Perth Flathead

[da_houghsta]

Well, having a look at my past photos on my computer, i saw that begining of September was when I started to catch some flathead last year. With that in mind, i decided to go for a quick flattie bash this afternoon - with no expectations at all.

I got to my favorite flathead spot, just down from the Canning Bridge, along the freeway, and realised that if Perth was chocolate coloured, then this spot wouldn't be that much better. It wasn't. I had about 40-50cm of visibility before it just went brown. Oh well.

Decided to flick out a couple of lures anyway and discovered plenty of blowies hanging around, doing their best to destroy my snapbacks. Within two casts they had succeeded in destroying the first. Bugger. So i switched to an Ecogear VX-40, which proceded to collect the weed, if it wasnt jagging a blowie. Well I was almost ready to pack it in when i noticed a puff of sand in the shallows and was suprised to see a 40cm+ flathead cruising away!! I switched to a Baby Vibe 43 and cast after her, but no luck. However a bit further down i did manage to catch a 39cm flathead! Yay! As I wasn't actually expecting to catch anything, I was just using my 4lb bream outfit, with 4lb Nitlon leader. the flathead managed to bite through the leader, just as i got it onto the shore. It actually fell back in the water, but i managed to flick it onto the sand with my foot - i wanted the lure back lol.

That was the only capture for the afternoon, the wind picked up straight after, so decided to call it quits 20min after. However I'm still very happy with it, and will be visiting the spot frequently from now on I expect!!

[Daniel W]

Nice Flattie to start with, hopefully plenty more to come. I thought those pesky blowies would've been washed away by now. I've been meaning to have a river fish somwhere for quite a while, chasing Mulloway but those pesky blowies certainly mak life difficult. Especially since I use bait mostly.
Danny.

[Beevor]

Nice Flatchap da_houg....

What do you blokes call Blowies..... ?? Toadfish??

What do you call Blowflies then??

[da_houghsta]

Nice Flatchap da_houg....

What do you blokes call Blowies..... ?? Toadfish??

What do you call Blowflies then??

These are blowies mate (well two of them):



Blowflies are simply called flies. During the summer months especially, they over-run the river here. When I go wading for flathead, it's not uncommon to get 50 circling you, and even nipping at your toes (hurts too because they have a parrot-like beak). Also, when retreiving a lure, all you can sometimes see is a ball of them just following - I'm sure it must put some fish off chasing the lure. I think that i remember reading they will even eat live bait set up for mulloway right Danny? I think they are actually called the Weeping Toadfish, on account of they have some vertical lines coming from under their eyes.

[da_houghsta]

Well I went down to the same spot again about 1pm this afternoon, but by then the wind had picked up a lot! found a good little section with very soft muddy botttom, and only small patched of weed - just what I like. after about an hour the wind had picked up even more, making it difficult, and didnt get any flathead. however I again spooked another about 35cm long in a foot of water. left an absolutly perfect indent in the mud as well, so i think it was completly covered. I saw 2 little bream as well which came within 1m of me, but both under 20cm long. Also, again plently of mullet jumping - does this mean there would probably be some whiting there as well? The water was a lot clearer today, despite the fact the tide was further on the run-out than yesterday. But spooking that flathead made it clear to me that yesterday was no fluke - and as soon as the wind calms down again you will probably see me there yet again.

[adidaspeteman]

I thought those pesky blowies would've been washed away by now. Danny.

They did get washed down around about 4 weeks ago. They were absent mid river for about a week but have made thier way back up now. The Canning and Brewery are full of them again

That Bartail Flatty is a nice one Ben, good stuff.

[Daniel W]

. I think that i remember reading they will even eat live bait set up for mulloway right Danny.

Yeah they certainly do. I've been using good size tailor as live bait and they manage to chew them up pretty quick too. So if you try dead baits they don't last very long at all.

The Canning and Brewery are full of them again

The Brewery/Narrows Bridge area is one of my favourite spots to try for mulloway but yeah its hard work with the blowies around.
Danny.

[da_houghsta]

just to show my luck at the moment - went out for 2 hours today, was almost like a good summer morning, low 20's, no wind, sunny, was good. had high hopes - especially since the water was calm and clear. There were lots of mullet (big school about 10m wide), but also lots of blowies. started casting around, and spooked a couple of flathead, that got me excited. however by the end of the session when the wind picked up, the tally was: fish caught - 999 x blowies and 0 x flathead. But the amazing figure is i actually spooked 17 flathead from tiddlers at 20cm, to a couple of ones over 40cm. i was a little, tiny bit frustrated. especially when i would cast about 10 times in a direction, walk foward a bit, and spook a couple right in the path i was casting!! and it was at least 17 ( i may have lost count a couple of times hahahaha). and they all left perfect little imprints in the silt - mistook them for footprints early on there were that many. oh well, next time...

Ben

[adidaspeteman]

I'm gonna have to raid yah spot Ben, that's alot of spooked flatties mate....

[da_houghsta]

no worries - what u up to tomorrow? probably be heading down again - try some different lures. i think that the amount of blowies following the lure was putting them off, or they were simply just getting some sun and not hungry hahaha. just very very frustrating.