Whiting Flathead Tips

[Brett Kerr]

Hi fishing enthusists! Just chasing some tips on whiting and flathead fishing. Basically any info on baits, tides, rigs, and any landbased spots to try around the townsville area. I got my 5 year old daughter into fishing recently, and she loves it! I would love to see her catch her first fish and any info would be much appreciated. We went down the recliam, sth townsville, last sunday, at last minute decision. Got there on low tide,just coming in. Saw some large flathead lies. Had a couple of good wacks fishing the channel, but alas no fish eventuated. Had to call it quits early as miss 3yo and miss 5yo had a rather nasty disagreement,lol! Good fishing everyone!

[Adam Royle]

Hey Brett!

Good to see another devoted dad slogging it out with a pair of bickering young siblings. But don't ya just love getting them out for a fish!

Mate I'm no expert and haven't fished Townsville much but find yourself a nice beach or sandy river/creek mouth with sandbanks that have channels, gutters and ledges. Do that and you have the right spot!

Personally I find the making tide better for whiting, as the gutters and channels start to fill whiting will move up onto them to find food. Better still if you can walk out onto these sandbars at low tide and bury some berley (keep your old prawn shells and add a bit of scrunched up bread) it'll zero them in to where you want them.

Flathead generally like the same areas but my preference is for the falling tide. Fish the entrences to those same channels, gutters and ledges, the falling tide forces bait to retreat and the lizards will be waiting! The berley will also work a treat, the lizards will be attracted as baitfish gather for the berley scraps.

Whiting are simple when it comes to rigs and baits. A running ball sinker (light as possible) with a long shank hook and red tubing on a 6lb leader. I like to use a paternoster rig that has two hooks with the sinker in between instead of on the bottom. Saltwater yabbies are #1 but prawns and even squid when you have a lot of small pickers is worth a shot.

Flathead just can't resist a livie plonked in front of them. Present it on 20-40lb leader and a small round sinker with long trace. But if you really want to get into some get yourself a few soft plastics, they are just dynamite when worked properly! A good soft plastic fisherman will always outfish any bait fisherman on any day with lizards!

Well mate hopefully a few other guys might have a few specific spots, best of luck and hope to see a few photos of the kids with whiting and flathead in the forum and future NQ F&B!

Catch Ya!

[Brett Kerr]

Adam Royle Wrote:Hey Brett!

Good to see another devoted dad slogging it out with a pair of bickering young siblings. But don't ya just love getting them out for a fish!

Mate I'm no expert and haven't fished Townsville much but find yourself a nice beach or sandy river/creek mouth with sandbanks that have channels, gutters and ledges. Do that and you have the right spot!

Personally I find the making tide better for whiting, as the gutters and channels start to fill whiting will move up onto them to find food. Better still if you can walk out onto these sandbars at low tide and bury some berley (keep your old prawn shells and add a bit of scrunched up bread) it'll zero them in to where you want them.

Flathead generally like the same areas but my preference is for the falling tide. Fish the entrences to those same channels, gutters and ledges, the falling tide forces bait to retreat and the lizards will be waiting! The berley will also work a treat, the lizards will be attracted as baitfish gather for the berley scraps.

Whiting are simple when it comes to rigs and baits. A running ball sinker (light as possible) with a long shank hook and red tubing on a 6lb leader. I like to use a paternoster rig that has two hooks with the sinker in between instead of on the bottom. Saltwater yabbies are #1 but prawns and even squid when you have a lot of small pickers is worth a shot.

Flathead just can't resist a livie plonked in front of them. Present it on 20-40lb leader and a small round sinker with long trace. But if you really want to get into some get yourself a few soft plastics, they are just dynamite when worked properly! A good soft plastic fisherman will always outfish any bait fisherman on any day with lizards!

Well mate hopefully a few other guys might have a few specific spots, best of luck and hope to see a few photos of the kids with whiting and flathead in the forum and future NQ F&B!

Catch Ya!

Hi Adam!
Hey thanks for the tips mate. Sounds like i'm in the right location, just get the timing right and success! Hopefully,lol. Going to head back down reclaim, mouth of ross creek, with me little darlins this sunday and have another go. Nice sandy flats and yabbie beds. Nice incoming tide. Give the girls another shot. Again thanks heaps mate! will post pics of the girls' first fish, as a proud dad would. Mate good fishing, thankyou.

[kieranc]

G'day mate. I have found that the whiting bite well late afternoon into early evening. I fish on pure sand right next to rocks, and cast about 10-15 metres out, trying to find small gullies and dips. Use light gear, and use small prawns, just like those cheapos. I generally fish patiently without moving the bait, but if you slowly wind it in across the sand you will generally have luck from either flatties or whiting. Umm just use little 1/0s or something, can't really remember what hooks, but not too small, im sure you know the type and I just the run the sinker straight onto the hook. Have fun

oh, by the way, whenever i fish the beaches (like pallaranda) or something around townsville, I always get big muddies on my line .

[Adam Royle]

Brett Kerr Wrote:[quote=Adam Royle]

Hi Adam!
Hey thanks for the tips mate. Sounds like i'm in the right location, just get the timing right and success! Hopefully,lol. Going to head back down reclaim, mouth of ross creek, with me little darlins this sunday and have another go. Nice sandy flats and yabbie beds. Nice incoming tide. Give the girls another shot. Again thanks heaps mate! will post pics of the girls' first fish, as a proud dad would. Mate good fishing, thankyou.

No problems mate I only hope that we see your little ones pics in the forum real soon!

Kieran also has a few good pointers.

Catch Ya!

[Brett Kerr]

kieranc Wrote:G'day mate. I have found that the whiting bite well late afternoon into early evening. I fish on pure sand right next to rocks, and cast about 10-15 metres out, trying to find small gullies and dips. Use light gear, and use small prawns, just like those cheapos. I generally fish patiently without moving the bait, but if you slowly wind it in across the sand you will generally have luck from either flatties or whiting. Umm just use little 1/0s or something, can't really remember what hooks, but not too small, im sure you know the type and I just the run the sinker straight onto the hook. Have fun

oh, by the way, whenever i fish the beaches (like pallaranda) or something around townsville, I always get big muddies on my line .

Hey mate!
Thanks for the tips. I cant wait to get back out and soak a bait! In fact gonna try sunday down the reclaim sth townsville. It looks great at low tide. Flat sandy bottom with the main channel into ross creek, and a few little gullies. Have seen a few nice sized lizzard lays left in the sand. Hopefully put my two young daughters onto their first fish! They so excited hey, it's great. Again thanks so much for the tips mate! I love me fishin, but am no expert, so all the advice i can get is great! Good fishin!

[Brett Kerr]

Hi guys!
Thankyou so much for the tips! I've now had two good Sunday mornings in a row down the beach. My 5yo daughter Bree is turning into quite an adapt little angler. She is so keen whenever the oppertunity comes up to go fishing, it's great. In the last two visits she has 6 whitting to her name, and has out scored everybody else on both trips. I can't wait for her to get onto a nice flathead.
Last Sunday, Bree and I took my dad, my brother in law Rick and his son Brodie, down to the reclaim to do a spot of fishing. Brodie hadn't been fishing before, so was hoping to get him onto a couple of fish. We had a ball. And Brodie did get on the scoreboard. A whitting and a little flattie. He was chuffed. Bree scored another 3 whitting, Rick a couple of whitting, myself a lone whitting and a long tom. In all a top hour and a half spent down by the water.
Thankyou again for the advice. It's paid off no end. Having a ball fishing with Bree, and next week we gonna have a go at the childrens fishing classic down pallaranda.Should be fun. Anyway people, take care and tight lines!

Brett.

[Adam Royle]

That's fantastic mate!

My girls don't mind a bit of whiting fishing whenever I'm not heading out. Infact they are both in this month NQ F&B with a few whiting.

Keep up the good work and tell Bree to hang in because if she's nailing whiting that big lizard won't be far away!