Dusky flathead of the Gippsland Lakes by Brett Geddes

I adore the common old flathead and I never get sick of catching them, big or little. I really admire and even worship the huge crocodiles that grow to a 1m or more. They have this ugly but somehow handsome, even stunning look about them and they remind me of some ancient fishy relic from the age of the dinosaurs.

The dusky flathead is one of the most sought after and rewarding estuary targets here in my home waters, the Gippsland Lakes, so let me share with you some tips on where and how to catch them. I will also explore their incredible and surprising movements and growth rates from my tagging experience.

ABUNDANT DUSKIES

There can be a rich and bountiful number of flathead within this huge Gippsland estuary of lakes and rivers. Over the last 15 years I've learnt that their numbers experience boom and bust cycles but there is always a good year to year background population to keep us all going.

Right now I reckon we are in a typical year if there is such a thing, where finding them can take quite a bit of work, depending on the time of year. The good news is that I believe the flathead population is slowly building towards another boom time and over the next few months and right into winter is going to be another prime time flathead season.

When you work out where they live most anglers can expect to find 15-30 flatties a day. About 10 years ago we had a massive growth cycle between 2004-2006 and it was nothing to catch 40, 50 or even a 100 duskies a day with most of them either side of 40cm! After the massive 2007 floods those flathead numbers crashed as some of them presumably got washed out into the ocean. I have no idea what triggers the boom times and I can only guess it must revolve around abundant food supply, significant spawning events, or perhaps both.

FINDING FLATTIES

There are some specific waters to chase flathead and where to start can be a daunting prospect within the huge Gippy Lakes area. An all year round place to begin any flathead search is at Metung and I would almost call this spot 'dusky central'. There are acres of sand flats and deeper drop offs that provide a vast range of suitable habitat for hunting or hiding.

From this area you can travel east and explore the saltier and very tidal waters around Lakes Entrance and the North Arm that provide excellent sport during early and late summer.

From Metung you can also head west and search the Tambo or Nicholson rivers and the bays they feed into. The Mitchell River will often have good numbers of medium-sized duskies from the township of Bairnsdale down to Eagle Point and prime time here is from March right through to the end of winter.

The Nicholson River has fewer fish but some of these flathead can be huge. Over recent years large duskies have turned up there that have measured 70-80cm.

Then the mighty Tambo is the most well known flathead hotspot and I recommend you start your search around the highway bridge right down to the mouth. You can gain easy access on both sides of the Tambo River and it is the best option if you are land-based.