First SP Flathead

[Freshy]

Hi all,

Spent a a good 4 days in Caloundra over easter with the family and wetting a line. Fished pretty hard really with the plastics for not a lot of result. No bait allowed anymore, plastics only....

As you are all aware the weather was awful over easter but I wasn't going to let that stop me.

Arvo 1,tried down at Bells Creek, but don't really know the area so made it difficult with a few rotten toad hits... I now know when it's toad and not what you are chasing. A lot of tea tree in the water also didn't assist me with reading the banks, pretty much because I couldn't see them!!!

Arvo 2, had a great lunch at Golden Beach, plastic gear in the car, pissing down rain. I turned to the wife and said I'm going fishing, normal reply, but it's raining. My reply, so, the fish don't care they're already wet. So off I went.

Spied a nice looking spot at Caloundra end where the beach meets a rock wall with plenty of structure out the front. On goes the 1/8 jighead and 3" minnow in pumpkin seed. First cast, tried a new retrieve I picked up from Jason Kennedy off fox. Blow me down I picked a nice little bar tailed flattie measuring around 30cm. Thought to my self this could be a great afternoon. Peppered the area for about a 30-45mins with nothing else, had a few knocks but no takers. Then made way down the beach all the way to the esplanade through the pouring rain for nil results. All up about 3 and 1/2 to 4hrs of fishing for the 1 fish.

What great 4 days though, family and fishing.

Here he is. Excited to get my first one.

[Malcolm]

Good on ya Freshy well done but your pic didn't work

[James W]

nice work freshy!

hey? u have a tinny with a AFO sticker on it? i saw one go up pelican waters while i was up there over easter..i was staying at the units at the mouth of pelican waters with its own jetty..was thatyou?

[Freshy]

Thanks boys. No, I wish I had a tinny, I've got an old kayak with no way of getting it to the water.

I was actually going to have a flick down there one morning, but lack of sleep up to that point won out.

I'll try again with the pick.

[img size=640]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/DSC000901.JPG

[Mack_attack]

nice little flattie mate

It only gets easier from now. If the conditions allow try stepping down your jighead to 1/16th or 1/20th usually helps to pick up more of your midwater species like bream, trevally and tailor even topwaters like tarpon when their in the mood.

[Angus]

Well done on your first flatty mate. I think its actually a fringe eyed flathead though. A quite rare catch in comaparrison to duskies or bar tails

Angus

[plugga]

Nice! you beat me to fisrt flathead on a softy. lolz

great stuff :laugh:

[noname]

noticed no-one has commented on the size of that plastic, i believe you will get the larger fish on massive baits, but nowhere the numbers is what i have learnt lately. i have been trolling up to 20cm lures around behind my tinnie in the brisbane river and they are sure as hell not scared to take it. going tonight for another crack at em too. now that you got your first 1, gives you a bit more confidence knowing what they will take, is it the right color, to big a bait, to small? now go get em!

[cpetrie]

nice work on your first, it's the one you'll allways remember.

you beat my first, mine was a 22cm flatty, but have only had a few more caught since then not that much bigger.

keep it up, the rest will come easier now with more confidence in your gear.

[plugga]

great point noname, so is it true once you get your first you get on a role?

THX

PLUGGa

[fishinking]

yes PLUGGa, r u goin fishin this weekend?

[Freshy]

Thanks Angus, you are probably right, I'm the first to admit I don't know much about flathead as a species. But if it's a rare catch I'll take it.

I hope you are all right and it's the start of more fish on the plastics.

Noname yes that is 3 inch minnow.

Brett

[TomW]

Nice first Flattie too, looks sweet against those rocks. Was the placcie right down his mouth or just in the jaw?

TomW

[Freshy]

Hooked him in the jaw...

[kriso]

moderator note: members please keep posts on topic to the thread, i know there was no "malice" in the deleted posts but it ruins the point the author of the thread had started and turned into thread on how big the lure was. a quick question as a side note to a post is fine but if you dont agree with the answer chuck the person a pm to further the side discussion so it doesnt take over the original thread.

regards

Kriso

[kriso]

freshy,

well done with your first sp catch im sure many more to come, the markings on the flathead are absolutley fantastic one of the best looking specimens i have seen in a while well done.

[noname]

if some one took offence to what i replied with, i apologise. i wasn't having a go at the person who caught the fish AT ALL. as with my last reply. it was sarcasim. i mearly wanted to point out that with so many people wanting to know about flathead lately, it is not out of the question to use a large lure or plastic. as i have been fishing for them in the last week and a half and found small lures will catch small flathead, larger lures account for the larger of the species. only what i have noticed lately and i have been paying very close attention. once again if any were offended by my comments, i do apologise.

p.s. if and when i am serious everybody will know!

rob

[Freshy]

Thanks Kriso. Yeah the markings and depth of colour were extremely striking up front and personal.

The photo was taken with my old phone which didn't do it the justice it deserved. After drowning my phone slipping from thr rocks at Redcliffe I don't think my wife would happy with me taking the camera with just yet... :laugh:

Brett

[Kappa]

I caught my first fish on SP yesterday arvo, nice lil dusky just under at 39cm. Got the SP from the discount bin at Anaconda and it worked a treat! caught a couple smaller ones nothing to brag about but a mate got on to a 30cm plus Bream on chicken gut had a great arvo think i found my new favourite spot!!

sorry no photos as we were in waiste high water!

[afishaday]

me to yeah woooo hooooo! i went down the coast 3 weeks ago thought of having a plastic day went to the local bait shop he put me on 2 3inch poddy gulp,shit wow dam wtf, first cast 48cm flatty walked along the river bank flickin with in 20 mins had 2 more 25 cm and 30cm (never been so happy) kept walking out to the rock wall getting a 34cm bream! when i got to the rock wall the whole packet of plastics was gone with in the hour there was a school of i have no idea chomp chomp 2to 5 cast after that they had been so chomped the where half inch blob! what a day cant wait to try them again!

[paulymassy]

well done on ur first soft plastic flatty mate my first was t noosa abotu 5 years ago went 44cm still remember it