How to catch MONSTER FLATHEAD on live baits!

In today's video, we are going to be going through everything you need to know to catch some flathead on live baits. They are one of the most popular species of Australian fish, and are accessible to almost everyone. This is also a great way to target BIG trophy size fish, so I hope this video helps!
We will be going through the best rigs, baits, gear, line, and locations so you know how to go out and catch flathead yourself on the sand flats.
As well as this, learn how to properly handle and release these beautiful big fish, and why it's important to respect them for the future of our waterways.
If this video has helped please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE this video with a friend! Also don't forget to leave a comment and a like!
Instagram: @willkitching.yt
Facebook: Will Kitching Fishing
Writer for: Fish and Boat Magazine

[@Ab0minati0n]

Awesome video mate. Bring on so flatties on our next trip in a few weeks

[@willkitching]

Thanks for the comment mate, hopefully you found it helpful! Good luck when you hit the water 👍🎣

[@TheRealMrCods]

Great advice as always Will.

[@willkitching]

Thanks Mr Cods! Good to hear from you mate. I appreciate the support 🙌🎣

[@dazl2954]

Great work on another informative video. Really appreciate the info and helpful tips. Keep it up

[@willkitching]

G’day mate thanks for your support as always! 🙌🎣 I appreciate the comment, I’m glad it was a helpful video. Tight lines !

[@scale2tail]

Fantastic mate. Some great tips. Thank you 👌

[@willkitching]

Thanks mate I appreciate it, I’m glad it was helpful!! 😁🎣

[@larrygdwl]

Very good video.Thank you mate, it is a very clear explanation.Good job mate

[@willkitching]

Thanks for the comment mate, I appreciate it! Tight lines Larry 👍🎣

[@busykid7277]

Very informative video thanks Will, Trying this method tomorrow since I just got a new cast net and should hopefully hook the big mamms👏👏

[@willkitching]

Thanks so much, I’m glad you found the video helpful! Hopefully you can get onto a few flathead tomorrow, let me know how you go! Tight lines 🙌🎣

[@brettstewart420]

I landed a 102cm flathead today on live garfish rigged on a running sinker to a 2/0 octopus circle hook... Posted the video of me releasing it to my channel a couple hours ago

[@willkitching]

I just went and had a look mate, wow that’s absolutely insane! Very well done, congratulations 😁🙌 well done on a strong release too!

[@flippa1976]

Another great video Will thanks, I've been trying to target Flathead lately and catching massive amounts of fk all but I'm sure I'll be on soon with your handy hints, cheers again 🍻👍

[@willkitching]

G’day mate, thanks for the comment! It’s funny, you just never know where or when a big one will show up. Sometimes when you target them they can seem hard to catch, then you’ll be chasing whiting and accidentally hook a monster flathead on a yabbie 😂🤣 I’m glad the video was helpful though mate, keep persisting and use these tips (even with dead baits like herring, mullet, and pilchards!) and I’m confident you’ll get into a few flatties! It’s just a matter of time. I’m keen to hear how you go Flippa, I appreciate your support on my videos mate 🙌🎣 tight lines!

[@ultramoon4]

Happy to have found your channel

[@willkitching]

I appreciate the comment mate, I’m glad you find the channel helpful 😁👍 tight lines 🎣

[@CRN8091]

Nice one Will 🤙

[@willkitching]

Thanks so much mate! 😁👍🎣

[@philcaruana7152]

Great and informative video mate.My best is a 1.05 meter,weighed 5 kilos,caught in Tweed river years ago on a dead herring(was alive).

[@willkitching]

Thanks for the kind words mate. Wow that is an absolute monster flathead Phil!! You won’t forget that one anytime soon 😅👌 They are such amazing creatures at that size. My grandfather has told me stories in the past about catching big flathead like that off the bank in the Tweed River when he was young. Then he would be riding home with them hanging from the gills on the handlebars of his bike and the tails would drag on the ground 😆 It is amazing, you never know when big flathead like this will show up. That’s the beauty of fishing! 😁👍🎣

[@EndlessWeekendlife]

It'll be moist.. 😆 Great tips mate, awesome fish!

[@willkitching]

Hahahaha I’m not coming flatty fishing on your boat then! 🤣 thanks mate I always appreciate the support 🙌 tight lines 🎣

[@EndlessWeekendlife]

@@willkitching 🤣😎

[@kevinpuertovlogz]

Nice upload Master keep sharing, your fishing buddy here watching from Cebu 😊🙂

[@willkitching]

Thank you so much mate! I appreciate the comment. 🎣👍😁

[@CamBill_ROBLOX]

Good tips mate 👍👍👍👍 good video 👍👍👍👍

[@willkitching]

Thanks Cam I appreciate it as always mate! 👍🎣

[@bricemorgan7164]

Hey Will! New sub here. Great vid. Far out you fished with the phantom!! How do u know him?

[@willkitching]

G’day Brice, thanks so much for subscribing you don’t know how much I appreciate it! Hahaha good spotting mate, it’s a funny story actually. 😂 I was camping about 2 years ago at the Gold Coast and there was a nice couple camping beside us, with the man looking very familiar. Dad and myself started to chat to this guy and realised he also liked fishing, and we started to talk about how I made a few videos here and there. Then he said “oh, my son does a little bit of that sort of thing!” So we asked what his channel was and he said “Sammy Hitzke” and then it clicked, and we had a bit of a chuckle. The phantom didn’t have a boat where we were camping so I offered to take him out one day and we caught a feed of whiting and stuff, and cooked them up later that afternoon. He’s a really great bloke and an awesome fisherman that’s for sure! He always teaches me something new when we fish together 😁👍🎣

[@bricemorgan7164]

@@willkitching haha yeah that's mad! I fish the same area where he use to live in nsw. It would be awesome to spend a day or 2 on the water with him. Yeah sammy has done really well. His channel his really good too

[@willkitching]

@@bricemorgan7164 Yeah mate definitely! And yep, Sammy is killing it 👌 he does well to upload a video every week 😂👍

[@craigtomkinson2837]

Lovely vid

[@willkitching]

Thanks very much Craig, I really appreciate it mate. 🎣👍

[@the_dingo_show]

Great video mate, how many times ya reckon a flathead has drawn ur blood with their spikes and spines??

[@willkitching]

G’day mate, thanks for the comment! It often happens with the spikes on the back of their head, it’s amazing how they seem to just do one flick and you get spiked, it happens so quickly! 😅 It is actually usually the smaller ones that are harder to grab that get me, the bigger ones we usually have lip grips on and you have a lot more control over them. They only hurt for a little bit though, and if you’re careful you don’t usually get spiked. Cheers mate, thanks again for the comment 👍🎣

[@LeonPom]

Brilliant vid mate ..72 is my best , from the mouth of the Pine River... Where abouts (roughly I dont expect long./latitude ;) } were you in the vid>

[@willkitching]

Thanks for the kind words about the video mate!! 72cm is a cracking flathead, well done! 🙌🎣 Usually I would share the spot but sadly in this case I can’t as I was shown by a couple of mates who are locals in the area that want me to keep it a secret 😅 However, there are big flathead everywhere, from the Gold Coast and Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast, and of course all the way up and down the east coast. We’ve caught them all over South East Queensland, and the beauty is they can be caught landbased or from a boat, just keep looking for those areas I mentioned in the video, particularly drop offs around sand flats and weed patches with some current pushing past them. Sorry I can’t reveal the general location mate but I hope this helps a bit and you keep nailing those big flatties! Tight lines and thanks again for the comment 😁👍

[@brettstewart420]

NSW has a size limit of 70cm now

[@willkitching]

Yes I did see that mate, very good! I think that will definitely help the fishery a lot. The larger ones aren’t great eating anyway in my opinion, they get very tough and dry. Tight lines 👍🎣

[@dustochele693]

If they suck the whole bait in, J hooks goes in, why don’t the circle hook go? Just wondering …

[@willkitching]

Hey mate, yes sometimes the fish suck in the whole bait and the circle hook can get them deeper in the mouth, however they are designed to roll into the corner of the mouth and 9 times out of 10 they do that perfectly. They really stay in nicely once the fish is hooked, they definitely help to avoid gut hooking fish, but sometimes if you’re unlucky it can still happen. Cheers and tight lines !

[@djliptone]

I was listening to some biologist saying that the big/old flatheat doesn't produce as many eggs as the young one because just like with all the animals- the old animal loose their fertilizing abilities. Not sure if it is true but that's the theory that makes sense to me.

[@willkitching]

Hey mate, yeah I’ve heard a few rumours about this recently too with the smaller females (around that 65cm size) breeding more than the bigger ones as well, but then again with these big fish you see in the video you could literally feel their stomachs bulging with eggs. I don’t know if it’s true either mate haha but I know exactly what you’re saying. Dad tells me stories from when he was a kid 40+ years ago and the generations before him used to say the bigger fish were tougher and more flavourless to eat anyway! I just figure you can still get a good feed out of the smaller fish rather than killing a big one. Thanks for the comment mate, hopefully they keep researching about the smaller/medium fish and their breeding abilities like you said! Tight lines 😁🎣👍

[@djliptone]

@@willkitching btw. Great video and fish. Thank for the tips!

[@willkitching]

@@djliptone thanks so much for the kind words mate, I appreciate the comments. 🙌🎣

[@graemeneedham5170]

good video however your useing clips ,guys clips can put a nasty gash in there lower membrane as a result not able to hold food witch as a result of that death ,do not use clips !

[@willkitching]

Hi mate, thanks for the comment I appreciate it. 🙌 Yes I have been meaning to go and buy some plastic ones for species such as flathead, but don’t actually target them as often as I’d like! You’re right though. Cheers 👍🎣

[@graemeneedham5170]

yes cool ,a lot of guys are worried about getting stuck with the gill teeth but i am shocked with the amount of damage they can create ,i been pushing that issue with all my members on my fishing website group for years . @@willkitching