Fishing the shallow flats

Fishing shallow water is very underestimated. There is just something about it, the way you can pull an 80cm-plus flathead from only 30cm of water is really something special and certainly gets the old heart going a few beats quicker.

The benefits of fishing the flats is that it’s easily accessible for almost everyone and generally there is minimal structure to get caught on.

Another thing to appreciate about the flats is that you can generally find fresh bait in the same spot you'll be fishing – gather some fresh local bait on the low tide and once collected, fish the high tide using it.

How easy is that? However, ensuring you use the correct bait and tackle setup is critical to a successful day out. It can be the difference between catching a feed or going through the drive-through on your way home.

The best aid you can have whilst fishing shallow tidal flats is an excellent pair of polarised sunglasses.

Even on days with minimal sunshine, these can assist you to tell the difference between weed beds, muddy areas, holes and channels.

You’ll waste far less time fishing unproductive water.

Both lures and bait are effective in shallow water. I will look around at low tide for any evidence of flathead, namely the imprints from where they lay in the sand.

It is then a matter of waiting until the tide starts to come back in. Once the lays are covered with water, throw plastics around in every direction but particularly over those same areas where you saw the lays.

A 5.0-inch jerk style plastic works best when worked correctly. I try to make it a steady retrieve with flicks every few winds to keep it striking up off the bottom and attracting attention.

Ensure that you wind your slack up fast when retrieving the soft plastic, as flathead are known to hit them on the way down. If you aren’t firm on the line ready for a hook-up, they tend to get away with just biting off the lure's tail.

Another species I love to target in the shallows are sand whiting.

These little guys are one of my favourite fish to retrieve as they put up a good fight for their size.

They are extremely good fun on light gear, and I’ve caught legal whiting in only 15cm of water.

Depending on the whitings' mood and how hungry they are you can use both bait and lures.

One lure commonly used for whiting is the Bassday Sugapen. A walk-the-dog style retrieve is the most common technique used, but be sure to change it up and see what is working on the day.

I find incorporating a pause helps.

Whiting have very small mouths and striking too hard will put you at risk of pulling the hook. To set the hook, a gentle pull to the side or a slow lift of your rod tip works best.

If using bait, these little guys find worms and yabbies irresistible.

You can use an all-around estuary rod to get the job done.

I personally use the Atomic Arrowz Estuary 6-12lb combined with a 2500-size reel spooled with 10lb mono.

I find this a very versatile rod for walking the flats and it has great action, especially on the hard fighting little whiting.

Master these techniques and you can have a great day out walking the flats. As always, abide by state and local bag and size limits.