Summertime Seafood

December 27, 2023

EIGHTY BUCKS A KILO FOR FLATHEAD FILLETS:

When I posted this to Facebook, 80 replies and 14000 views. A few readers said it’s a Christmas rip off, but flathead fillets were seventy bucks a kilo at the same place two months ago:

Seafood Ripoff

We are lucky to be living not far from Sydney Harbour. A couple of times a week, I take a walk in the evening around Little Manly Beach and Gasworks Point. Lots of fishos there, almost all doing the same thing. That is, baiting up and casting as far out as they can, into featureless deep water. No structure, no drop offs, nothing to hold fish. not seeing a lot of fish being caught! Don’t want to sound like a know-it-all but I reckon there’s a better way – especially, if you’re targeting delicious – and expensive – flathead:

Kayaks. They are cheap as chips right now. Here’s an Anaconda special today:

I know prices are low because I’m trying to sell my big one. It’s an absolute ripper for serious work, but I don’t use it much anymore:

Reason being, all my saltwater kayak fishing is now done in about three metres of water. Why? Because that’s where the flathead are. Don't need to paddle for kilometres anymore. Got a killer deal on a couple of used Australis Bass kayaks. That’s all I’m needing these days:

Suggestion? Especially to all those chaps who are fishing off wharves and rocky points. Last summer, I got pretty obsessed with chasing flathead from a kayak using Berkley Gulps:

Just going down to easy launch spots in bays on the Harbour and fishing the drop offs. Averaging around five flathead an hour in hard fished Sydney Harbour, although not all of them keepers:

An important thing to mention – not all bays hold flathead in big numbers. What you want to do is, go onto Google Maps or (better) Six Maps if you live in NSW: Go onto the layers setting, and check the satellite pics for bays which have a drop off. Here’s a good example, just east of the Spit Bridge in Middle Harbour. But the same rule applies anywhere from Wonboyn, to Tweed Heads:

Last of the falling tide is good because it pushes the poddy mullet and the juvenile whiting out of the shallows towards the drop off, where the flathead are waiting in ambush. It’s exciting fishing, here’s a few tips from what I’ve learned. Just my personal observation, but paddle tail SPs are way better than fork tail SPs:

Retrieve really slowly. Just one flick of the rod tip and then let the SP sit on the bottom for 15 seconds or longer. Drax fishes his SPs with hardly any retrieve, and has been braining the jewfish in Pittwater:

If you get a tap or a bite, don’t strike or wind. Instead, drop the rod tip or even open the bail arm. Even if the flathead has been pricked by the hook they will often have another go. I’m guessing they presume the hook was a dorsal spine, and that their first bite immobilised the bait fish;

Always use a landing net, and never lift the flatheads head out of the water boatside. They will thrash their head from side to side and if their teeth can reach your leader it’s goodbye;

Use Boga Grips or lip grippers, on the bottom jaw. With lots of flathead being undersize or around the legal limit you’re going to be doing a lot of measuring and these will make managing the fish a lot easier. I’ve stuck one of our measuring tapes onto the bow of a kayak with sticky tape, and that makes things way easier:

Take plenty of soft plastics, especially if you’re fishing through summer. Chopper tailor, leatherjackets and toadfish are brutal and can cut your SPs to bits.

As to the kayak. There are heaps of them for sale at bargain prices on Facebook Marketplace. Sometimes they’re even free:

USED KAYAKS

You can get a cheap pair of soft roof racks to carry it from BCF or Anaconda but there is another option – although you wouldn’t want to risk a valuable one. That is, just leave it propped up in one of the many coves around where there’s stacks of kayaks propped up. You can mark it with your name and phone number or, chain it with a padlock to a bit of structure. Don't hold me to it and I can only speak for northside Councils but around once a year, they stick a warning notice on kayaks being stored on public property. You usually get four weeks notice, then it will be removed. This way, you only have to take your paddle and your fishing gear to the spot. You don’t need expensive kayaks to get started:

One last thing to mention? If you’re looking for a flathead outfit, avoid tackle supermarket blister pack combos:

Get one of our 602 combos. Your choice of three or six kilo braid, carbon fibre drag washers, and a full sized reel handle. Some mighty fish have been caught on our light combo and it’s great for casting too. Don’t cut corners on the most important part of the project:

602 flathead combo inc rod reel and line

Heading out in the yak next week, chasing flatties for the table. Not expecting anything the size of my PB 103cm (which was released) but I'll be happy with some fillets for dinner: