Chasing Giant Flathead in Skinny Water
In this clip, Andrew Hart from Hook, Line and Sinker jumps aboard a Bar Crusher 535XS to hunt for giant flathead in shallow estuary water, the kind of skinny-water sight-casting that separates a purpose-built fishing boat from a general-purpose runabout. The result is a genuinely oversized flathead landed on lures, the kind of fish that draws anglers to this stretch of water specifically to chase them.
Why the 535XS Suits This Style of Fishing
The 535XS is Bar Crusher's dedicated shallow-water estuary weapon, and this catch shows exactly why. Its 360° fishable centre console platform gives an angler room to cast and fight a fish from any angle, while the forward casting area keeps the deck clear for exactly this kind of lure work. Built on Bar Crusher's Waveslicer deep-V hull and Gen2 plate aluminium construction, the 535XS is designed to get in close over sandflats and banks without giving up the stability needed to fight a big fish boatside.
Other features that matter for a session like this one include a plumbed live bait tank, a sealed forward hatch for tackle storage, and a toughened acrylic windscreen practical details for a boat built to spend its life in estuaries chasing exactly this kind of fish.
Built for More Than Flathead
While this session targets flathead, the 535XS is set up as an all-round lure casting and trolling platform, suited to species from bream and barra to snapper, kingfish, bass, cod, and trout making it a fit for anglers who fish a range of estuarine and inshore water, not just flathead grounds.
