Holls Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 In my last report I mentioned a monster flathead that followed up a 33cm bream I had on my line and grabbed it just under the kayak. Well yesterday it got even more interesting. Using small live mullet (too small, couldn't catch decent ones) I eventually hooked this mighty flathead (pictured), took me at least ten minutes to get him beside the yak, photographed and back into the water where he shot off like a rocket. I'm only using a 5lb leader. Small bream were taking all my little livies and I was getting ready to paddle home when I hooked one last small fish. Suddenly the line got a whole lot heavier and peeled off my reel. I set the drag but could not raise this fish even slightly and imagined I might have hooked a ray (we have 100s of stingrays in Burrill Lake). For 15-20 mins I played this fish, raising him a metre or so, before off it went again. The water in the lake is crystal clear at the moment and I can just see the sandy bottom in 3 metres, FINALLY I started to make progress and very slowly I brought the fish towards the yak. Up it comes, little by little... and off again. More progress and finally it comes into view two metres down. An absolute monster of a flathead. I bring it up slowly. My intention was not to even try to net it, just get it along side and cut the line very close to the mouth. It comes up close to the top, and no question, at least a metre long!! Suddenly it regurgitates a small snapper and swims away! I wind in and there's this little busted up pinky about 20cm long hanging off my hook! (pic attached] I laughed my head off. Here's me thinking, ok little mullet will catch a big flathead.. ha ha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen_f Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 hahahah, i lost a similar flatty last week next to the yak... the head could barely fit into my berkley yak net to give you some sort of idea at how big it was. 4 failed net attempts later and an attempted lip grip, it snapped the leader and got away. Atleast you got a pic of it in the yak I'm still crying till this date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameldownunder Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 One spat a yakka back at me, after checking me out. I was speechless seeing its size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuttynatty Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 That's unreal, the things you see ! Years ago I was flicking plastics on a shallow bank and pulled a flattie 30cm or so in size when I got it next to the yak a monster flattie well over 1m swam up and tried to eat it, I s@#t my pants as the think was huge. It took one swipe at the smaller flattie missed and swam off, amazing what they will try and fit in their mouths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoingFishing Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I have regularly found small flathead inside the tummies of larger flathead, they are definitely cannibalistic !! Nice size flatly btw good work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holls Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 I have regularly found small flathead inside the tummies of larger flathead, they are definitely cannibalistic !! Nice size flatly btw good work Yes, your perfect predator, lying in wait for something above them. For that reason I've found the best way to catch flathead is to keep the bait moving. Very often they hit it as you lift the rod. By the way, in case of confusion, the flathead photographed here was the LITTLE one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako171 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I landed a good Flathead off Maroubra, he was in the bucket, swam up, vomited a pilchard - outside the bucket! Then fell back in the bucket- the complete reverse of what we would do (ie. vomit in the bucket) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad_tate Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 My wife has a similar story the first time we took our current boat out in Botany Bay. We were fishing inside Sutherland Pt when she had a small bite and started to reel in. It suddenly got heavier but no real fight. She got the shock of her life when a crocodile of a head surfaced! This would also have easily gone a metre plus. As soon as we tried to manoeuvre her she spat out a Snapper and glided off. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDory Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) Good stuff Nice read BTW its illegal to use tiny Pinkys as live bait LOL Cheers JD Edited March 2, 2016 by Johndory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauls Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Well done, I seem to find all the stingrays in the lake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welster Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Great report Holls sounds like a cracking fish. Even the one in the pic is a cracking fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryder Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Nice work mate, you know your gear and your trade. I love the respect we Fishraiders have for these big girls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farvos Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Good stuff on the release.. It's the least we can do. Ripples evs really spread across the whole pond Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holls Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Thanks everyone. I actually hope not to hook these big females, but in a way, it helps us learn a little more about lake fishing and what goes on down below. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xsite Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 HI, A few months back, I was fishing for squid near bare island toward ocean size and got a hit, it slowly but heavily coming to the boat and I could not make of what it was, no shaking, no pull back like squid but occasionally slight twitch which confirm it wasn't weed. Feel like a large octopus then a flathead come up and my heart almost stop as I have never seen a flat head that big in photo, let alone flesh. One shake of it tail when it saw the boat and it is over, change rig to plastic for half hour but no luck. There are some real croc to be catch xsite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquidMarks Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 (edited) Great to read all the flatty stories and to know they are being put back. Its also good to hear that more large ones are getting caught (which must mean there are more in the system i hope)... It has come to a point where if targeting them, it has become common to at least land a 70cm fish and larger, i dont do it often but when i do i tend to score. The biggest to date for me could not fit her head in the net (it was that wide) so it got away after trying to play it around for a second go... (not sure how big she was, and i wont call it for a meter because some fish which i thought must crack the meter mark often come up as 80-90cm fish). This fish was caught on the last outing (2 weeks ago), she looked 1m+ when she was being brought up! Edited March 3, 2016 by SquidMarks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cargo05 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Good report. I am still waiting for a big girl like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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