Flathead
This species guide will give you a thorough overview of the most commonly found flathead species found around Australia.
DESCRIPTION
Flathead have a very unusual body shape. They are dorsally compressed, meaning their body is wide but flattened and very low in height. However, their tail remains vertical.
Their eyes are located on top of their flattened head, which gives them excellent binocular vision – a similar style of vision to flounder.
They use their body structure to their advantage, by hiding in the sand with only their eye visible, waiting for prey (like small fish and prawns) to swim overhead. When they see their target, they project themselves up and out of the sand to engulf their prey.
They also have 2 short spikes on the sides and top of their head, which contain venom. While it’s not fatal, the venom can cause pain and infection (usually for about 2 days), therefore it’s important to handle flathead with care.
Flathead can grow to over 1 metre long, and landing one this size is a goal for many anglers (similar to joining the 20lb snapper club). They can weigh up to around 18kg (40lb), with dusky flathead being the biggest of the flathead species.
FLATHEAD SPECIES
There are approximately 30 species of flathead within the Platycephalidae family in Australia. The most commonly known is the dusky flathead (Platycephalus fuscus) which is also the largest of the species family. Other commonly found species include the bartail flathead, eastern bluespot flathead, sand flathead, southern bluespot flathead and tiger flathead.
DUSKY FLATHEAD
Their colour varies from sandy with brown spots and blotches, through to dark brown (almost black) with white spots.
Their distinctive feature is a black spot on their caudal fins. Sometimes dark bars are visible on the rear of their body.
Dusky flathead is the largest of the flathead species, reaching up to 10kg in weight and 150cm in length. Any fish over 5kg is a considerable catch.
BARTAIL FLATHEAD
The tailfin of a bartail flathead has black and white horizontal stripes, along with a yellow blotch at the top of the fin.
Any catch above 55cm is impressive, with most commonly caught between 30-45cm in length.
EASTERN AND SOUTHERN BLUESPOT FLATHEAD
The eastern (Platycephalus caeruleopuntatus) and southern (Platycephalus speculator) bluespot flathead are easily distinguished by the scattering of blue spots on their body.
They also have grey-green spots on the top half of their tail fin and 3-4 black spots of bars on the lower part of their tail fin.
This species also has only one dorsal fin compared with 2 for most other flathead.
They can reach up to 8kg in weight but are most commonly caught weighing 1-3kg and measuring under 45cm in length.
SAND FLATHEAD
There are 2 species of sand flathead – northern (Platycephalus arenarius) and southern (Platycephalus bassensis).
Sand flathead are generally smaller than the blue spotted or dusky flatheads, with the northern species ranging from 30-45cm in length.
The northern species has a distinctive pattern of long, horizontal black stripes on their tail fin, while the southern species has 2-3 black patcheson the lower part of their tail.
TIGER FLATHEAD
Tiger flathead (Neoplatycephalus richardsoni) have a slightly more cylindrical body shape compared to the heavily compressed form of other flathead.
Their colour varies but generally has a reddish-orange or reddish-brown base colour with brighter orange spots along the body, extending to the tail.
They reach a maximum weight of 2.5kg and are most commonly caught weighing 1-1.5kg.
DIET
Flathead feed on a diet of small baitfish and prawns, including mullet. As with any pecies, their diet will vary based on their location. Chatting to local anglers, or your tackle store will give you the best information about what baits to use when targeting flathead.
BAG AND SIZE LIMITS
Each Australian state sets their own bag and size limits. Below is a guide for each state, however we encourage you to be up to date on the recreational fishing regulations of your location and target species, by visiting your state government’s website.
NOTE - A bag limit is the maximum number of fish you can collect per person per day, where a possession limit is the maximum number, a person can have in their possession at any one time i.e. freezer.
NSW
Daily bag limit of 5 per person, with a possession limit of 10 per person. A maximum size limit of 70cm, and only dusky flathead between 36cm (minimum size) and 70cm (maximum size) may be retained, all others must be released.
VICTORIA
Minimum legal size is 30cm and the maximum legal size is 55cm. The daily bag limit is 5 fish per person.
QUEENSLAND
Minimum legal size for dusky flathead is 40cm and the maximum legal size is 75cm. The daily bag limit is 5 fish per person. For all other flathead species, the minimum legal size is 30cm and there is no maximum size. There is a combined daily bag limit of 5 (total) for all other flathead species.
TASMANIA
Flathead have different restrictions in Tasmania, based on their exact species and your fishing location. Find out all the latest information here.
WA
The minimum legal size for all flathead species in WA is 30cm. There is a daily bag limit of 8 fish per person which is also incorporated into the mixed species bag limit (for nearshore/estuarine finfish) of 16 fish.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The minimum legal size is 30cm.The daily bag limit is 10 fish per person, with a daily boat limit of 30 when 3 or more people are fishing onboard.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
There is a general personal possession limit of 15 fish in NT. There is no specific information relating to size and bag limits for any flathead species, however you can find more information relating to the personal possession limit in NT here.
WHEN AND WHERE TO FISH
Species of flathead are found all around the Australian coastline. They’re usually found in sandy and silt bottom areas in estuaries, coastal bays and sheltered reefs. They will occasionally enter rivers, usually during spawning season (which is October – November), when they can be found upstream towards brackish waters.
So your target environment for flathead will vary from sheltered rocky reefs, to sandy or muddy areas in depths of less than 1 metre, right up to 25 metres.
They’re best targeted during the warmer months (typically October through to April), but as with any species, they must eat all year round, so they can be caught any time of the year.
Flatties are ambush predators, which they do by burying themselves in the sand as camouflage, in an area with high current and bait movement. Sand and weed flats are perfect for flatties.
They also love to use structure to hide amongst and ambush their prey. You’ll find them hanging outaround structure and drop offs, including bridge pylons, around reefs and mangrove banks.
GEAR GUIDE
You can use lures, rigs or bait, including live baits, to target flatties around Australia. They live on the bottom of the water column, so your lure, rig or bait needs to get down to the bottom and be able to stay there.
Your rod and reel need to be capable of casting whatever weight lures you're fishing with. So anything from a 2-5kg, 7ft rod and 2000-3000 reel spin combo, up to a 5-10kg rod with a 4000-5000 reel will suit.
FRESH OR LIVE BAIT FISHING
Targeting flathead with bait, either fresh or live, will trigger their predatory instincts. Fresh pilchard, squid, prawns and other shellfish are ideal, otherwise live mullet is a common favourite. Fresh baits can be presented in a number of ways, including a running rig, dropper rig or paternoster rig. Rig choice will depend on your fishing enviornment and conditions.
LURE FISHING
Lures come in all different styles, shapes and sizes. When targeting flatties you can fish with soft baits, or hard body lures are the most common styles of lures to use. Adjust the weight of your lure to suit the depth of water you're fishing in, and ensure they can reach the bottom quickly, and stay there to remain inthe strike zone for as long as possible.
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