Question regarding fishing with soft plastics for Flathead

[MSB]

Afternoon Everyone
As you guys would know by my posts I am a keen bait fisherman and I mostly target Whiting and Flathead, some of you guys on this site are keen on chasing Flathead with plastics and you are the gentlemen I need to answer a question for me. Before i ask the question I will give you a bit of background on how I target flathead so you can understand why I am asking it.

In my own personal experience chasing Flathead, they will always lie nose into the oncoming current, waiting for bait fish to come to them, because I believe Flathead are lazy buggers and the more you can attract their attention the better chance you have of getting a hookup.

I drift fish for them using two methods.

First method is using live bait, either gold spot mullet, herring or diver whiting, hooked through the bottom lip and out through the top lip on a 1.2mtr length of 6kg mono trace with the smallest sinker i can get away with above the swivel to ensure the live bait stays close to the bottom, main line is 3kg mono, rod is left in a rod holder, theory is, approaching sinker is stirring up the bottom to some extent and getting the Flatheads attention, before the live bait comes into view, and your in business.

Second method is using dead bait, either white bait or small pillies if I can get hold of some ,on a gang of 3 x No 4 or 3 x No 2 hooks, depending on size of bait, on a 400mm length of 6kg mono trace with the smallest sinker I can get away with to keep bottom, running between the hooks and below the swivel , main line is 3kg mono, theory is to continually lift the rod tip so the sinker moves down to the top hook and drop the rod tip so the weight of the sinker pulls the dead bait back to the bottom imitating an injured bait fish.

Both methods have worked well for me over 30 years plus.

Now My Question
Because I should try something different before I cack it, I decided I will give soft plastics a real go, that is, leave the bait at home and put any skills i might have learned over the years to work, so firstly, I did a good bit of research on the web and discovered that a lot of guys reckon that you should cast your softie out in front of the boat in the direction you are drifting, and slowly work it back to the boat, unless I am missing something, that would mean you would be putting the plastic behind the Flathead, unless of course you hit him on the nose.

I have some paddle tail prawn soft plastics ready to go, so as Pauline would say "please explain"

Thanks MSB