Guide to Land-Based Flathead Fishing with Lures

Flathead are a favourite target species for many anglers as they are readily available throughout most of our rivers and estuary systems, love eating lures, are a highly regarded table fish, and the next trophy flathead could come from the local jetty or boat ramp.

As a young angler land-based flathead fishing was a favourite, and even now, with a boat and kayaks in the shed, I still enjoy walking the bank flicking lures for flathead. In this guide I hope to share my learnings with you and offer some tips to fast track your land-based flathead fishing success. Fish on!

Where to Fish

When targeting any species it’s important to think about what they eat, how they feed, and the physical characteristics that may impact their chosen feeding environments. Flathead are flat, and they bury in the bottom, so we’re looking for sandy and muddy bottoms from which they can ambush prey.

This generally isn’t enough however, and you could fish a lot of sand or muddy bottom without catching a flathead. The next piece of the puzzle is structure, both obvious and secondary. What is the oasis in this large sandy or muddy desert, that attracts bait and in turn predatory species. The structure could be as obvious as a mangrove edge, drop off, weed edge, bridge pylons, or rock wall, or as simple as a small drain, a bit of rubble or a few rocks, or a patch of different bottom, such as sand or mud in a big weed flat.

Water movement can be another factor, so look at how the water moves around the structure that you have located. Where the flow hits the structure is called a pressure point and this area can be very productive. Likewise, where the flow exits around structure, forming what is called an eddy, is also worth a few extra casts. Both areas are a break from the flow, allowing bait to hold more easily and in turn attracting predators.

With this in mind, a few of my favourite areas to fish include weed edges, drains and more rapid changes in bottom depth. Add water movement and bait to any of these and the chance of locating flathead increases dramatically. Weed beds are loaded with food, so flathead settle in the mud or sand along the edge in readiness to strike. Drains funnel bait on and off the flats and banks, allowing flathead to gather for an easy meal. And channel edges and drop offs allow the flathead to sit at a depth they feel comfortable, based on water quality, light, bait type, and other variables.

When to Fish

Flathead can be caught throughout the tide; however, I base my land-based fishing around access for both myself and the fish. On the lower stages of the tide, I like to focus on the channel edges and structure that I cannot access when the tide is in. On the higher stages of the tide, I like to focus on structure that the fish cannot access on the lower stages of the tide. Think about the structure that is available to the fish and bait throughout the tide, and you will begin to track the fish’s movement. Flathead will generally follow the bait in as the tide rises, and in turn move out with the bait as the tide drops.

Some areas may have similar access throughout the tide, with the depth of water changing, such as rock walls, jetties and steeper banks. In these instances, my focus is still on the key structure, bait and water movement. Spending some time fishing these areas will soon tell you whether the spot replenishes with fish throughout the tide or only produces during a certain stage of the tide. Think about why the fish may hold in this area at a certain stage of the tide and then where they may be holding earlier and later in the tide cycle. This may allow you to unlock the feeding patterns and movement of the fish in the chosen area.

Stay Mobile

If you are fishing a jetty, rock wall, or bank that replenishes throughout the tide and you’re not moving around much, take as much gear as you like with you. If you’re not sure where the fish will be and you plan on trekking or wading, stay mobile! Do not bring your entire tackle collection with you. I like to run a TT Sling Bag or backpack, loaded with a selection of proven lures and essential accessories. I will break down my kit a little later in the article, along with the clothing I select for land-based flathead fishing adventures.

Let’s Fish!

Okay, we’ve selected the channel edge, where a large weed flat drains into the sandy and muddy channel, with multiple drains running off the flat. How am I going to approach it. Firstly, do not walk into the water! So often I see anglers walking into the water, before that have even made their first cast. Flathead will hold in very little water, and they can also spook easily if they see you or feel that something isn’t right. I will fan some cast around before walking into the water to access deeper water or specific structure. Likewise, when wading the flats I will fan casts through and area before moving into it, unless I have fished the area before and am fast tracking to the most productive areas.

If there is a reasonable amount of current, then I will always cast along the edge and bring my lure back with the flow, fanning casts from close to the edge around to about 70 degrees across current. Once I start casting out straighter or down current then I start losing contact with my lure and the flow will lift the lure off the bottom. In saying this, you may be able to fish back against the current if there is minimal flow, or you increase your jighead weight or select a lure that will handle some flow, such as a blade or soft vibe.

If I have never fished the area before and plan on covering a large area of bank, I will take ten steps, fan four or five casts, and then repeat the process along the bank. If I feel my lure bump some rough bottom (rubble) or locate some interesting structure or a drain, I will spend some more time casting in these areas. If I have fished the bank often and am familiar with the sections that hold more fish, then I may fish faster to these areas and focus my available time in these more productive areas.

Even if fishing a smaller, more concentrated section of bank, I will keep moving around so that I am fishing ‘clean’ water (water that myself or others haven’t cast repetitively into). I believe this increases my chance of locating fish that are holding in the area, while unlocking more productive sections of the bank at different tide stages, and finding additional structure that may be in the area. Occasionally changing lure types, colours and sizes, along with your retrieve, can also assist you to crack a pattern.

Here’s a few more tips. If you get a bite, tap, rattle, or whatever you prefer to call it, and don’t hook up, throw a couple more casts back through the same area. If you catch a fish, it’s worth a few extra casts in the area as well as flathead school. If you’re fishing with other people, try fishing different lure styles, colours or sizes, and vary your retrieves until someone cracks a pattern. Also remember, the lure that they went crazy for last time, may not be the lure that they want to eat today.

Go-To Lures

Before we get into actual lures, there are a few general rules that I like to follow when selecting a lure for targeting flathead.

Colour – I will carry a few light, natural colours for bright days and clear water, a few dark, silhouette colours for low light and dirty water, and a few fluoro / UV colours to change things up.

Match the Hatch – In my kit you will find a variety of lures to cover key bait species, including a selection of baitfish sizes, prawns and grubs. Pay attention to the bait in the area and mimic its size, colour, and movement.

Scent – I always carry Pro-Cure Super Gel in my kit to mask foreign scents, attract fish, trigger strikes, and get the fish to hold on longer, giving me more time to set the hook.

Over the years I have settled on a few favourites for targeting flathead land based, and as mentioned earlier, stay mobile and don’t overload. Soft plastics are a favourite as they are easy and fun to fish, with the ability to take a single plastic and rig it on four or five different weight jigheads, effectively giving you five different lures, along with the ability to rig it for surface fishing and weedless for fishing heavy cover, such as weed, mangroves or rubble.

Soft Plastic Paddle Tails

My favourite soft plastics are paddle tails, with my go-to being a 2.5” Slim SwimZ when the bait is small, or a 3” Slim SwimZ or MinnowZ if the bait is larger. I will generally carry a few different weight jigheads with me, including 1/8oz, 1/6oz, 1/4oz, and 3/8oz.

The 2.5” rigs perfectly on a size 1 in a TT HeadlockZ HD, or a 1/0 in a HeadlockZ Finesse or DemonZ. If you want to fish heavy structure, then weedless is an option on a size 2 TT SnakelockZ Finesse.

The 3” plastics rig perfectly on a size 2/0 or 3/0 in a TT HeadlockZ HD, Big EyeZ, HeadlockZ Finesse or DemonZ, with the option of a 2/0 or 3/0 SnakelockZ or SnakelockZ Finesse for weedless rigging.

The HD (HeadlockZ HD / Big EyeZ) is a heavy wire hook, which takes a little more time to rig nice and straight due to the thicker wire, however it is perfect for those getting into plastics fishing that want a brutally strong hook. The Finesse is a lighter wire hook, which is the most effective in terms of penetration, however lighter drags and more experience is probably the preferred option when fishing lighter hooks.

If you prefer curl tails to paddle tails, load in some ZMan 2.5” and 3.5” GrubZ, or some 4” StreakZ Curly TailZ. If you’re a jerkbait angler, then the 3.75” StreakZ is a great option for flathead. If you are specifically targeting monster flathead, then you have options running through the 5, 6, and 7” Scented Jerk ShadZ, StreakZ Curly TailZ or DieZel MinnowZ.

Some absolute monster flathead have also been landed on the 190mm, 220mm, and 250mm TT Enforcer soft plastics, paired with Enforcer jigheads and harnesses. I wouldn’t suggest starting your flathead fishing with these, but they have certainly become a go-to for anglers targeting trophy fish in known big fish areas.

Soft Plastic Prawns

I have been fishing soft plastic prawns more with the release of the ZMan PrawnZ Elite range, as they just get eaten. They are a super realistic profile, with a segmented body for a natural tail kick and incredible leg vibration on the sink and draw. I prefer to fish the prawn profile if I am fishing slower, or covering a smaller area, opting for the paddle tails if I am running and gunning, covering water fast. This is purely because a prawn will move slower and less distance than a baitfish, so it appears more realistic when allowed to fall slowly and is fished less aggressively.

Pre-rigged models are available that you just tie on and fish, in a 2.5”, 3” and 3.5” size, internally weighted and fitted with a heavy-duty Mustad hook. Alternatively, you can grab an Unrigged model in a 3.5” and rig it on a 3/0 or 4/0 HeadlockZ or SnakelockZ, in a weight to suit your requirements. I have had some awesome sessions on the ZMan PrawnZ Elite and they store well in their own packaging for transporting in your pack. The pre-rigged models are weighted perfectly for fishing the flats and drop-offs, slow sinking down and sitting on top of the weed, rather than fouling. Be ready, the bites can be a subtle tap, or absolutely brutal!

So, I would have some Slim SwimZ and MinnowZ in the kit, with a selection of suitable jigheads, along with a handful of ZMan PrawnZ Elite. There are also a couple of other lures that have been extremely effective on the land-based flathead, and you would always find a few of these in my land-based kit.

Blades & Soft Vibes

If it’s snaggy, these guys stay in the kit, but if I’m fishing predominantly sand, mud and weed, then these guys will get a run due to a few features they possess. Both lure types have reasonable weight and sink, so they are perfect for fishing the bottom. They have vibration and flash that attracts the flathead, and are fitted with two trebles, so there are plenty of hook points working for you.

My go-to blade is the TT Switchblade+, which I have fished for many years in the 1/8oz and 1/4oz sizes. The 1/4oz is a favourite for targeting flathead, especially when fishing drop-offs, however the 1/8oz has caught some monsters and is also a bream favourite. There are plenty of colour options available, so remember the colour selection that we spoke about earlier and don’t forget to add your Pro-Cure Scent.

The Quake Power Vibe is a more recent release that casts long, sinks, and gets the bites. My favourite is the 60mm size, however the 50mm size also catches them and is a great option if you’re hedging your bets between bream and flathead.

So, there you go, that’s the lure side of it; a selection of ZMan Slim SwimZ, MinnowZ, some PrawnZ Elite, and a few TT SwitchBlade+ and Quake Power Vibes and you are going to catch a lot of flathead. If you are looking for an easy grab and go jighead pack to start things off, check out the TT Flathead Value Pack.

Fishing Combo

For fishing the general-purpose lures that I have mentioned here, I will run a TT Black Mamba 7’0”, 2-4kg spin rod, 2500 size reel loaded with 8lb Platypus Pulse X8 Braid and finished with 10-15lb Platypus Hard Armour FC Fluorocarbon Leader. This is a great allround combo for fishing the river and estuary. If you are looking for additional length, the 7’6”, 2-4kg Black Mamba is another option if a longer cast is required.

My Land-Based Fishing Kit

You’ll generally find these lures loaded into a TT Sling Bag, which has plenty of room to carry a handful of soft plastics and a couple of small TT Mult-Purpose or Split Foam Tackle Trays for the jigheads and other lures.

Other items in my kit will include a water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, leader, braid scissors, scent, small first aid / survival kit, phone in a waterproof pouch, and snacks. Attached to the outside of my bag you will find a small landing net, clipped to one of the attached ‘D’ rings with a pair of TT Floating Lip Grips, along with a pair of split ring pliers, and a TT 130cm Fish Ruler, rolled up and attached to a ‘D’ ring with its Velcro closure.

Clothing

The elements can have more of an impact on you when fishing land based, be it wind, rain, sun, temperature, vegetation, wildlife, or bugs, so I believe clothing is an important factor that’s worth a mention. From head to toe, here’s my basic clothing kit for land-based fishing.

Full Cap (not trucker) / Pelagic Sunshield (head scarf) / Pelagic Sunglasses / UPF 50+ Fishing Shirt / Sun Gloves / Pelagic Palomar Pants (light and quick dry) / Water Shoes (I prefer a sneaker style water shoe with a solid sole for this type of environment).

The Wrap

That’s a quick guide to chasing one of my favourite species land-based on lures. A species that is readily available, accessible, eager to eat lures, and the next trophy fish could be caught right beside the boat ramp or off the local jetty.

Hopefully there’s a few tips here that start you on your flathead journey, increase your catch, or help you nail a few fish. Remember flathead are a schooling fish, so once you find a few you can really clock up the numbers. It’s important to remember local size, bag and possession limits and only keep what you need for a feed. I prefer to release the bulk of the fish I catch and have a self-imposed slot limit of 40-60cm where I fish, preferring to release fish over 60cm as breeding fish.

Time to grab your Sling Bag and light spin combo and start exploring your local river and estuary systems in search of flathead. Google Earth is a great place to start exploring or hit up your local tackle store for a few spots to get you started. All the best with the fishing.

See you on the bank. Cheers, Justin