Fishing with Soft Plastic Fishing Lures for Flathead

Soft plastic lures are a great way to attract Flathead.  While the species is renowned for its laziness, it will put up quite a fight when hooked, and if you win the battle, Flathead make great eating.  Here are some tips for catching Flathead with soft lures.

Flathead are found in shallow water in estuaries and bays where they hide, camouflaged and partially buried in sand.  Rather than actively seeking food, Flathead wait for their prey to come to them, conserving their energy for the quick burst of acceleration that they make when an attractive morsel passes nearby.  By slowly trailing bait or lures along the bottom, anglers have the best chance of hooking Flathead.

Most of the types of lure that are successful with bream will work with flathead, too.  Soft plastic lures that attract bites from Flathead are generally at least 50 mm in length. Ocean Storm’s Online Fishing Tackle Shop stocks a range of fishing lures in soft plastic materials, such as Squidgies, as well as Berkeley Gulp fishing lures made from natural biodegradable materials. These lures look and feel like soft plastic and are impregnated with a scent that fish find irresistible.

Soft plastic lures come in a range of colours, and it’s useful to keep a variety of colours in your tackle box.  Many anglers find that dark coloured soft plastic lures in the same colours work better on dark days, while lures in lighter colours or more natural looking colours attract more bites from flathead on light days.  After a period with no results, changing the shape of lure you use, for example swapping a minnow shape for a grub shape, will often encourage flathead to take a bite.

When fishing for flathead, fairly simple tackle is adequate.  Your aim is to slowly work the bottom, so a 3-4kg line on a basic spinning reel is generally fine.  While a fibreglass rod isn’t suitable for use with soft plastic lures because of their action and lack of sensitivity, a basic 6-7 foot graphite fishing rod allows the angler to cast more accurately and gives the sensitivity to feel a nibble from the target.

When the weather is warm and the water is shallow, fishing for flathead can be very rewarding.  Flathead appear to be indolent until they’re ready to pounce on their prey.  Flathead don’t seem to be at all wary of lures – so using Soft plastic fishing lures can make for an exciting day of fishing.

Checkout this clip below for fishing for Flathead on soft plastic lures: Brett Wilson From Shimano is using the Squidgy Pro Lobby Lure

Also check out this Clip to further your knowledge and experience in targeting fish on soft plastic fishing lures.. You can buy the full Soft Plastic Tactics Fishing DVD in our online fishing tackle shop.