Kelvin

If you know exactly where in Westlakes they you have a reasonable chance of getting it back. I agree with Soobz, for the price of that gear, try to find someone with Scuba, or even a wetsuit and snorkel if it is not too deep.
 
I just took a handline the first few times I fished from my Yak. Like others have said, I mainly use cheaper gear from the Yak just in case. I've had a good run with the KastKing Sharky reels and run them almost exclusively for my kayak use. They have taken a fair bit of salt spray and get a quick rinse when I get home and are still reasonably smooth. Like most things the price is slowly creeping up but I would still rate them as about par with the $100 Shimano and Diawa offerings.
I've flipped the Yak twice and dropped some outfits but managed to get them back both time. I still prefer not to leash my rods but that's a calculated risk I am happy to take. The rods are in a high vertical rod holder attached to the esky behind me for transport and locked in a high scotty rod holder when fishing.
I do leash the rest of my Yak gear including my Pedal drive. I also have added floatation to my net to make sure it floats.
 

Sriracha mayo is my go to sauce for all seafood

Sriracha mayo is my go to sauce for all seafood

Sriracha mayo is my go to sauce for all seafood

sriracha sauce batter flatty nuggets

It only really fishes well if the water is clear. It is also easier with no wind or an offshore breeze.
Low tide, fish to the right so you can get out to the far rocks.
Fishing to the left can also be ok as the squid can be close in the weed in about 2 to 3m depth. I've pulled quite a few from the Yak there within 20m of shore.

This is my favourite Jig too!
I have 1 in a 3.0 the yellow/orange/pink shadow
and 1 in the 3.5 blue/purple shadow.
I had another 2 but lost them really early on. The dark red was my favourite 😭    
 
At the time these were around $28 and I'm talking 8-10 years ago
 

(1) DUEL Squid jig pheromone skin egi - YouTube

(1) DUEL Squid jig pheromone skin egi - YouTube

Unfortunately no matter how far I step it up - these boys will be hard to beat - Heres Daves Paella - the boy can cook

My mates went for a scallop dive the next day after our Sunday Whiting and Squid Sesh

One of the boys came up with this home made Scallop, Whiting and Squid Pizza. Its got my mouth watering.

it is all about looking after fish is you are eating them

One innovative use of plastic that never fails is the old dust pan worm collecter - just head to the local car park and start scooping em up - got about 80 from this stretch - some big boys in amoungst them

Nah -no good -  the double loop didn’t do much
 
got to 5.2 kg or around 11.5lb, before cutting the 30lb mono. 
 
The wire is too thin even when you double it

If you find the FG too tricky, then the slim beauty is abit easier. I also like the Kaneit knot with 20lb to 50lb leader.
 
Reel Territory - Posts | Facebook

Landbased, look for the ink spots on the jetty.
 
Technique is almost as important as location. You want to keep your jig within 1m to 2m of the bottom while minimizing snags.
 
Much easier from a kayak or boat

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

Great advice / info MAH.
And yes, slithers of Gar flesh do work - just need to catch one Gar to get those slithers though lol
Red meat slithers, like chicken slithers, are also another alternative that I have had success with.  
(Now some may say 'can't use meat/chicken' - well as slithers it is all ok and given the ok by Fishery guys/girls walking the planks)

I enjoy fishing for gar. It is often a challenge of balancing a finesse presentation with just the right amount of burley and right size bait and hook and size of float. Landbased its even more tricky as you need to factor in casting weight to get your rig out a good distance while still showing bites and not tangling.
Often I go down to 4lb line and a tiny short shank hook to get the bite.
I also like using alternative baits and have had some great success on stuff no one else uses.
Silver fish is very popular as a gar bait in Vic and occasionally sold here in tackle stores. Most fish flesh works well and I like using tuna offcuts, pilchards and carp.
Tiny livebaits are deadly and almost always work even if the gar won't touch live maggots. Single small seaweed worm and tiny shrimp are my favourite.
 
 

If they are not biting, I also like to dip the baits in tuna oil or halco catch scent

This will be a series of posts about Southern Garfish (Hyporhamphus Melanochir), starting with basic information on fishing limits. Other posts will cover feeding habits and different approaches to catching these mini marlins.
This information is accurate as of 13/04/2022, please check the PIRSA website for updates.
Minimum legal length: 23 cm measured from tip of the upper jaw to the tip of the tail. Personal daily bag limit: 30 Daily boat limit when 3 or more people are fishing on board: 90

I look forward to all the contributions from the many YFW specialists in this forum.
Over the coming weeks I will be transferring a number of posts regarding Yellow Fin Whiting which I had previously only put up on Face Book. (lazy)
I look forward to us building up a knowledge base for us to share.
The posts will not be "Fishing reports" as such but discussions about the Species, Morphology, Habitats, Ecosystems/FoodChains, Tackle and Techniques.
Looking forward to every ones input.
Cheers, Des

Follow up on Gliss. I've still got it on 1 reel. Abrasion resistance got really bad over time to the point of constant breakages.
 
It looks like most people have found the same and it is going really cheap.
WFT Gliss Hybrid Line 150m Yellow Bulk - DINGA Online — DINGA Fishing
At $3 a spool I am still giving it a miss.
 

Follow up on Gliss. I've still got it on 1 reel. Abrasion resistance got really bad over time to the point of constant breakages.
 
It looks like most people have found the same and it is going really cheap.
WFT Gliss Hybrid Line 150m Yellow Bulk - DINGA Online — DINGA Fishing
At $3 a spool I am still giving it a miss.
 

Follow up on Gliss. I've still got it on 1 reel. Abrasion resistance got really bad over time to the point of constant breakages.
 
It looks like most people have found the same and it is going really cheap.
WFT Gliss Hybrid Line 150m Yellow Bulk - DINGA Online — DINGA Fishing
At $3 a spool I am still giving it a miss.