Sport Fishing | Hobby Fishing » Big Flathead Catfish

Your Questions About Flathead Catfish

Daniel Ambrose — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:00:03 +0000

Sandra asks…

How to catch a big flathead catfish?

how do you catch a big flattie? like what bait and what time to fish for em?

Daniel Ambrose answers:

I suggest going at night.
Most Catfish love the dark and the cooler weather which causes them to genetically want to feed. The best time to fish would be at sunset until an hour after complete darkness.

As for bait i have had best luck with 2 types of bait here. Take a large hook and place as many worms that can fit on it until you reach the barb. Usually you can fit about 7+ worms on there which is like candy to big Cats. Another great bait is liver. I have had success with it but my favorite is worms.

NOTE** Wherever you chose to fish for your catfish, no matter what depth. Make sure you have enough weight to get it to the bottom. Because you will almost never find a catfish between the surface and bottom.

Mandy asks…

how to catch flathead catfish during the day?

i go to the river all of the time and all of theese old timers can catch them like crazzy.and they tell me stuff but i dont understand them.i need to no where i should fish for them.how to fish for them.what baitt i should use.where i can find the baitt.and how i should move the baitt.and how i should rig my line .tell me how i need to do this as clear speaking as you can

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Flathead hunt mainly at night. In order to catch them during the day, you have to get your bait VERY close to where the fish is laying up. They won’t move very far to take a bait during the day. In order to do that, you will have to spend a LOT of time learning about their habits. You also will need to know exactly what is under the water in the river where you fish. If you don’t know what’s down there, you can’t know where the fish are.

Flatheads prefer LIVE bait. You won’t catch very many on dough bait or dip bait or cut bait. It needs to be alive. The best bait for flatheads it live perch.

As far as how to rig your fishing gear, here is what I like to do. I use at least 20 pound test line. You can use lighter stuff but flatheads are found in the logs & sticks so you’ll hang up quite a bit. I slide a sinker on the line then tie a large swivel on the end. The sinker needs to be free to move up & down the line. This allows the fish to take the hook without feeling the weight of the sinker. The line just slides through it. The weight of the sinker depends on how fast the current is moving. Usually, I use a 2 ounce sinker. The swivel needs to be large enough to keep the sinker from sliding past it. It has two jobs. The first is to keep your line from twisting up. The second it to keep the weight away from the hook. This will let your bait swim freely in a small area. You will need a leader attached to the swivel with your hook on the other end. I make my leaders between 12 and 18 inches long, depending on how much “stuff” is around for the bait to get tangled in. I use a hook that is a 3/0 to a 5/0. Be sure to note that a 3/0 is a whole lot bigger than a 3. Don’t get them confused. I hook the bait through the meat in front of the tail. Some people hook them in front of & below the dorsal fin. That works too. I just think hooking through the tail causes the bait to struggle more so it sends out more vibrations.

Fish on the bottom. During the day, if you haven’t gotten a bite in about 15 minutes, it’s time to move. You don’t need to move too far. A few yards is plenty. Then try again. That goes back to knowing the river & knowing the fish. The best way to get started is to find someone to take you with them & show you the ropes. I am going to list a couple of links below to catfishing boards. You have to register but it’s free. You will find the best catfishermen in the world on these boards. You can look at dozens of articles on gear & bait & everything else concerning catfish. You can probally find someone near you to take you fishing & show you how it’s done. Good luck.

Http://brotherhood-of-catfishermen.com/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi

http://www.catfish1.com/forums/

Joseph asks…

when should flathead catfish move out of deep water on the Ohio river at what temp.should they start biting?

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Generally when the baitfish move, the flatheads will follow, and that’s around a 50 degree water temperature.

I suggest you read the article at http://www.gofishohio.com/articles/doc/doc_rivercurrent.php

for some great information on Ohio River flathead fishing.

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Your Questions About Flathead Catfish Fishing

Daniel Ambrose — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 06:00:07 +0000

Carol asks…

Where do I find big flathead catfish in an 8 mile by 2 mile reservoir?

The front of the reservoir is a dam that goes slopes from 0 feet to about 30 feet within about 40 feet of the dam wall. The water is extremely muddy. I can’t even see the hydrofoil on my outdrive. You might have about 6 inches of visibility in this lake. The maximum depth is 40 feet. I believe the entire lake is mud bottom. The water temp is currently 57 degrees and because of all of the rain over the last few weeks the lake has risen to three feet above normal… It was just 1 inch above normal 3 weeks ago. There are also very good reports of people catching a lot of 10 – 15 lbs channel cats in the rivers that feed the lake…. I’m interested in catching 30+ lbs fish though. This lake has been known to produce a lot of 100+ lbs fish. There is a chance that this lake even holds some world record flatheads. I’d love to get one of those on my line.

I’ve caught many channel and bullhead cats from ponds. I’ve also done a lot of saltwater fishing. I’ve never gone for flatheads using a boat before though. Any advice on where to look would be greatly appreciated. I’ve been told that fishing at night will increase my chances.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Take a look at some noodling videos. Big flatheads aren’t necessarily deep. They are going to be where the food is. Shallow. If you have any big trees in the water, standing or lay-downs, check in about 4′ of water for holes in the roots of the trees where one might hide, or dark protected places under the lay-downs. Wash-outs beneath under water road beds are good spots. If you have overhanging trees near where any streams may enter, hang a limb line on a sturdy, flexible branch on the edge of the current. Leave just enough line to allow your LIVE bait 6″ below the surface. Fish the limb lines after dark.
Winter, fish the deepest hole in the river just below the dam. Cut or whole gizzard shad.

L wasn’t actually suggesting noodling. Just look at the videos. They will give an idea of where these fish hang out.

What lake is this if you don’t mind, or which river is it on?

Mark asks…

how do i catch channel catfish and flathead,and bullhead etc?

how should i catch theese and i fish right above the damn or off a bridge the water is fast moving and high.how should i catch theese

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Baits : Chicken Liver, Worms, Corn, and live minnows or shad.
Keep bait on the bottom, keep you pole propped up with a forked stick or rocks…when the line gets real tight and the tip bounces set the hook….fish in water 6 to 20 feet deep near structures..

Ken asks…

how do u catch big flathead catfish?

i fish all the time but i never really catch alot of big ones

Daniel Ambrose answers:

We use live goldfish every year. This year we caught over 600lbs. Of nothing but Flatheads in a 2 week period on Millwood Lake down here in Southwest Arkansas. I have 3 big deepfreezers full of flathead(fishfry….everyone is invited).

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Your Questions About Flathead Catfish

Daniel Ambrose — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 06:00:07 +0000

Lisa asks…

do you have any tips for catching flathead catfish?

I live next to the mississippi river in Illinois, but i don’t have a boat. Can you help me out?

Daniel Ambrose answers:

Raw meat let it sit at the bottom

Sharon asks…

Im fishing in a small pond tomorrow for flathead catfish any tips?

Like I said its a small pond and the weather here is supposed to be hot and sunny. Any tips? and im fishing with chicken liver any tips on how to keep it on the hook? thanks!

Daniel Ambrose answers:

One good tip.
Forget catching flatheads in a pond unless you stocked them yourself. They won’t be there. Flatheads live in rivers and creeks.
They are also predatory carnivores. Top of the food chain. They eat live fish along with snakes, turtles, rodents, ducks. Anything that will fit in their mouth. And they have a big mouth.

Robert asks…

How do I catch big flathead catfish?

I have a boat and a big reservoir to fish in that is known to produce good flatheads. What kind of bait is good to use? I’ve been told that live bluegill 4 – 6 inches in size are good.

Daniel Ambrose answers:

That 4 to 6″ bluegill is one of the very best baits for these top-of-the-food-chain predators.
They prefer live food over anything, be it fish, frog, duckling, small rodent, snake or crayfish.
Bullhead catfish are another excellent bait. Will stay alive longer than most any other.
A big flathead can eat a big meal. As large as a two pound fish.

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Fishing Tips For Catfish

Daniel Ambrose — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:41:39 +0000

Please note that this article includes excerpts from the well known expert fisherman Dick Sternberg, from his great book: Fishing With Live Bait. So you know the catfish fishing tips are sound.

With jaws nearly a foot wide, a big flathead catfish eats fish that most anglers would be happy to catch. Some trotline fishermen use carp and other baitfish weighing up to 2 pounds.

Flatheads prefer live fish. Channel and blue-cats also bite on live baitfish, but most are caught on dead fish or fish chunks.

When fishing for large catfish, many anglers use a Wolf River rig to keep the bait fluttering off bottom. For smaller catfish, an egg sinker rig or a sliding Wolf River rig may work better.

Trotlines and limblines, while considered commercial gear in some states, are commonly used on large rivers and reservoirs. A trotline, or setline, consists of a dozen or more hooks. A limbline has only a single hook. It is tied to an overhanging branch so the baitfish dangles in the water. Both types of lines are set one day and picked up the next.

How to Use a Wolf River Rig:

Step #1
Thread a 24-inch leader of 15-pound mono through the eye of a bait needle.
Step #2
Push the line into the mouth and out the vent of a 5 – 7-inch shad.
Step #3
Tie on a 1/0 to 3/0 treble hook.
Step #4
Tie a three-way swivel to 20-pound monofilament.
Step #5
Attach the baited leader and a 10-inch dropper of 12-pound mono tied to a 3 – 4-ounce pyramid sinker.
Step #6
Cast into tailwaters where catfish hide among the rocks. This rig works well on rocky bottoms. If the sinker snags, its lighter line will break first so you can salvage the rest of the rig.

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