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TECHNIQUE: LAND BASED FLATHEAD



        out, and it’s handy to know roughly where   bait loaded areas, and spending time in them,
        these are. On those hard days your research   eventually you’ll have an encounter. Features
        beforehand could provide intelligence for a   like gutters and drains naturally condense
        day saving move that gets you tight.   bait also, and are natural feeding points for
          Flathead are garbage gutses and will   WKHVH À VK  /RRNLQJ IRU DQ\ ULSSOHV  VSODVKHV RU
        KRXQG EDLWÀ VK OLNH DQ\ SUHGDWRU  )RU WKLV   anything unusual can giveaway the presence
        reason some of our sessions are as much   RI IHHGLQJ Á DWKHDG RU QHUYRXV EDLW DQG LV
        DERXW À QGLQJ EDLW DV WKH\ DUH ERWWRP IHDWXUHV   always worth a cast!
        nowadays. The last few seasons this approach   %HVW SROLF\ IRU Á DWKHDG LV WR FDVW \RXU
        has rewarded us with some of our biggest and   DUP RII DQG ZRUN WKH PDLQ DUHDV À UVW
        EHVW Á DWKHDG  7ULSV EDVHG RQ WKLV PLQGVHW DUH   then look to start targeting lesser features/
        typical started by walking a shoreline and   structures and work your way down a
        deliberately looking for mullet schools, and   mental list of options. When you get your   Paddle tail soft plastics are deadly on
        once found the immediate area is thoroughly   eye in with this caper it gets so much   these fi  sh, with the Squidgy Pro Range
                                                                               Prawn Paddle Tail doing the damage here
        FDVW RYHU  %LJ Á DWKHDG GRQ·W ZDQW WR ZRUN WRR   easier, allowing you to maximise your time
        hard for their next meal and by working these   DQG FDWFK À VK ZLWK UHGXFHG HIIRUW

             The window to catch monster                                       FACTORS FOR SUCCESS
             fl atties can be small at
             times, so you need to fi sh                                        Having the location working in your
             hard when they’re around!                                         IDYRXU LV RQO\ RQH SDUW RI WKH VKRUH Á DWWLH
                                                                               equation as there’s a lot of variables that
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                                                                               NQRZLQJ WKH FRQGLWLRQV WKDW LQÁ XHQFH
                                                                               your particular area is a huge bonus. Some
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                                                                               DIWHU VWURQJ EORZV GXH WR Á RDWLQJ ZHHG IRU
                                                                               instance which fouls lures and can cover
                                                                               XS DUHDV WKDW ZRXOG W\SLFDOO\ KROG À VK
                                                                               At the other end of the spectrum we have
                                                                               locations that are dead zones during calm
                                                                               and mild weather, yet hold some whopper
                                                                               lizards when the water is chopped up and
                                                                               GLVFRORXUHG  ZKLFK HQFRXUDJHV WKH À VK WR
                                                                               push in close. There’s a lot of local details
                                                                               here to wrap your head around if you’re
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                                                                                7LPH RI \HDU LV DOVR D PDVVLYH LQÁ XHQFH
                                                                               RQ WKH H[SHFWHG À VKLQJ  'RZQ VRXWK RXU
                                                                               ELJJHVW Á DWKHDG DUH FDXJKW IURP DXWXPQ
                                                                               through to the end of winter as they come
                                                                               in from the deep to breed, while over the
                                                                               warmer months we get big numbers just not
                                                                               of a consistently large size. The areas these
                                                                               À VK ZLOO KROG ZLOO YDU\ ZLWK WKH VHDVRQV DV
                                                                               ZHOO  *HQHUDOO\ VSHDNLQJ ZH À QG WKH ELJ
                                                                               cool season breeders love the rocky areas,
                                                                               ZKLOH VPDOOHU WR PLGVL]HG À VK FDQ EH FDXJKW
                                                                               anywhere over the warmer months which
                                                                               again is a local factor you’ll have to work out
                                                                               for yourself.


                                                                           There’s some great bycatch you can target while after
                                                                           fl  atties from the shore. A few other species caught
                                                                           during the same session and kept for the table

















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