The Best Flathead Catfish Tips
Few fish in North American waters have the massive size of flathead catfish. Native to many bodies of water in the southern and central U.S., these fish can grow to 140 lb. Named for their wide, broad head, flathead catfish can provide a real sporting challenge for anglers. Expert fishermen provide the best flathead catfish tips for landing a lunker of your own.
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Tackle
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Flathead catfish can be very big fish, and most of the larger ones aren't caught on rod and reel. The largest flatheads are caught on droplines, set lines or trotlines. These three methods involve dropping heavy-grade tackle and hooks into the water with large chunks of bait. The angler secures the line to trees or partially submerged limbs. If you want the challenge of catching a flathead catfish on rod and reel, use a heavy-action rod at least 7 feet long and a minimum of 30-lb. test line. If you're going to use smaller bait, a 2/0 hook should suffice, according to outfitter Bass Pro Shops. If you plan on catching the largest cats, you'll need even larger hooks because a large flathead may straighten out the hook and set itself free.
Locations
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Flatheads have a wide range, stretching from the Great Lakes area south along the Mississippi River basin toward the Gulf Coast, says flathead fisherman Dan Eggertsen, who operates the Ask About Catfishing website. They live in many bodies of water, including rivers, reservoirs and creeks. The key to successful fishing is to find the flathead habitat within that body of water. Look for deep pools of water that are murky and slow-moving, says Eggertsen. Flatheads like to surround themselves with cover, so look for areas that have brush piles, rocks or trees.
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Bait Requirements
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Flathead catfish are predatory and territorial fish. They respond best to live baits. For smaller flatheads, anglers often use large minnows or live goldfish. You can catch larger flatheads with live sunfish or shad. Bass Pro Shops recommends using the largest bait that is legal in your area, based on the idea that larger bait will attract larger predators. Not all baits or bait sizes are legal for fishing in all areas, so check with local regulations before departing on your trip.
Season and Time of Day
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The peak fishing season for flatheads is during the summer months when the water is between 70 and 85 F. Experts debate about the best time to fish for flatheads, although many anglers fish overnight or in the early morning hours.
Techniques
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If you got a big cat on the hook, let them run a little line to wear them out. Don't allow the fish to dive into any submerged structures because it will try to use these to its advantage. You'll need a large net because flathead are very difficult to wrangle with bare hands.
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References
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Comments
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Trophy flathead are more diffcult to catch on rod and reel vs droplines, but it can be done.
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very hard to wrangle with your bare hands, HA! use yur hands with no hook or line.
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I love catfishing.
