FLATHEAD ON SOFT PLASTICS
Catching flathead on soft plastic lures must be one of Australia’s favourite (and most effective) forms of fishing, and there’s absolutely no doubt that the Squidgies range of soft plastics and jig heads created by Starlo and his mate Bushy — all specifically designed for Aussie fish — have absolutely revolutionised flathead fishing around the country! In this episode, Starlo visits St Georges Basin, south of Sydney, and reveals the basics of catching a feed of flatties on his ever-reliable Squidgies.
RODS
Starlo’s favourite rods for chucking Squidgies at flathead are generally 2 to 2.2 metres in length with relatively light tips and somewhat stiffer butts. He particularly likes the Shimano Zodias, Anarchy and Maikuro ranges.
REELS
Reliable, high-quality spinning reels in the 2500 and 3000 sizes are best for this style of big water flathead spinning. It’s hard to beat Shimano’s Stradic and Navi ranges, particularly in terms of value for money.
LINE
In this episode, Starlo ran 8 and 10 pound PowerPro braid as his main line, with longish (one to three rod length) leaders of Shimano Ocea fluorocarbon in 10 and 12 pound strengths, connected to the braid via a neat Double Uni or FG knot.
TERMINAL TACKLE
Squidgies Fish, Shad Pro Prawn and Whip Bait soft plastics are all proven flathead killers, but don’t ignore the more subtle action of Wrigglers and Bugs, either… They all work! Squidgies jig heads ranging from 5 to 14 grams in weight with hook sizes from 1/0 to 4/0 are the perfect “delivery vehicles” for these deadly plastics.
