Soft plastics catch more flathead in Perth than any other lure, and they're one of the best flathead lures anywhere in Australia. They're cheap, easy to fish, and they look and move like exactly what flathead eat: small baitfish and prawns crossing the sand.
The hard part is choosing, because there are so many soft plastics to pick from. This guide covers the best soft plastics for flathead by type, the sizes and colours to use, how to match a jig head, and how to use soft plastics for flathead so they end up in the right place.
For where and when to find flathead, plus bait, rigs and the rest of the gear, see our full Flathead Fishing Guide.
Why Soft Plastics Work So Well for Flathead
- They look like real food. A soft plastic swims, kicks and flutters like a small fish or prawn, and it feels soft when a flathead grabs it, so fish hang on longer.
- They're fished on the bottom. On a jig head, a plastic goes straight down to where flathead lie and stays there.
- They cover ground. Flathead sit still and wait. A plastic lets you cast, search and move until you find them, which bait can't do.
- They're cheap. You can afford to lose a few in the weed and try different styles until you find what's working.
The Best Soft Plastics for Flathead
These are the best soft plastic lures for flathead that we use and trust, grouped by style. Most flathead anglers carry a few of each.
1. Paddle tails: the best search lure
A paddle tail has a flat tail that thumps from side to side on a slow, straight retrieve. That makes it the easiest soft plastic to fish and the best way to search a big sand flat. If you're only buying one style, start here.
- ZMan Slim SwimZ 2.5" and 3": a slim baitfish profile with a natural swim, and very tough. A Swan River flathead favourite.
- ZMan MinnowZ 3": a slightly bulkier paddle tail that matches small mullet and hardyheads.
- Daiwa Bait Junkie Minnow 2.5" and 3.2": soft, scented and swims at very slow speeds.
- Bite Science Kick Minnow 3": a strong-kicking paddle tail at a great price.
2. Curl-tail grubs: the old faithful
A grub's curly tail flutters on even the slowest retrieve and as it sinks, and it doesn't look like any one thing, so it passes for a small fish or a prawn. Grubs are brilliant on the hop and drop.
- ZMan GrubZ 2.5": a proven estuary grub for flathead and bream alike.
- ZMan ST GrubZ 2.5": a split-tail version with a busier action.
- Daiwa Bait Junkie Grub 2.5": very soft and scent-infused, with a tail that moves at the slowest speeds.
- Rapala Crush City Creeper 2.5": a curl-tail grub with a creature-style body that's deadly crawled along sandy edges.
- Bite Science Dirty Grub 2.5": good value when the blowfish are chewing through plastics.
3. Prawn imitations: match the menu
Prawns are a big part of a river flathead's diet. A prawn-style plastic hopped slowly along the bottom, or drifted with the current, is about as natural as a lure gets.
- ZMan PrawnZ 2.5" and PrawnZ Elite 3": the ZMan material floats, so the prawn sits up off the bottom on the pause, right at a flathead's eye level.
- Daiwa Bait Junkie Prawn 3": scented, with a lifelike kick.
- Irukandji Megaprawn 80 and 100: detailed, hand-poured Australian prawns. The 100 is a big meal that sorts out the better fish.
- Yakamito Prawno 70mm: a clear, realistic prawn for clean water.
4. Jerkbaits and stick baits: reaction bites
Slim plastics with straight, pin or forked tails dart and glide from side to side when twitched, like a fleeing baitfish. Use them to trigger aggressive strikes, especially from bigger fish in shallow water.
- ZMan StreakZ 3.75": a classic darting jerkbait.
- Daiwa Bait Junkie Flick 2.95" and 3.95": a flick bait with a shovel tail that makes it glide back to the bottom after each hop.
- Rapala Crush City The Jerk 3.75".
- Jackall Driftfry 3": a lifelike Japanese pin-tail jerk minnow that's buoyant and subtle, for when flathead are following but not eating.
- Nomad Design Live Ops Jerksquid 3.25": a squid-shaped jerkbait that stands out from the usual baitfish profiles.
5. Big plastics for big flathead
Big flathead have big mouths and happily eat a 10–12 cm baitfish. Upsizing to a 4–5" plastic cuts out a lot of small fish and puts your lure in front of the big ones. It's a great approach when drifting deeper channels from a boat or kayak.
- ZMan DieZel MinnowZ 5": a big, strong-kicking paddle tail and a proven trophy flathead lure.
- Rapala Crush City The Suspect 3.75": a slim, scented paddle tail with a tight shimmer.
- Irukandji Sicario 100: a realistic baitfish swimbait.
- Atomic Real Baitz 100mm: printed baitfish patterns that look like the real thing.
6. Scented crabs and worms
When flathead are shut down and won't chase, a scented plastic crawled slowly along the sand can get a bite. The Berkley Gulp Crabby and Berkley PowerBait Sandworm are made with scent built in, and they work almost like bait.
Browse the full range of soft plastics.
What Size Soft Plastic for Flathead?
- 2–2.5": shallow flats, clear water, fussy fish, and when there's small bait around. Also catches bream and whiting.
- 3–4": the best all-round flathead size. Big enough to interest a good fish, small enough that most flathead will eat it.
- 4–5" and bigger: for targeting big flathead, deeper channels, and areas with plenty of small fish you'd rather avoid.
If you're only getting bites from small fish, go up a size. If you're getting follows but no bites, go down a size or change style.
Best Soft Plastic Colours for Flathead
Naturals and motor oil are the most popular flathead colours, and they should make up most of your box. Pearl, watermelon, pumpkin, prawn and whitebait tones look like the real thing on clean sand, and motor oil is a proven all-rounder.
On days when the fish need more convincing, or the water is a bit dirty, switch to something that grabs attention: pink, white or chartreuse are the colours to reach for.
As with any lure, if one colour isn't getting bites, change it.
Choosing the Right Jig Head
The jig head does more than hold the plastic. It decides how deep it fishes, how fast it sinks and how often you snag. Use the lightest head that still gets your plastic to the bottom in the depth and current you're fishing.
Jig head weight
- 1/16 oz (about 1.8 g): shallow, calm flats under 1.5 metres
- 1/8 oz (about 3.5 g): the best all-rounder for 1–3 metres. Start here if you're unsure.
- 1/4 oz (about 7 g): deeper water, current, or casting into the afternoon sea breeze
- 3/8 oz (about 10.5 g) and heavier: deep channels and strong current, usually from a boat
Hook size
Match the hook to the length of the plastic. As a guide, use a #2 to #1 for 2–2.5" plastics, #1 to 1/0 for 3–4", and 2/0 and up for 5" and bigger. The hook point should come out about a third of the way along the plastic, so the tail can still swim.
Jig heads we use
- TT HeadlockZ Finesse: a screw-lock keeper holds the plastic straight after fish after fish. Perfect for 2–3" plastics.
- TT HeadlockZ HD: a heavier hook for 4–5" plastics and big flathead.
- Daiwa Bait Junkie Jig Head 0X: sharp, fine-gauge hooks made to suit Bait Junkie plastics.
- Gamakatsu Round 25R: a very sharp Japanese round head with a straight, natural fall.
Browse all jig heads.
Rigging tip
Rig the plastic dead straight. A plastic that sits even slightly bent will spin, twist your line and look unnatural. Line the hook up against the plastic first to see where the point should come out, then thread it on.
How to Use Soft Plastics for Flathead
How you fish the plastic matters as much as which one you choose. Flathead are lying on the bottom, so everything you do is about keeping your plastic down there with them.
1. The hop and drop
The classic way to catch flathead on soft plastics, and the best technique for grubs and prawns.
- Cast out and let the plastic sink. When the line goes slack, it's on the bottom.
- Make one or two short, sharp lifts of the rod tip to hop the plastic 15–30 cm off the sand.
- Let it sink back down on a semi-tight line, winding in the slack as it falls.
- Pause for a second or two on the bottom, then repeat.
Most bites come as the plastic falls or just after it lands. Watch your line as it sinks: if it jumps, stops early or moves sideways, a flathead has it.
2. The slow roll
Best for paddle tails. Let the plastic hit the bottom, then wind slowly and steadily so it swims just above the sand. No rod work needed. If you're not feeling it tick the bottom now and then, slow down or use a heavier head.
3. The drag
Point the rod at the lure and slowly drag the plastic along the sand with the rod or reel, so it kicks up little puffs of sand. It looks exactly like a prawn or small fish feeding on the bottom. On slow days this can out-fish everything else.
4. The twitch
For jerkbaits and stick baits. Make two or three quick, sharp twitches so the plastic darts from side to side, then let it fall and pause. The dart gets a flathead's attention, and the pause is when it attacks.
Setting the hook
Flathead often grab a plastic before they fully eat it. When you feel a bite, pause for half a second, then sweep the rod firmly to the side rather than straight up. A sideways sweep sets the hook in the corner of that wide, flat mouth, while a big upward strike can pull the plastic straight out.
Where to cast
Cast past the spot you want to fish and bring the plastic through it: along drop-offs, across the edges of weed beds, through drains and channels, and over sandy patches between rocks. Fan your casts, take a few steps, and cast again. If you catch one, work the same area thoroughly before moving on.
Beating the Blowfish
On the Swan River, blowfish can bite the tail off a soft plastic within seconds. ZMan plastics are made from a very stretchy, tough material that survives blowfish far better than standard plastics, so they're a smart choice when the blowies are thick. Speeding up your retrieve a little and moving along the bank also helps.
Storage tip: keep ZMan plastics in their own packets. Their material can react with other brands of soft plastic and melt if they're stored together.
The Right Outfit for Soft Plastics
You'll feel more bites and hook more fish with the right outfit. A 7' to 7'6" light spinning rod with a fast tip, a 2500 size reel, PE0.6–1.0 braid and a 10–20 lb fluorocarbon leader is ideal. Our full Flathead Fishing Guide covers the rods and reels we use, or browse our light estuary rods, braid and fluorocarbon leader.
Soft Plastics for Flathead FAQ
What is the best soft plastic for flathead?
A 2.5–3" paddle tail like the ZMan Slim SwimZ, or a curl-tail grub like the ZMan GrubZ, on a 1/8 oz jig head. Both are easy to fish, catch flathead everywhere and handle blowfish well.
What colour soft plastic is best for flathead?
Naturals and motor oil are the most popular. When the water is dirty or the fish need more attention, pink, white and chartreuse work well.
What size jig head for flathead?
A 1/8 oz jig head covers most flathead fishing in 1–3 metres of water. Go lighter on shallow flats and heavier in deep water or current.
How do you catch flathead on soft plastics?
Cast past structure, let the plastic sink to the bottom, and hop, slow-roll or drag it back along the sand. Most bites come as the plastic falls, so keep your line semi-tight and watch it.
Should I use scented soft plastics for flathead?
Scent helps when flathead are slow and inactive, because it makes them hold on longer. Scented plastics like Gulp and Daiwa Bait Junkie are a good choice on tough days.
Stock Up on Flathead Soft Plastics
A handful of paddle tails, grubs and prawns in a couple of colours, plus a few jig heads in 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4 oz, will cover almost every flathead situation you'll come across. Browse our soft plastics and jig heads online, or come and see us in store at Level 1/154 Stirling Highway, Nedlands, just up the road from the Swan River flats. We fish these plastics ourselves and can help you put together a kit for your local water. Call us on (08) 9389 1337.
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