LIGHT RODS, FINESSE REELS, PLASTICS, JIG HEADS, HARDBODIES & LEADER
Flathead Gear
Flathead on the west coast are a light-gear fish. Our southern sand and bar-tailed flathead sit on the sand flats and drop-offs of the Swan and Canning, the Peel and Harvey estuaries and the metro beaches, and they eat a 2.5 to 4 inch soft plastic hopped slowly along the bottom on a 1–3kg rod. There's no need for the heavy east-coast dusky gear here; a bream outfit and a handful of plastics and jig heads is the whole kit.
The method is simple: cast, let the plastic hit the bottom, lift, let it fall, and wait for the thump on the drop. Work the edges where the flats fall into the channel on a falling tide. Compleat Angler Nedlands stocks the 1–4kg rods, 1000 to 2500 reels, Zman, Bait Junkie and Gulp plastics, jig heads from 1/12 to 3/8oz, small vibes and hardbodies, and the fine braid and 6 to 12lb leader to fish them. Browse below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What rod and reel for flathead in Perth?
A 7' 1–3kg or 2–4kg spin rod with a 1000 to 2500 reel, PE0.4–0.8 braid and a 6 to 12lb fluorocarbon leader. The same outfit you'd use for bream. The Atomic Arrowz Flathead, Ocean's Legacy Quest, Daiwa Infeet and Shimano Zodias are all good for it.
Which soft plastics for flathead?
2.5 to 4 inch paddle tails, grubs and jerk shads: Zman GrubZ and MinnowZ, Daiwa Bait Junkie Minnow and Grub, Berkley Gulp Shrimp and Minnow. Natural colours on clear days, brighter colours in dirty water. Rig on a 1/8 to 1/4oz jig head with a #1 to 3/0 hook, heavier in current or deeper channels.
How do I fish a plastic for flathead?
Cast, let it sink to the bottom, then lift the rod tip sharply once or twice and let the plastic flutter back down on a semi-slack line. Most bites come on the drop. Slow down when it's cold. Fish the edges where sand flats drop into channels, and cover ground: flathead are ambush fish and you're looking for them, not waiting for them.
Where do I catch flathead around Perth?
The sand flats and drop-offs of the Swan and Canning, especially Point Walter, Pelican Point, the Como flats and the Canning between Mount Henry and Riverton; the Peel and Harvey estuaries; and the metro beach gutters and Cockburn Sound sand in summer. A falling tide draining the flats is the best time, and wading is often better than a boat.
When is flathead season in Perth?
Flathead are caught year-round in the rivers and estuaries, with the warm months, October through April, giving the most consistent fishing as the water warms and the bait moves onto the flats. Summer also puts them on the metro beaches and inshore sand.