Reputation from lofty64 - Strike & Hook

lofty64 reacted to Des in STRIKE WHILE IT’S HOT December 21, 2022

With a very mild Spring and early Summer, Yellow Fin Whiting lure fishing has had a few challenges this season.
The weather patterns have not sustained a constant water temperature. It barely heats up when a cold change with a series of cold days would chill off the water. It looks like we may have turned the corner.
We have not yet seen a sustained warm spell to put the warmth into the water and hold it there for a prolonged spell. It is the sustained higher water temperatures that has the greatest impact on the ecosystem and the behaviour of the YFW. Yes we have been finding a few YFW on lures, but nothing like those hot bag out sessions of last year.
So today after a few, rare consecutive days of 30+C I was off to seize the opportunity and “Strike while the water was hot”

Comparative water temperature maps. What a difference a few warm days make

I was trying to avoid the cooler water in the morning, by starting around 11.30am. Sleeping in ! The water was still surprisingly cold at the start. Thermal lag, meant the water was still holding onto a cool temperature after a spell of cold days earlier in the week. Hence the importance of a sustained period of warmth. It was hard to find fish showing interest in any of the surface lures in the incoming tide. Fish would not rise for the lure. The few fish spotted, were hanging back from the lure and staying deep. They were keeping as cool and calm as the water temperature. I went subsurface with the Ecogear ZX43 blade to catch a couple of good fish.

The Salmon Trout have moved out & the Trumpeters have moved in. A sure sign of warm water.
Still it was not until the tide started to run off late afternoon, and the water had warmed up from the heat of the day, did the fishing come alive. Increasingly overcast conditions did put a dampener on the fishing. You always catch more in sunshine. I had to resort to some UV enhancement tricks to engage the fish. UV sprays and UV flash tinsels can transform the standard sunny day lures into successful overcast day lures. A quick spray on your lure. It dries fast. Although it leaves a strong lacquer smell. So rub it over with some S factor or Pro-Cure scent to negate the smell. Today my ever reliable Sugapen 95 could only catch fish with the UV enhancements.

I worked through a variety of surface lures today. The other successful ones being Zipbaits Fakie Dog DS, Ebi Panic, MMD Splash prawn-AW Yabby,

And one I have not used for a couple of years, the Atomic K9 Bulldog which took the biggest fish.

The smaller size lures where better in lighter winds and the bigger and noisier lures in the stronger wind spells.

The day finished strongly with the fish more aggressive in the warm water late in the day. I released a few fish in the high 20s to 30cm and kept 17 fish in the 31- 40cm range. Most were in the 35 to 40cm range. A clear sign of the warm water attracting a new batch of juvenile prawns onto the sand flats along with the larger predatory Yellow Fin Whiting.

Happy Hot days and some Hot fishing sessions ahead !

Cheers, Des

lofty64 got a reaction from Meppstas in 1-3 kilo rod November 19, 2022

Hi Micky , I have a Savage 6'6 1-3 , which I use for KGW , great rod , light and have pulled 52cm KGW , my PB , but handled it no worries .

lofty64 got a reaction from Mickyj in 1-3 kilo rod November 19, 2022

Hi Micky , I have a Savage 6'6 1-3 , which I use for KGW , great rod , light and have pulled 52cm KGW , my PB , but handled it no worries .

lofty64 reacted to Knackers in Changes made to recreational fishing in Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary September 30, 2022

Unfortunately those Dolphins are in serious trouble. Not because of fisherman but most likely pollution.

lofty64 reacted to Des in FLOAT FISHING FLATHEAD April 16, 2022

BYCATCH to MAIN CATCH … Season’s Change to FLATHEAD
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I have picked up a Flathead on each of my last 4 Yellow Fin Whiting lure sessions.
There are still plenty of YFW about for the whiting bait angler, however they have slowed up for the whiting lure fisherman.
The water is cooling a bit for YFW on lures. But is also the reason for the increasing presence of the Flathead.
The cooler Autumn water temperatures now have the ambient conditions to hold a larger number of baitfish in the shallows.
And along with the baitfish arrive a lot more Flathead, in these cooler waters of Autumn.
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UNCONVENTIONAL TACTICS
I have always taken a skeptical view, of some assertions made by some fishing experts.
It’s best to do your own trials and testing and arrive at what works for you … for the areas that you fish.
There are claims of many must do techniques. Most based, I feel on false assumptions. And in the main anglers have quietly and benignly accepted them.
With Yellow Fin Whiting there was even an ‘expert” that asserted a surface lure mimicked a fleeing Benthic (bottom) dwelling Clicker on the surface !!! All fishing techniques have to consider the target species, their morphology, behavioural traits, their prey and the habitat in which it has all evolved. So when it comes to some “expert” techniques, it must measure up against these factors. When Flathead fishing with soft plastics, people have often claimed; “Always bounce the soft plastic in the sand to create a puff of sand to attract a Flathead”
… Nah! Nah! Nah! Never !!!! This has a detrimental affect, when I fish wading the shallow sandflats.
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I employ some unconventional tactics for catching Flathead … I float fish them.
Do not bother bouncing lures along the sand. I have FLIP-SIDED the whole concept and suspend Soft Plastics and Bait under a Float. Always presenting them above the Flathead’s eyes !! It is where they can see it the easiest and react the most. Their Strike zone. Their area of Binocular vision.
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Having viewed underwater footage of FH taking soft plastics. I noticed they were repetitively taken at the top of the lift when the SP was bounced. Always well above and out in front of their eyes. In their “Binocular Vision Strike Zone”. So I decided I may as well put my Soft Plastics there in the first place. Drawing it past them … under a float. I do not use any jig-heads.
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Some more alert experts are now agreeing, that in fact disturbing the sand in front of Flathead is counter productive.
Karl Attenborough of the “Sand Flat Fishing Australia” YouTube channel says: “Touching the sand with your lure in shallow water spooks the fish.”
Refer: 9.35min in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NHJ02NUoiQ
Or in this Doc Lures Podcast : https://doclures.com/nsw-mid-north-coast-flathead-attenborough/ … Refer ~ 17min 10sec onwards.
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As fisher-people we are always trying to present, a favourite food in the most irresistible and obvious manner, to our target species.
I have been floating Baits, Gulp Minnows and Jerk Shads under a small split turnip float for a long time. With great success.
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MORPHOLOGY
Prey usually have eyes on the sides of their head so they have a large field of view, from which to avoid predators. Predators usually have eyes in front of their head so they have better depth perception. Benthic predators, like Flathead have eyes arranged so they have a binocular view of what is above them as they lie on the bottom. Their field of vision is strongly biased to a bait or lure being presented out front and above them. Rather than it bouncing in the sand ahead of them.
These great videos clearly illustrate the Flathead eye placement and function:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC7Ig4NJmtE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrCjZJWGFHI
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HABITAT
The other most important factor for using floating baits and lures is the sandflat Habitat in which the Flathead hold.
In the upper gulf sandflats that I fish, Flathead are most often found on; broken weedy ground, in and alongside weed filled channels, or alongside mangrove edges full of aerial roots. Here they lay and wait to ambush any prey that passes above. It is very hard to get a weed free, snag free retrieve over this terrain. So the most effective method is to present and draw a bait or lure over them, suspended under a float. There are some suitable floating lures, but their trebles foul easily on the floating ribbon weed.

Flathead most commonly lie on the leeward side of a weed hump or structure in a strong run off. I rarely come across them on clear open sand flats. They have a preference for the bigger and faster run off tides. I find the best strategy is an overhead bait/lure presentation, suspended by a float, drawn across their likely lies behind structure.

The weed line or “blue line” which can also channel a stronger flow of water, will also hold them. The irregular weed line will frequently obstruct and hide your lure if you are working the bottom. Under a float, your offering can easily work, over, across, in and out of the weed line, with out fouling. Weedless rigs worked lower are never as effective for me.
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RIGS & LURES
Today the very successful floating Glide baits and swim bait lures, do exactly that, swim above the eyes of the Flathead. Stay out of the weed and never touch the sand. I have yet to given them a try.
My favourite lure is Rapala Shadow Rap a floating lure with a small bib and a shallow dive.
It is interesting to note how many Flathead have been taken on a floating Squid jig.
But I have taken the most Flathead (along with X Large YFW) on Soft Plastic Minnows or Jerkshads simply fed onto a #4 long shank hook that I have been using for YFW. under a float.

Tight Lines.
Cheers, Des