Top 10 Flathead Lures & Soft Plastics for Beginners

We cover the best flathead soft plastics & flathead lures. A detailed video of different brands, tips and techniques to help you catch more flathead. Covering the top 10 lures and soft plastics designed for flathead which consistently outperform others when Flathead fishing Australia
The best flathead soft plastics 2021
- Berkley Gulp tutlre back worm
- Munroes zip tail worm
- Savage Gear TPE 3D shrimp
- Zman Curly tails
- Savage Gear Fat Curl Tails
- Squidgy prawn wriggler
- Berkley jigging shrimp
- Zman Grubz
The best flathead lures 2021
- Zerek fish trap
- Daiwa Double Clutch
- Savage Gear 3D shrimp
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[@oceanrambo]

i have recently changed from bait to lure fishing,i find it more fun.thanks for the video i learnt a bit.and your wearing the best shirt ever MetallicA

[@NovoGold]

Just come across this... thanks for a great video mate... Very informative and easy to follow info mate. Cheers👍👍👍

[@goldentwilight1944]

Thanks, Alan great to see you again making videos. I remember the first flathead I ever caught it took a 10g gold Halco twisty.

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Paul I have missed it dearly with the coronavirus no fishing. Catching it on a gold halco twisty thats a fair effort there usually meant for salmon.

[@heathbonnici6972]

Another awesome video, I like the look of that 3D shrimp

[@fishingmad]

Thanks heaps, yeah those shrimps are very cool and worth trying

[@isaachaber4379]

Great Vid Alan. I got a 3D savage shrimp a couple weeks ago and can't wait to use it.

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Isaac. Yeah they are great those 3D Shrimp. Take a little to get used to with the big offset hook, but they catch plenty of good fish. Good luck. Cant wait to get back out there too !!

[@maccachung3024]

Nice vid again Alan! Gotta get me a couple of those 3D shrimp.

[@fishingmad]

Thanks !!! Yeah those 3D shrimp are very cool. I caught some really good size flathead at Campbells that day i was out with you using that exact lure and colour

[@glenchristie9903]

Gulp Nemesis 4 inch in Blue Pepper Neon is my go to softie for Flathead in PPB. It's also a great allrounder on snook,couta,wrasse,pinkie etc. I have stacks of plastics that I just don't use,so this presentation has inspired me to start casting some of the wilder looking shapes and colours.

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Glen, yeah the 4 inch nemesis is also a great plastic. I was using it heavily a couple of years ago with great success. Im glad you enjoyed the presentation. Lots of great options out there to experiment with.

[@tezzaskayakfishing]

Brilliant as ever, cheers Alan👍

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Terry, greatly appreciated !!

[@01munroe]

Very well presented Alan. Hope to see you about in the near future. Stay safe

[@fishingmad]

Thanks !!! much appreciated. I hope to be out there fishing again really soon. lets hope the restrictions are loosened next week

[@jonathoncording8474]

Love the video, just picked up a Savage Vibra Prey Vibe for the collection. I'd love to see how you rig your kayak and any tips/tricks/diy mods you have for kayak

[@fishingmad]

Thanks !!!! I have been hanging to finish a video in progress called pimp my kayak. Havent been able to fish in 2 months due to these ongoing coronavirus restrictions in Victoria. Stay tuned its not far away and have some great updates and mods that ill walk through in the kayak. Thanks !! Thise savage prey vibes are excellent, the trout and reddies love em too. Caught my PB trout nearly 80cm on one last year

[@marioscarpuzza1385]

Fantastic video very helpful, thanks for that sharing it with us. Ciao ciao 💪😃👍👋👋

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Mario !!! Really glad you enjoyed it. More vids on the way soon. As soon as these fishing bans are over

[@angeloalogaras6555]

very good presentasion thank you !!!!

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Angelo, really glad you enjoyed it !!

[@jaredbuttigieg]

Awesome video Alan 👍 . Can’t wait for restrictions to be lifted, so we can get out there and fish.

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Jared, Yeah I cant wait for these restrictions to be over aswell. Then we can get back out to fishing once again.

[@howardgreen9718]

Great video thanks mate 👍 I fish from land so Zman grubz are my choice

[@fishingmad]

Cant go wrong with zman grubs. So many new plastics on the market and always find I keep going back to zmans because they work so well and a re durable

[@sally.a4041]

Just bought a couple of those 3D prawns , they look awesome. If only we can 🐟

[@fishingmad]

Thats awesome Patrick. Yeah those 3D prawns work great. Fingers crossed they will allow us to get out after Monday.

[@jimmyjamespwnysux]

Hi mate good vid, you pretty much nailed my tackle box ! One you forgot to mention though is a livey lure in micro mullet hot pink and also the mad mullet 1.5m diver, these work sensational on the flats with a tight wobble and bottom action. You should defo throw one around when you get a chance

[@fishingmad]

Awesome, thank you for the tip. ill look into those suggestions 100%

[@Galo1908mg]

You have the best aussie accent fishing channel ever

[@fishingmad]

LOL Yeah I probably do.

[@DnSmD]

Nice video Allan,thanks. Just bought a savage gear 3D 🍤,will give it a try. You should consider having affiliate links for us to buy some of this stuff ;) been buying my soft plastics and rods based on your videos.cheers

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Denis !!! It's Much appreciated. Those 3D shrimp work great.

[@George-tc5dy]

great video

[@fishingmad]

Thanks !!!

[@pippieskent9150]

That pink Zerek fish trap is a beast on flatties.

[@fishingmad]

Agreed 100%. i used it a few weeks ago and caught heaps with it. Just a bugger getting those trebles out when they swallow them

[@josephesau3830]

Just went to munroes web page and purchased a whole bunch of plastic... cheap as chip... definitely can't beat the low prices!!!!! Cheers heaps brah!!!!

[@fishingmad]

Glad you found some useful tips from it. Yeah those Munroes soft plastics are very good and really well priced. Also good to support local manufacturers.

[@josephesau3830]

@@fishingmad cheers bud yeah I've noticed prices have gone up on soft plastics at bcf. But from now on would rather support local businesses especially Melbourne made 👌🏽😁🤙🏼

[@fishingmad]

Yeah I have noticed most local shops during the coronavirus have gone up about 20%. I bought a pizza yesterday which went up about $4 then normal, so i guess all businesses are feeling the pinch. Well done, you wont be disappointed with those soft plastics they work a treat. I once caught a heap of whiting on them near queenscliff.

[@josephesau3830]

@@fishingmad true... but for sure can't wait to get out there again and try these plastics out... hope to see you out there soon brah... be safe and keep you family safe to... from my family to yours 👍😁🎣🍻

[@fishingmad]

Thanks !!! Hope to see you out there too

[@bennyjbenham]

Pulled the phone out today to rewatch while trying to choose in bcf 👍

[@bennyjbenham]

Went with the Berkley Gulp 4" jigging grub in nuclear chicken

[@fishingmad]

Cant go wrong with them, great soft plastics.

[@kobicross3980]

Love it

[@fishingmad]

Thank you, plenty of other good stuff on the channel too !!

[@kobicross3980]

Damm right there is

[@fishingmad]

Thanks !!!

[@vinniemcintyre4987]

Tbh my favourites are any gulps bc the fish in my area are super spooky and the scent helps alot I

[@fishingmad]

Yeah they are very good !! Appreciate the comment.

[@geoffcohen613]

just getting back into fishing, traditionally have been a bait person, but will definitely give the soft plastics a really good go. mainly we are catching flathead, whiting and pinkies in Westernport. come snapper season will try the bigger soft plastics for bigger snapper. do you know if gummies will take plastics.

[@fishingmad]

Generally not, ive only ever caught a gummy once or twice on plastics. 99.99% of my catches for gummies are on big flesh baits like mackerel, squid, salmon, garfish, pilchards

[@HungNguyen-dc6yt]

Thanks

[@fishingmad]

Thank you !!

[@yournan5084]

I’m a big zman guy ⚓️

[@fishingmad]

Nothing wrong with Zmans, there range of plastics are pretty awesome !! Which is your favorite zman plastic ??

[@Coombi93]

@DHyou bored?

[@chopzmasta07]

Savage gear have been the winner for me. Their plastics are designed very well.

[@fishingmad]

Awesome glad to hear it. I use there plastics very often, and catch many fish. Well priced and effective. Which ones do you use ?

[@chopzmasta07]

@@fishingmad I use the 3D shrimp, the fat curl tail plastic, the fat T tail, pro grub and the manic creature and manic shrimp. I thought I'll try the BCF deal, grabbed 8 packs and they were terrific. I fish along the Parramatta river, many snags do I use worm hooks.

[@fishingmad]

Thats awesome to hear. Yeah I pretty much have been using the same and catching plenty. The fat curl tails have been my goto for a little while now. Snapper, snook and flathead seem to love them. I think they were 3 packs or 4 packs for $20 recently which is great.

[@chopzmasta07]

@@fishingmad yeah the fat curl tail has been killing it for me, especially in the green and black gold/glitter colours. The Parra river has a lot of greeny, murky waters. Those colours work best up here. As for the Manic shrimp, I'm so upset they discontinued them. They were dynamite in spring and summer

[@fishingmad]

I agree motor oil and black gold have been my stand out performers too. Its a transition phase I believe for Savage. I understand they have recently disconnected a whole heap of products but have a whole heap of new products are coming I belive 3-4 months away. I'm still waiting for the exact details but happy to share once I know a little more.

[@AngusMacKinnon-xm5ko]

Hello again Alan. I look forward to your fishing and instructional videos mate. I hope you don't mind if I ask you a question. What is the best fish attractant that can be used on soft plastic lures that do not come with an fish attractant like GULP? Thank you; in anticipation.

[@fishingmad]

Hi Angus, Lately I have been using Aqua-X its a locally made product in Melbourne and made from natural products. I've had some great success with it already on flathead and snapper. They gave me a discount code for there store which is FISHINGMAD10 cheers

[@AngusMacKinnon-xm5ko]

@@fishingmad Hey mate; thank you so much for that information. I am still checking out all your vids, and thoroughly enjoying them. Sorry to have troubled you. Cheers!

[@uluacom]

🔥

[@fishingmad]

Thanks

[@codybramble6722]

Hey Alan, was wondering if you had any suggestions on catching flathead around the entrance nsw during winter??? Can’t seem to find them just bought a savage gear shrimp to try too

[@fishingmad]

Hi Cody, Thanks heaps for the message. I live in Vic so unfortunately I can tell you anything specifically for that area. When fishing a new system i spend some time really studying the depth and current then working out the best jig head weight or lure diving depth. Then i experiment like crazy until i find lures or plastics that repeatedly work in the area. Generally starting with grub style soft plastics as a go to, then mixing it up. I hope that helps.

[@NoOne56488]

Caught a 40cm Pike on a 3inch Zman paddle tail last night with no scent, but that was over 6 hours of fishing. I think i need the scent for my lures which i didn't know about. Pike were smashing it for a good hour before taking it fully in and the plastic is still in new condition.

[@fishingmad]

I always use scents when the fishing is quiet. I generally don't start by using it but if I haven't had any bites for a while ill rip out some sfactor or procure scent which can help on those quieter days

[@jordythebassist]

Nice t shirt mate 🤘

[@fishingmad]

Yeah, Thanks !!!! Long time Metallica fan what can I say.

[@jordythebassist]

@@fishingmad they're a great band to have playing while flicking a lure around too 😅

[@fishingmad]

Hell yes. I can play most of their songs on guitar. maybe I should take a guitar and amp out with me on the boat next time and test it out.

[@crazysithslave]

Hello I'm hoping you can help me, I'm looking to upgrade my Shimano 2500 size spinning reel that I use for soft plastics and assorted lures, I usually target redfin, trout and flathead with this reel. I'm looking to upgrade to a NASCI Shimano reel. Do you recommend perhaps staying with the 2500/3000 size or stepping up to the next size of 4000 . I am starting to use larger lures and plastics when targeting flathead as I am ocasionaly hooking larger ones, could you give me an opinion? I have 10lb braid ready to go on the reel I upgrade too. I was thinking I would use this upgraded reel exclusively on flathead.... what size do you usually use? Thank you for any advice 👍

[@fishingmad]

The Nasci reels are very nice reel. If you can consider upgrading to the Stadic they are brilliant and worth a few extra bucks. But stay with the 2500 size. 4000 is way to big for flicking soft plastics unless your targeting really big species. So yes 100% nasci 2500 or stradic 2500. Hope that helps.

[@colbeynankervis9388]

My favorite soft plastic for flathead is a 100mm or 110mm squidgy Bio Tough flick bait, I'm pretty sure that's what it's called but it works great on flathead

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Colbey. Yeah I agree they work great aswell.

[@marty1of1]

Great tips! Quick question regarding fishing kayaks....for someone looking at buying their first one, would you recommend buying a pedal one vs non pedal? Is it worth spending the additional $500-800

[@fishingmad]

Hi Marty, thanks for the feedback. To answer your question 1000% go with a peddle kayak. I really struggled with a non pedal kayak and felt i spent more paddling rather then fishing. It can also be challenging when you catch a fish trying to steer with paddles. Id never buy another non peddle kayak. You'll also find the slightly more expensive ones are far more stable. I hope that helps let me know if I can answer any other questions.

[@fishingmad]

1000% I love my Hobie PA 14. prob never get any other type of kayak. If your on a budget the trick is to really watch facebook marketplace, gumtree and ebay for a bargian. My friend saw a Hobie PA12 with trailer and full accessories last week for $2,000 so you just need to be lucky and wait for that bargain to come by.

[@leonardbrown1512]

Quick tip, even after a short time even pedaling becomes a problem. Serious get a kayak you can get an electric motor. I can send you photos of my set up.

[@fishingmad]

Id love to see w photo of your setup feel free to email me an image at [e-mail] or add it is a visitor post on the fishingmad facebook page. Many of the followers will be interested.

[@leonardbrown1512]

@@fishingmad I will send you photos of my set up. The electric has transformed my fishing and where I can get into on the shallows.

[@jzfishing103]

Do you have any tips on choosing a colour of soft plastic for flathead?The water I fish in is clear blue water and is about 3 metres.I was looking at the baby bass colour and wakasagi from the baitjunkie 3.2 inch minnow, would that be good?

[@fishingmad]

I generally like to have 1 natural colour and one bright colour and chop and change between them depending on whats getting more bites on the day. Those bait junkie options would be perfectly fine.

[@jackrobinson8554]

I've found that the gulp minnow 4 inch are the best for flathead, I've caught all sizes on them and work better than most for me. The only downside is that smaller bream and snapper will chew away at them rendering them all broken and bitten making you go through quite a few of them.

[@fishingmad]

Agreed 100% they work great, and yeah when the small pinkies and bream are around they love those scented plastics. Thanks for your comment and suggestion.

[@llanzafa]

👍

[@michaelhoppe1311]

thx for the tips do you have any tips for how to find good spots for fishing for flathead?

[@fishingmad]

No worries your very welcome. What area are you from ?? As i can give you plenty of location suggestions around Melbourne.

[@michaelhoppe1311]

fishingmad yeah I’m from Perth

[@fishingmad]

Let me ask some mates I have up there and come back to you.

[@michaelhoppe1311]

Thx alot

[@brunomaglione2138]

Gret session

[@fishingmad]

Thank you !!

[@sxlarx8385]

Good to know my cousin is sponsored by monroes

[@fishingmad]

Thats awesome, they make some great products.

[@bikepacker9850]

I don't like Gulp because they break down in or out of the water but they seem to work better than the standard plastic.

[@bigfish6259]

Hey mate, can you do a video on tube Zman curltailz midnight oil?

[@fishingmad]

This was a video i recorded last year using the Zman Streakz CurlTails, but we were using nuclear chicken and space guppy. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4KaZ5p-hdBqmtE cheers

[@bigfish6259]

@@fishingmad cheers brother

[@BlackMamba-lt8oe]

Bro which is the best lure for muddy salt water fishing from rocks

[@fishingmad]

try the gulp turtleback worms, surprisingly that colour will work great in those conditions

[@JamesIbby]

What size hooks do you use with the munroz worm. Also what jig head weight ?

[@fishingmad]

Usually 1/8 or 1/6 on a 2/0 or 3/0

[@JamesIbby]

@@fishingmad going for bream would you use the same ? I only have 2/0 and 3/0 jig heads and worried the hook too big for a breams mouth.

[@fishingmad]

For bream watch this it should help greatly kzbin.info/www/bejne/f36zn4CtqLdkb7s i also have a very detailed workshop in our members area which shows each setup for each species type and how to rig each type of plastic

[@peterstuart7855]

Alan, I am a beginner. Can you fish the3se just as effectively at night?

[@fishingmad]

Yes they all work at night. Most of them really well on pinkies too.

[@peterstuart7855]

@@fishingmad thanks. Will give them a try around mud island when the weather settles down a bit.

[@fishingmad]

Good stuff !! Let us know how you go

[@jackflaherty5]

Is the scent necessary?

[@fishingmad]

Yeah I find it really does help encourage bites with some species. Flathead, snook, mullet, pinkies all seem to respond well to it. That being said you can catch plenty without scent. I always find by habit now I use it when fishing with soft plastics.

[@donatomonello2540]

Hows the best way to put the Turtleworm plastic on the hook? Thanks mate

[@fishingmad]

Pretty much the same as a standard soft plastic, they tend to swallow the whole thing. I usually use a 1/8 or 1/6 2/0 hook im think

[@donatomonello2540]

@@fishingmad awesome thanks Allan, and what Rig setup and Sinker you think is best? Also know any spots In Melbourne off land that's good for night fishing?

[@fishingmad]

Have a look at this vide it shows how i setup my bait and lure rods which should answer many of your questions kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHa7kmp8gqmZlbM for night fishing i have hit some of the piers arund williamstown and port melbourne and a few near geelong which fish quite well on the evening and night

[@donatomonello2540]

@@fishingmad legend mate, appreciate the time to respond, very happy subscriber, one of the best fishing youtubers going around ✌️

[@fishingmad]

Thanks !!! Greatly appreciate. Glad the content is helpful

[@brettellis1837]

Yer a massive amount of lures out there. But here is the kicker it is one thing to fish in daylight hrs . BUT what about night time.So all of lures stated some that don't work so good could work better at night. Have a look at GOBBLERS LURES SOFT PLASTICS..

[@waydeh5402]

What's the setup you are using at the start of the video?

[@fishingmad]

Savage Gear Black 2-4 kg rod with a Savage Stealth 2000 spin reel. Hope that helps

[@waydeh5402]

@@fishingmad cheers for that. Fantastic video by the way. Really informative!

[@fishingmad]

Thank you !! Plenty of other similar ones on the channel for other species too.

[@stephenarmitage4904]

zman 4" and 3" minninoz

[@fishingmad]

100% agreed, great choices

[@kurtisoczenaschek6885]

Berkley gulp 3inch banana prawn

[@fishingmad]

100% agreed another great option

[@SK-ps1mo]

I see a lot of videos of soft plastics ,, but no doses the Jig heads .. I am only new to this fishing...,,,,,,

[@fishingmad]

Have a look at this video I also created specifically on how to rig soft plastics kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6Sqo4CaaKxmm9k I hope that helps.

[@williammoore1731]

I can’t find the savage gear cat curly tails

[@fishingmad]

Savage Gear were bought out by Pure Fishing about 10 months ago and I believe there range of soft plastics have been pulled from production.

[@williammoore1731]

@@fishingmad ok thank you

[@leonardbrown1512]

Good video. Perhaps your video is aimed at beginners. Gulp is a bait not a soft plastic. Have you tried large Swimbaits, glide baits to chase the trophy fish in the shallows that's where my flathead fishing is at these days.

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Leonard, Yeah I know Gulps are advertised as a bait but you use them and work them exactly as you would any other type of soft plastic so I feel there relevant to the video. I do a lot of work with Savage Gear that have some great swinbaits. Where we fish in port Phillip Bay a 60cm Flattie is a trophy size they dont get much bigger down here so I haven't had as many opportunities to really test them out. That being said I do plan to give them a really good try at places like Lake Tyers soon. Which glidebaits and swimbaits have you been using with success ??

[@leonardbrown1512]

@@fishingmad Crossfire 110 and 195. Big 8 and 9 inch plastics, down to 5 inch. Jackson Primal is a good cheaper swimbait, zerek affinity. A really good 4 inch paddle tail is the Trickys Lures paddle tail. I fish St George's Basin and it's a trophy flathead fishery and I consistently catch 70cm + fish in sometimes just a foot or less water.

[@fishingmad]

Awesome, thanks for letting me know. Sounds like an amazing place to fish. In Victoria we only have a couple of locations which are a fair drive away to catch and decent size flathead. 95% of the flathead caught are bwteeen 35-50cm. Thanks very much for letting me know about those plastics and swimbaits ill give them a try for sure. That would be amazing catching a 70+cm model in a meter deep water. Really amazing.

[@leonardbrown1512]

@@fishingmad In my Kayak too motorized Feelfree Lure 11.5. I had pedals no more pedals that's too hard get a motor very quiet for stealth

[@fishingmad]

That would be awesome, I have seen quite a few people now replacing the centre console of the hobie where the mirage drive goes with a motorized system like a watersnake with a FPV battery. Its a great idea. Would be amazing on lakes too covering lots of ground and also for trolling.

[@bradleyanderson4315]

Are they odd looking catfish?

[@jackhugill2527]

poddy mullet

[@fishingmad]

Agreed Poddy Mullet is a very good option when using bait. This vid was for lures and plastics.

[@jackmendel9226]

Hi

[@jackmendel9226]

Hi Alan good job

[@fishingmad]

Thanks Jack !!

[@dwayne1655]

I generally try to be positive in what I comment and I'll try to do so in a constructive way in this way too but I need to be honest too. I could have gone to any tackle shop and looked at soft plastic wall and got the same info as this video, I felt like you just gave a selection of everything available and said "don't be afraid to change things up". This is not helpful to the average fisho or beginner, we are looking reasons behind why they work so we can have confidence and keep casting. The only info I got out of this that I would not get staring a lure wall was curl tails work even when you're not working them because the tail floats. My advice is pick your top 2 or 3 colours in 2 or 3 different styles ( curl tail, paddle or worm for example) and give more detail, things like don't over weight your plastic or line grade, depths to use them, water colours for when what colour lure works best, hook sizes( i don't know what a good size or how to rig a worm, so you could have shown that and gained a sub because you were helpful). Sorry if that offended you but I was left wanting more then a tour of a bcf lure wall.

[@fishingmad]

Thanks for your feedback, I will take it on board. If you look through our channel you will find many videos on technique specific how to's to target specific species such as this video here for flathead kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHa7kmp8gqmZlbM These videos go more into setup and tecnique specifics. This video is labelled the best flathead soft plastics and lures and we have simply shown the soft plastics and lures which we have had the most success with. With all forms of fishing regardless of the species it takes a lot of chopping and changing of gear selection until you find what is working on the day. This vid was just to highlight what we have had the most success with but I take your points on board. Thanks and have a great day.

[@sylvesterzhang1197]

basically every brand on the market.

[@fishingmad]

Wouldn't be much of a presentation if i only showed the one brand. There are plenty of vids on youtube that do this which are more flogging sales down peoples throats of brands they are sponsored by. This is a honest assessment of many different brads out there and they all have certain advantages.

[@sylvesterzhang1197]

fishingmad and the title of the video should be 'my lure arsenal' instead of 'best lures'

[@sylvesterzhang1197]

DH there is no reason to be mean and correcting others typo. Just saying.

[@markrigg6623]

Flathead eat anything. Selling lures as I do, theres no clearly superior lures favoured by the fish or fisherman. Gulp are not soft plastics, they are an artificial bait/ lure hybrid and are several hundred dollars a kilo.