Finding flathead and squid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Clint Ansell

Finding flathead and squid

Hi everyone, September is the peak of flathead fishing season on the Gold Coast, with bigger females gradually making their way towards the river mouths in preparation for their breeding season.

They will spawn multiple times over summer, but this month they will feed aggressively to put on condition.

These big breeder females range up to nearly 1m long and are a prize catch.

So, handle and release them carefully to ensure plentiful stocks for the future. Though the maximum size limit in Queensland is 75cm, we prefer to release flathead from 60cm and above on our charters.

Dan with a lovely flathead ready for release on Brad Smith’s Tweed River charter.

Female flathead usually have a number of smaller male flathead up to 50cm long accompanying them.

These male flatties are solid points scorers in the annual flathead classic tournament, expertly run by the Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club since 1994.

You still have time to enter and there are massive prizes to be won, even if you don’t catch a lot of fish.

Ken did well and caught a brace of quality flathead on a Tweed River charter with Brad Smith.

When in feeding mode, flathead are easily caught on lures and some of the most successful are 3-4” soft plastics, soft vibes and minnow-shaped hard-bodies.

This month flathead will school up – lying in ambush mode in shallow water around weed beds where baitfish try to hide.

For this reason, soft plastics are very useful. My preference are paddle tails such as Fish Arrow Flash-J Shad, Knockin Tail, Gobblers Paddle Shad and Ecogear Balt. And 1/4oz 3/0 size hook jig heads are perfect all-rounders for rigging these plastics.

Samaki Vibelicious in Slimy Mackerel colour has been good on flathead.

A simple cast, let sink, double hop, pause, wind up slack line, then repeat will draw a strike from active flathead. For me, the best colour shades are pearl or white, Motor Oil, green and occasionally gold or chartreuse when others aren’t working.

It will pay to use prawn imitation plastics too because there are still heaps of prawns around after the summer floods.

Try over sandbank shallows at high tide and off the edges of banks on a falling tide. Flathead love waiting next to weed beds as well, so if the water is clear enough to see them, always cast to the edge of these beds.

Many flathead can also be caught in deeper areas, if bait is there. Make sure you control the drift with your motor – or electric motor – to slow the boat’s movement and so that your lures stay in contact with the bottom.

Brian caught some good-sized arrow squid on a squid charter with the author.

September is also a good month to catch arrow squid, tailor, flounder and winter whiting. Squid are big this month and very aggressive. Try for them in water 3-6m deep at Southport, Labrador, Biggera, Runaway Bay, Currigee and Ephraim Island. Use squid jigs but also Samaki soft vibes and Ecogear ZX40 blades to catch all of the above.

Sporty’s Fishing at Bundall know all our favourite tackle and lure colours. Drop in there to get the best advice too. In the Tweed River, Brad has continued to find plenty of flathead for his customers – as well as big bream – using Samaki Vibelicious, Ecogear ZXs, and Pontoon 21 Crackjack lures.

A big arrow squid for Mick taken on a Daiwa Emeraldas 2.5 squid jig.

To book on a charter with myself or Brad, or if you have any fishing related questions, visit goldcoastrivercharters.com or email fishingwithclint@gmail.com, or find Brad Smith Fishing Charters on Facebook.