Flathead

[garfield28]

Hey Raiders,

 

Just a general question on flatties, if you see the lays in the sand on the low tide would that suggest that you would fish the run out tide - or best on the high tide? I've found a spot and where there must have been 20 - 30 flathead lying in the sand but I fished near the bottom of the low tide without a touch, so if I were to go back at the right time just wondering when do you think that might be on the evidence that they were there?

Thanks 

Geoff 

[Green Hornet]

I'd be giving that spot where you saw the lays a go around the top of the tide, say an hour each side. That's assuming the lays you found were out of the water at low tide.

If you wanted to chase those fish at low tide, concentrate on the drop offs nearby. Flathead generally don't travel too far in the hunt for food, being an ambush predator. 

[kingie chaser]

Not knowing the area your talking about or the water depth makes it a bit hard for suggestions but my first thought are to fish on the change of tide & I tend to favour the run in tide myself.

Most species turn off on the slack part of the tide then as the water starts to run in or out they get excited as they know its feeding time, waiting for something nice to float past them.

That's my theory anyway. 

Edited October 17, 2019 by kingie chaser

[noelm]

If the "lies" are pointed towards the shallow water, like a flat, the Flathead will be sitting there waiting for small fish and stuff to move off the flat as the tide drops, it would be good to fish from a kayak and cast up onto the flat and retrieve back into the deeper water! don't be fooled by the size of the marks, a quite small Flathead makes a fairly big mark, because they kind of "shake" to bury in and to leave and the mark is a lot bigger than the actual fish.

[PaddyT]

3 hours ago, noelm said:

If the "lies" are pointed towards the shallow water, like a flat, the Flathead will be sitting there waiting for small fish and stuff to move off the flat as the tide drops, it would be good to fish from a kayak and cast up onto the flat and retrieve back into the deeper water! don't be fooled by the size of the marks, a quite small Flathead makes a fairly big mark, because they kind of "shake" to bury in and to leave and the mark is a lot bigger than the actual fish.

the other thing is that a flattie can create several lies in a tide all in a short distance , so it could be one or two fish only. Also remember flatties will almost always face into the tide.