MAN vs FLATHEAD

[drc2076]

With a break in the weather (no torrential rain at least) and spousal dispensation I decided to head to my usual Pittwater location on Sunday to fish the run in tide from 4pm towards sunset and see what was around. A trip a few weeks ago suggested that things were starting to liven up in the estuaries and I was keen to see if warmer conditions together with recent rains had helped to stir things up. For the gear junkies I was fishing with my usual setup for bait fishing from a jetty: 9ft Shimano raider 7kg rod, Daiwa TD Sol III 3000D, 12lb power pro braid, 8lb leader. Bait was salted pillies and endeavour prawns.

Casting unweighted with a strong southerly at my back I was getting better than usual cast distance. Second cast and I was into the trevally with a good 33cm specimen in the bucket (this was a catch your dinner session btw). A few pinkies later (as always) and I’m onto another nice trevally. I’m steering it in taking care to keep the rod out in case it makes a run for the pylons and just as I’m about to lift it out a large flathead emerges from the depths beneath the jetty and takes a swipe at the trevally. A bit ambitious considering the trev would have been around 30cm. I leave the trev in the water to watch the flattie keep swiping and then somehow like a bizarre aquatic magic trick the trevally is off the hook (only a small No 4 mustad baitholder) and the flattie is on. But it must have engulfed the hook as it takes a run for the bottom and one headshake later I’m busted off. Disappointing but not unexpected. Oh well. Re-rig and back out. About 15 minutes later I’m on to another trevally. Again as I’m bringing it in the same flattie emerges and takes a swipe at it. This time I land the trev and decide that if the flattie is hanging around under the wharf I’m going to go after it. I change up to 12lb leader and throw out the bait with a slow retrieve into the zone the flattie keeps coming out of. First cast, nothing. Second cast and the flattie jumps on! After a few runs I have him close to the jetty and the net in the water when it dives and again busts me off. Re-rig, this time with a long shank hook, and go again.

After half an hour of working the flattie zone there are no more touches. I decide my chance to land the flattie is gone so I start casting out further again. More pinkies and trevs. By 6:30 I’ve got a feed of trevally in the bucket. I’m feeling only moderately pleased. The thought of that big flattie that got away twice is still on my mind. I finally run out of prawns and switch over to pillies. Cast out and something jumps on. Something heavy. Not running like a trevally. Get it a bit closer and I spy it in the water and bugger me it’s that flathead again. This time pinned through the lip with a long shank hook. No escape this time. After a few heavy runs he’s into the net and up onto the wharf. 61cm. Very nice. I release a couple of the trevs because the flattie is now going to be my special guest at dinner.

But here’s the question: was it the same flattie each time or was I just into a school of big ones? I saw it three times before I landed it and each time it looked about the same size in the water. Either way, it made for a great ending to the day and hopefully a good omen for the season to come. Tight lines.

Edited November 7, 2018 by drc2076

[masterfisho7]

Nice report great to see the flathead are around as I have seen any for awhile they might be coming on

Edited October 21, 2018 by masterfisho7

[Rah]

Great report mate. And a great flattie for a dinner guest.

 

Cheers

Rah

[Scratchie]

Perfect eating size! Nice fish! 

Cheers scratchie!!! 

[Volitan]

Re your question about whether it’s the same flattie - well you said you were busted off twice, so wouldn’t the first two hooks still be in the fish, if it was the same fish ?

[Green Hornet]

Nice flatty and the ones around 60cm always put up a good fight.

I doubt if it was the same fish you encountered, but they could have 3 large males. At this time of year when they're starting to spawn its always worth spending an extra bit of time where you find a patch of smaller ones as they're likely males hanging around a big female.

[Yowie]

As Volitan stated, if it was the same fish, you would expect one or both hooks to be somewhere inside the flattie's mouth/gills/stomach. It is possible for a large flattie, with a hard mouth, to perhaps spit out one hook, but probably not both hooks.

[GoingFishing]

Great write up mate !!!! Persistence pays off and great table fish!! Love them flatties yum

[GordoRetired]

20 hours ago, Volitan said:

Re your question about whether it’s the same flattie - well you said you were busted off twice, so wouldn’t the first two hooks still be in the fish, if it was the same fish ?

Possibly, but you would be surprised at how fast a fish can get rid of a hook. I have had hooks bust off as I drop a livie into the bait tank and what seem like a very short time later have seen the hook on the bottom of the tank, fish just got rid of it.

[Caple666]

he really wanted to come home with you didn't he lol 

sounds like a nice a great arvo fishing well done