Flathead Fishing Reports

Flathead Fishing Reports

Melbourne Flathead Fishing Reports.

But not just Melbourne. The wider Victorian region as well.

Including Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay, The Gippsland Lakes and more.

You can fish all year for Flathead in Victoria. Though they are a lot less active during Winter in my experience.

Starting to fire off mid to late September through to early April.

Scientific Name: Platycephalus sp*


Fishing Reports – What We Collect

We record the number of catches of each species when we prepare our Flathead fishing reports. All Getfished Fishing Reports are aggregated from multiple resources. Including dedicated submitted fishing reports, Youtube videos, and more.

Month To Date Reports

LocationsQty
Offshore Barwon Heads1
Offshore Barwon Heads,Vic1
Catbay,Vic1
Hastings,Vic1
Mornington,Vic1
Cunningham Pier,Vic1
Bellarine Peninsula,Vic1
Altona2
Hobsons Bay2
Geelong Waterfront2
Coronet Bay1
Corio Bay1
Tankerton2
Newhaven1
Lake Tyers5
Marlo1
Brighton1
Hollands Landing1
Port Albert1
Werribee1
Mallacoota2
Point Richards1
Tambo River Estuary1

Lure Reports Year To Date

LureQty        
Soft Plastic Minnow1
Soft Plastics7

Bait Reports YTD

BaitQty
Australian Salmon Fillets1
Squid1
Pipis1
Whitebait1
Prawn2
Pilchards1
Soft Shell Crab2
Cut Crab1

Flathead Fishing Reports

Melbourne Flathead Fishing Reports are increasing each year. For some time, after the big bay dredge, reports were down.

The Flathead is the third most popular fish in Victoria according to the Vic Fisheries department.

One thing is for certain. How we target flathead has certainly changed.

When I was a kid it was natural bait that was more common than anything else in flatty fishing. My choice was usually prawns or whitebait.

Fast forward to the 2022 and Soft Plastics are without a doubt the tool of choice for flathead fishing.

The most common flathead species caught around Melbourne are the Southern Blue-spotted Flathead (also called the Yanky Flathead) Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus. The Dusky Flathead – Platycephalus fuscus – is most common from the Gippsland Lakes and northwards along the coast.

Other species including the Tiger Flathead and the Southern Sand Flathead.

Getfished flathead fishing reports include all species of flathead, caught in Victorian waters, together. With most flathead fishing reports tending to be the tending to be of the Blue Spotted and Sand Flathead species.

Note that it’s not uncommon for people to misidentify flathead species. For example, people will often confuse blue-spotted flathead with dusky flathead when fishing in Port Phillip Bay and estuaries. This is because flathead will tend to adopt color schemes to match their surroundings. A darker seabed (or muddy estuary bottom) can result in a very dark fish.

For this reason, I try to correct identification errors in submitted flathead fishing reports where possible.

Flathead Season: All year round in Victoria. More active during warmer months.


Flathead Fishing Reports, Common Locations

A lot of flathead fishing reports around Melbourne tend to come from boaties and kayak fisho in recent years.

While smaller land-based catches from the Yarra and Maribyrnong River Estuaries are reasonably common.

Western Port Bay and the Gippsland Lakes tend to receive the bulk of flathead fishing reports.

I’m hoping the wonderful flathead is making a comeback in Port Phillip Bay – and there are signs that this is the case.

Slowly….


Flathead Fishing Report Videos

The Getfished Flathead Fishing Report video playlist is collated from some awesome Victorian flathead fishos. Please like and subscribe to their videos to encourage them to continue producing awesome flathead fishing reports, tips and techniques!


While there’s nothing wrong with soaking bait for flathead – I’m going to recommend you try soft plastic lures.

Why?

Because they seem to take more flatties in 2021 than just about anything else!

In fact the bulk of flathead fishing reports we compile support this contention strongly.

If you look at videos of successful flathead fishos – both in Victoria and interstate – the ZMan Slim Swimz seems to really do well with flatties.

It’s not the only one that works…

Squidgies and Gulp all account for fish. But the Motor Oil and Red Watermelon Slim Swimz from ZMan really work.


Flathead Bait

Traditionally I used to target flathead with whitebait, bluebait, pilchards, sand worms and even pipis and squid. This is largely the case with bait fishing in our compile flathead fishing reports.

However, in recent years I’ve had success with chicken, marinated in my own “secret sauce.”

I’ll often target flatties with the above bait on a paternoster rig, pretty much the same as I’d use to target bream and whiting. However, a running sinker is also very effective!

5 Minute Guide To Catching Flathead

Flathead Fishing Reports

My best flathead fishing tip is to learn more about flathead. That tips goes for any fish species you are targeting.

That’s because no single catching flathead tip is enough.

Here are some ways you can use based on what’s worked for me – and others.

OK, look. Giving you flathead fishing tips has to come with some caveats.

Why? Because not everything you read about catching this popular species online is always completely correct.

Hard and fast rules aren’t nearly as rigid as some folks will have you think.

I’ve caught flathead:

  • High Tide
  • Low Tide
  • Slack Tide

I’ve used:

  • Bright shiny lures
  • Whitebait
  • Blue bait
  • Pilchards
  • Prawns
  • Pippies
  • Even squid.
  • Soft plastics
  • Bait on running sinkers
  • Bait on paternoster rigs

Struth, I’ve even used floats!

A quick warning about Australian flathead.

Just behind their gill plates, they have spines that carry a mild venom. It isn’t likely to kill you but it can hurt like crazy. Especially if it slices open or stabs an unwary hand or foot.

Their teeth are worth being cautious of too. So take care of handling them!

Please obey the local size and/or bag limits of the state you are fishing in. They are there to help make sure the species continues to be there for the future.

There is some fishos who state that you should not take flathead specimens over 70cm because these are the females that will spawn. The intention is a good one, but the science, however, doesn’t back this up. Midsize females between 50 to 60cm reproduce. Females over 70cm are past reproduction – kind of like menopause.

Flathead Quick Tips

What Is The Best Flathead Rig?

The most effective traditional flathead rig when bait fishing is a simple running sinker. A single hook with the sinker running above the leader. With a swivel, split-shot or line-stop to stop the sinker running down to the hook. However, flathead can also be caught effectively on paternoster rigs, too. Often resulting in double hook-ups. Plus a lot of people use soft plastic lures with a weighted jig head. The bulk of flathead fishing reports in recent years have shown more fish taken on soft plastic lures.

What is the best time to fish for flathead?

Flathead are available all year round in Victoria. Though they do become more sluggish in the cooler waters of Winter. During the cooler months flathead fishing reports tend to decline. There is no closed season for flathead. Flathead have started to make a come back in Port Phillip Bay. Though still nowhere as common as they used to be.

What Is The Best Flathead Bait

For me its always been prawns. However bluebait, pilchards, whitebait, sand worms, pipis, mussels and even whiting fillets all work. In recent years I’ve had a lot of success with chicken prepared in different sauces and salts.