deepwater jumpinpin flathead

[Si]

hey guys, im so keen to catch a croc (big flathead) but its been years since. I've been trying to do it in front of swan bay down to kalinga bank with no luck. i find it very difficult method to do while drifting as my boat doesnt have a electric motor and catches the wind alot. I have been using half oz to 1 oz jig heads with large atomic and berkely sps. Is it possible to fish this way without an electric motor. I can do it at anchor but limits the area i cover. i have caught some but no real bigins.
any pointers??

[bennykenny]

drifting is fine, as long as your getting the lure to the bottom, you will have better luck with the real big ones if you fish the spawning season sept, oct, nov. cheers BK

[breambandit]

I am no expert on SP fishing but catch lots of fish using plastics in the estuary.
Half or 1 oz jigheads is what I use when I go out reef fishing with plastics in 80 metres of water.

For estuary use I seldom go above 1/8 oz of weigh. I don't want to tell you what to do, but I feel your jighead is too heavy for the area.

Your idea of drifting for flathead is excellent and I do it almost all the time. When using plastics for flathead in the estuary, use a light rod and jighead while drifting along the edge of a sand bank, give the lure a little action by raising the rod tip quickly 3 times and resting. It causes the lure to look like an injured or dying fish bumping the bottom of the channel every now and then, and causing the sand to be disturbed. Flathead can't resist it.

Try this method and I am sure your catch rate will improve out of sight. That's all I do and I catch heaps of flathead. I have sent a photo of a 68 cm specimen caught 2 weekends ago in Jacobs Well to show you that the method works.

Cheers

[bennykenny]

I am no expert on SP fishing but catch lots of fish using plastics in the estuary.
Half or 1 oz jigheads is what I use when I go out reef fishing with plastics in 80 metres of water.

For estuary use I seldom go above 1/8 oz of weigh. I don't want to tell you what to do, but I feel your jighead is too heavy for the area.

Your idea of drifting for flathead is excellent and I do it almost all the time. When using plastics for flathead in the estuary, use a light jighead while drifting along a sand bank, give the lure a little action by raising the rod tip quickly 3 times and resting. It causes the lure to look like an injured or dying fish bumping the bottom of the channel every now and then and causing the sand to be disturbed. Flathead can't resist it.

Try this method and I am sure your catch rate will improve out of sight. That's all I do and I catch heaps of flathead.

Cheers

the pin area is deep water and gets a good flow up, you do need those heavy jigheads there, i use them all the time,and if you are using lighter jigheads you wont get to the bottom

[breambandit]

the pin area is deep water and gets a good flow up, you do need those heavy jigheads there, i use them all the time,and if you are using lighter jigheads you wont get to the bottom

Bennykenny, I realise the pin can be up to 10-12 metres deep in places. If you are trying to look for flathead in 12 metres of water you are in the wrong area. Flathead likes shallow water around sandie, weed banks with water eddies that bring the food past them.

Unless the water temperature is really hot like at the moment, I seldom fish for flathead in water deeper than two metres with SP's as it limits your success rate. Most of the fish I catch are in less than half a metre of water.

Good luck

[Creek Vermin]

Most of the pins big lizards come from around kalinga in the deep water during breeding season mate. Always worth a try at any time though. Maybe try the slower tides with minimal wind so that you keep over the top of the lure while jigging. Def not the best time to chase them down there, but there will still be a few down there along with the odd jewie. Might just have to be patient..
Cheers.Keith.

[breakthelines]

Bennykenny, I realise the pin can be up to 10-12 metres deep in places. If you are trying to look for flathead in 12 metres of water you are in the wrong area. Flathead likes shallow water around sandie, weed banks with water eddies that bring the food past them.

Unless the water temperature is really hot like at the moment, I seldom fish for flathead in water deeper than two metres with SP's as it limits your success rate. Most of the fish I catch are in less than half a metre of water.

Good luck

Flathead can be caught in a range of depths, from 30cm - 15m.

[timddo]

Flathead can be caught in a range of depths, from 30cm - 15m.

I caught a flathead i 100meters of water off moreton

[bennykenny]

Bennykenny, I realise the pin can be up to 10-12 metres deep in places. If you are trying to look for flathead in 12 metres of water you are in the wrong area. Flathead likes shallow water around sandie, weed banks with water eddies that bring the food past them.

Unless the water temperature is really hot like at the moment, I seldom fish for flathead in water deeper than two metres with SP's as it limits your success rate. Most of the fish I catch are in less than half a metre of water.

Good luck

you obvisouly havent fished the pin for flathead, because if you had you might find that it will improve you sucess rate if you fish the deep with heavier jigheads

[Si]

thanks everyone for your comments. yes the big ones are down deep in the cooler water. agree its not the best time but willing to give it a go for an hour or so. might pick up a jewie too. minimal tides with canopy down at the right time of year might be more succesful.
when i tried it last time the current was strong and the wind was up. nearly ran into a boat when i coudnt get my engine started (bloody old beast) and move out of the way. i really think an electric motor would be the go. do you use one benny and vermin??

[bennykenny]

i do use one but not all the time, depends on the current and wind have had just as much sucess drifting as electric motor, if your finding your drifting too fast you could invest in a sea anchor or drone, or if your budget is tight, a big bucket out the side tied to a rope to slow your drift down. cheers BK

[BaitThrower]

I have caught a few 75cm+ flatties around the bend from Kalinga heading toward slipping sands, near the easterly bank in about 7m of water on a runout tide. I was using a paternoster rig with a 4 Oz snapper sinker (yes all that weight was needed to get to the bottom) on a 1.5km/h drift (GPS).

Try up around the bend from Kalinga

[BaitThrower]

In addition, I too would look for deeper spots, especially in summer or when the water is warm... Sand flatties tend to like deeper, cooler water in Summer too.

[Creek Vermin]

An electric does help mate. I prefer to keep over the top of the lure jigging it straight up and down. But like BK said a bucket or sea anchor will slow you down if you don't want to spend the $ on a leccy. There are plenty of other deep edges throughout the pin with less current and protection from the wind that are worth a go too. Try any bank that drops sharply into 15+ feet and you shouldn't go too far wrong.

[Donny Boy]

I caught a flathead i 100meters of water off moreton

I've heard you can catch a lot of things on Moreton..................