let it lie now if that is alright . I shouldn't have posted anything on ausfish. Just having one of those days. As mentioned in previous post was pretty proud of achievements just probably shouldn't have told mates lol as seem more to be butt of jokes. Thanks anyway for taking time to reply