Fish on! Cutbait flathead

[aanderud]

Well I got two flatheads for the first time this year. It's been a long time coming. They were both small (31 inches on the longest one), but between those and the 3 I missed, it was easily the best action I've seen all year. Dtro had a couple bites himself, and one medium-sized channel cat boated to show for it.

I got what I think might have been my first ever cutbait flathead. I have live bait out 99% of the time, but last night I decided to give cut a try at least part of the night on Dtro's recommendation. Usually I try this once or twice a year and I've never actually boated a flathead on cut until last night.

Creek chubs were the ticket last night, thanks for getting the freshest ones money can't buy, Dtro.

[motownmasher]

congrats on the cut bait cats, and a successful night of fishing.. seems like landing the bait on their nose lately is the only way to get bit.

[DTro]

I tell ya what, I've caught some very nice Flatties on cut bait with a couple even tipping 50lbs. I'm never shy to toss out a piece of fresh meat out.

Here's Brian with his fish:

[Gordie]

Smile really tells that story for both you and the Fish ... Great picture Brain and DTro

Thanks for sharing.

[Rick G]

Someone sure looks happy . Nice fish Brian!

[aanderud]

Someone sure looks happy . Nice fish Brian!

Before that fish, I went 9 outings without a flathead. A few channels mixed in there, but not much action at all to speak of. So, I was happy to just get a couple small ones in the boat. Missed a couple, one of which I think was huge based on how big the thump was when he hit and how he acted afterward.

[Gordie]

Before that fish, I went 9 outings without a flathead. A few channels mixed in there, but not much action at all to speak of. So, I was happy to just get a couple small ones in the boat. Missed a couple, one of which I think was huge based on how big the thump was when he hit and how he acted afterward.

I was there last season Brian I couln't buy a flathead the Finally at the GTG I hooked into a small one and it was like redemption.

[CANOPY SAM]

Look at that mouth and those barbels!! Looks like you could stuff a whole rhubarb pie in there!

The fish is nice too! Har har har....

[TruthWalleyes]

My biggest flat, which is not big to some (40"), was caught on worms in october

[bobbymalone]

The two biggest flats I've ever seen with my own eyes were twenty minutes apart, both on cut sucker...... and both on the end of my wife's line. NOT FAIR NOT FAIR NOT FAIR

[JIvers]

I've caught a lot of channel cat and flathead, including quite a few very large ones, on crawler harnesses and crankbaits during daylight hours on the Mississippi and Lake Macbride here in southeast Iowa.

I've caught flatheads on fresh dead bait, but live bait--suckers, shiners, chubs, and since they're legal down here sunfish--is my go-to bait for flathead.

Fresh cut bait, in my experience, usually works better for channel cat, including large ones who tend to ignore stink baits.

[TruthWalleyes]

Fresh cut bait, in my experience, usually works better for channel cat, including large ones who tend to ignore stink baits.

Very true in my experience.

[JIvers]

I can't say for certain I've never caught a channel cat over 20" on stinkbait, but I'm pretty sure of it. Stinkbait, and to a lesser extent crawlers, are for catching eating-sized channel cat.

I know all the channel cat I've caught over 25" or so came on fresh live bait, fresh cut bait, or artificial lures. My biggest channel cat, a 32", hit a gray 5 CM crankbait I was trolling for walleye on Lake Macbride in 2008. I'm guesstimating that cat weighed about 14 lbs; landing it on 8 lb. test and walleye gear was an experience.

[DTro]

A few Cutbait Flatheads

[aanderud]

I've caught flatheads on fresh dead bait, but live bait--suckers, shiners, chubs, and since they're legal down here sunfish--is my go-to bait for flathead.

I agree with you, eyehunter, that the best odds still seem to be to use live bait. I rarely use cut for flatties (this was my first cutbait flathead in 5 years), but after 9 skunkings in a row I figured I better try something new, and it seemed to work that night. I didn't use cut the whole night, and I actually had several runs and one boated flathead on a live chub too.

It'd be nice to live in a state where we could have two lines out, so that I could experiment more with both cut and live at the same time, under the same conditions.

Darren, where did you find that sweet bridge to fish next to? I haven't seen one like that on the river all year.

[philly35]

Looks like the ol trestle just south of St Peter?

[Gordie]

Heres one more on cutbait from Friday afternoon

[nsnutter]

Looks like the ol trestle just south of St Peter?

I was thinking the crow by Dayton ... I know guys who exclusively fish cut for flats ... Me, I like to watch my bullhead struggle .. Gives me something to do while I wait for ol mr whiskers to come along for a midnight snack.