Inshore fishing and tides.

[M1100S]

So once the crazyness calms down i wamt to venture out of botany heads and  try for flathead and other fish inshore.  

 

I know they say go for flatheads at the run in or run out tide ( not even sure which is better) but i assume this applies to bayd and estauries.... but what about inshore/offshore, do tides actually make a difference to when u should target fish?

[Welster]

Fishing outside for flatties I use a paternoster rig, usually fish strips or squid for bait as pillies disappear quick.  
 

Generally you will get bites as soon as you hit bottom but the size is often small.   I keep moving around to I find a patch of keepers and mark the spot on the sounder.   I repeat that drift.  I'd start in 30 metres, move to 40metres and than 50 or the opposite if I was coming back in from out wide.   
 

On future trips I will usually go to one of the old marks and move on from there. 

[New Signing]

I agree with welster as far as depth goes. I like to start in 30m for flathead. If i find im getting too many spikeys i just keep increasing the depth by about 5m. 

I've really taken to using a curl tail type grub in 6 or 7 inch size on the top hook of my paternoster rigs. I've found my better fish come on that more so than the bait. Not just flathead either. Dont be frightened to fish this hook up off the bottom a bit more than you normally might.