Pulling my Hair Out!!

[hanson]

I'm sure all you cat guys have been through this at some point. I'm having a run of really bad luck going.

Friday night. Mississippi River. 2 runs. Snapped my line off on both of them. Both were very nice fish.

Saturday night. Mississippi River. Nothing.

Sunday night. Time to rest.

Monday night, just got back from the river. Fisher Dave gets a run 10 minutes after we get set up. We land the flathead and it pulls the scale to 35 pounds. As I was netting it, I noticed an extra line coming out of its mouth with a barrel swivel attached to it. Gosh, I says, that looks an aweful lot like my 50lb Power Pro & my barrel swivel. This girl decides to break me off but let Fisher Dave land her. Oh well, it was fun to lend a hand as net boy. I'm still a little ticked off but it was cool to know what got the best of me on Friday.

A little more time passes and I see my rod tip bounce and the clicker whizzes a little. Hmmmm... Time to get busy again. I pick up the rod and can feel the fish moving off with the bait. I set into it and its another good one. About 2 minutes into the tug-o-war, the unthinkable happens for the third time in as many days- Boing!! Snapped my line again. Golly Geez, this can't be happening to me.

I'm not quite sure what to say anymore but luck has not been on my side the last few times out. I'm heading out again tomorrow night to try and redeam myself and then I'm spooling with 80lb Power Pro.

[Fisher Dave]

Bad things usually happen in 3's .. you should be good to go now.

That fish wasnt playing fair that I caught.. not every day a flathead swims 20'-30' into a tunnel (culvert into a wall underneath the water)... even 80 lb power pro doesnt appreciate jagged concrete.

I am not sure what you will show up with next time for a rod... I'm starting to picture a surf caster with 200# line and a boat winch for a reel..

[Guest]

Hanson.

Check the tip of your rod. Make sure the fiberglass guide inside your 1st rod tip isn't chapped or chipped. If it is chapped or chipped, it will cut your line with some effort / tension

[fiskyknut]

Hanson, man oh man 50# Power Pro is some strong line to be breaking on you. Is it breaking at the knot maybe? I'd reckon you're tying a palomar? I don't want to come off as condescending but are you tying it just right? Iffin the line crosses on itself on the eye of the hook 1 strand can cut thru the other. 50# Power Pro tests well over 50#, a good reel with a smooth drag and a person should be able to catch anything that swims in MN waters with that stuff easily. Then again maybe those big fish are pulling your line into/thru some rock/wood or something that is causing it to fray/break?

Good luck next time!

Regards.....fiskyknut

[hanson]

I never in my life thought I'd be getting broken off with 50lb Power Pro.

Like I said earlier, Fisher Dave landed one of the flatheads that broke me off Friday night. She was a 35 pounder. It had my line, swivel, leader, and hook all in its mouth. There was approximately 2' of mainline above the swivel to the point where it snapped. The knots held. I am using the Palomar knot as well.

There was a term coined the other night- "Industrial Catfishing". The area we are fishing definitely has a rip-rap type bottom. Most likely chunks of concrete. There could be steel or rebar mixed in also. Not exactly your typical river conditions but the flatheads seam to like this stuff. I'm convinced this is playing a role in my line breaking.

When this third one snapped me off, I was being very careful with the fish and basically holding on. The fish & I were playing back and forth. I'd real a little, it'd pull a little drag.

It sure is frustrating. I'm giving it one more shot tonight with the 50lb and then going stronger, especially for the conditions we're experiencing at this spot.

The really tough part is my personal best flathead is around 10lbs. Knowing that I just lost 3 fish that clobbered that is tough to swallow. Yeah, I'm a beginner flathead angler but learning a ton everyday now.

Am I addicted, oh yeah!! Its just a matter of time before I get all the pieces to the puzzle figured out.

[Fisher Dave]

Your rigging is definitely done correctly.. there are no weak links, and the terminal tackle is capable of handling far more than our line(mine at 80#).

This is industrial catfishing.. Chris left out the 1 1/4" bolts sticking a foot out of the wall.. and jagged rocks poured into that concrete.. and you cant forget the natural stuff that gets tangled in.. I sure have reeled up enough logs lately that weighed over 100 pounds.. the partially filled sand bag was a 1st for me last night.. Tonight after Chris gets his 1st big cat he will probably cast out and reel in Jimmy Hoffa or something.. All i know is the area we are fishing has a ton of out of the ordinary debris.. structure? I guess.

[Fisher Dave]

This was the 2nd fish Chris lost the 1st night? I will keep making attempts to recover his 1st rig too.. I am convinced that fish was much bigger... anyone remember the old Ugly stick commercials? That was his cat rod when that 50# PP broke with a cranked drag.

35#

Heck.. my 4 year old son Tyler knows how to get it done.. he didnt need any coaching!

In all reality.. these are great pictures of my son's 1st flathead last night.

1#

another shot .. showing it off like the big boys!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Great pics, Dave!

[Mr Special]

Sorry for your losts Hanson. But on the other hand it's great to know that a flat will get hook and still feed a few days later. I'm sure your biggun will come soon.

Good luck

[DTro]

Your going to have to show me how to do that blur thing Sure is plenty of light in those pics, they must've been hungry.

Hanson, your time is coming, I can feel it.

[gethanet]

I had some of that line go bad on me last year. spooled it up in the may and but early july it broke off on a few fish then it started to break every time I would set the hook. I would defently change the line on the spool. I went to spider wire stealth this year. In-fisherman said it lasts them 2 seasons so I figured I'd give it a try.

[Dennis Steele]

Is Dave using mono???

With rocks and metal like your describing, an abrasive resistant mono might be the answer.

Power Pro is great line, but it always looses to sharp rock and metal.

P.S.

Happy one day belated B-Day Fisher Dave.

I hope you got a birthday monster.....I just hope Hanson didn't loose it first!

[Fisher Dave]

thanks on the belated b-day.. no monsters to speak of.. Tyler managed 2 more little ones just like the one pictured.. that is gift enough being able to take my son fishing on my birthday.

It was very slow last night.. a couple channels snuck their way onto the lines other than the babies.. noober finally got a run when it started getting lighter outside.

I am not using mono right now in this spot.. I am running 80# power pro. I dont think the mono would last a night of fishing where we are at if a couple fish are hooked on it. Fireline is worthless where we are at, and 40# and 50# power pro have been having problems.

I cant begin to describe what we are fishing under the surface.. I think a log jam would be easier.. right in the middle of it. I have been seriously thinking of breaking out one of the BIG Penns I have and spool it with 120# + line and put it on one of my heaviest rods.

It's a frustrating world down there.. but the payoffs are decent, and I have hooked much bigger than I have caught... I guess fish are pretty safe when it can be near impossible to land them at times.

A friend of mine stopped in last night to give the spot a try for the evening.. after observing us the night before(and Chris with a lost BIG fish).. the friend came down with a reel spooled with coated steel leader material.. I thought it was very funny.. but somehow, it didnt seem like an unfair advantage?

[hanson]

Quote:

---

Noober finally got a run when it started getting lighter outside.

---

Lighter outside? You guys made it a late one, err.. early one. I sure don't have the stamina for that during the work week.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Ha, I agree Hanson. Dave and Noober always give me dump for quitting at a reasonable time. I'll be they are still fishing sometimes when I roll into work at 7 the next morning

[LEECH21]

Hanson, at least you are connecting with fish. I've spent countless hours on the river with nothing to show for. I don't get it??? I can catch any other fish in Minnesota exept the flatties.

[rushing]

I know few people who have fished hard their first whole season and not caught a flathead. I have another friend who has been out several times the past couple of seasons had not got one either.

Come to the cat gathering this weekend in mankato. You're sure to pick up some tips n tricks to get them flatties.

rob

[LEECH21]

Thanks for the invite rushing, but I'll be busy at work this weekend. I usually have Sundays and Mondays free.

I grew up next to the Mn River and fished it almost every night in the summer for about 4 years straight! We did catch about an 8# channel and a 12# flat from all those nights, but that was it! We never used bullheads as bait, just shinners and creek chubs. We did always catch carp, sheephead, gar, and little channels, but nothing ever worth bragging about.

"Pulling your hair out," I shaved my head because it was starting to hurt to bad,lol.

[hanson]

Leech-

I'm far from an expert on flatheads but learning alot fast. I've been able to pick the minds of some very, very good flathead fisherman lately as well as fish along side them. These experiences have been great.

Couple things that I think will turn the odds in your favor are the following:

1- Location. Snags, holes, feeder creeks or streams, eddies all seam to draw flatheads in. Find a few of these in one spot and you might be golden.

2- Time. They will bite during the day but most flattie anglers are night fishing. This is getting tough to get used to since I don't normally stay up until 2,3,4 am.

3- Bait. Lively is key and taking care of your bait is important. I've been using bait shop sucker minnows lately. You have to keep them aereated and happy and let the bait work for you in the water. Bullheads are great because they are hardy and put up a good fight in the water.

4- Equipment. I'm learning this one the hard way. Heavy rods, well constructed reels, heavy line, big hooks & sinkers. My Ugly Stick cat rod I currently have is a little light for the big flatties in my opinion. I just ordered up a Berkley Reflex 9' Spinning. I'll team that with my Okuma Epixor EB50 Baitfeeder, 80lb Power Pro, 4oz No-Roll sinkers, & 10/0 Gamakatsu hooks.

Now when you get a bite, things get all hairy. How long do you let it run? Did he drop my bait? Did he just hit it and sit there? I keep my clicker on but have learned to constantly watch the rod tip & line for something out of the ordinary. I know the action of my rod with a sucker or bully on it, I'm now looking for something different that might tip me off to a bite. A few of the hits we've had recently are pretty subtle.

Like I said, this flattie fishing is all pretty new to me but these are some of the things that seam important to me.

[Dan Thiem]

Nice post Hanson, very solid information given. I also have been learning so much from you and Fisher Dave. Thanks guys!

I think I know why Fisher Dave's photos are blurry in the background. Too many people recognize the place where he's fishing and then it gets a little crowded there.

[Fisher Dave]

That is an excellent description of how to pursue a flahead Chris.. It has many of the sometimes very important basics out of the way. Right now the way these fish are feeding, it is about as difficult as it gets.. I think they have some type of very abundant food source in the water making the bites much fewer, and no where near as aggressive as normal.. It is usually not a *secret* every time a fish bites and a person just has to detect when the sinker is bouncing off a rock, and its not the minnow tugging.. Being a psychic would be nice about now.

The water temp is getting very high, and the water levels are droping quickly.. right now its tough to determine what type of key structures these fish are relating to.. rocks, current, holes, inlets, concrete and rebar, timber.. I wish I could figure out the trick right now... I am managine to pull a few fish.. but I am spending way too much time doing it.

Maybe I need to take up fly fishing? I have been noticing more mayflies around, not a huge hatch, but they could be a factor?

I'm curious to hear what others have been encountering on the current bite.. if there is one. What type of structure is working best without being spot specific? What definitely hasnt been working in the very recent past? The only things I have been able to pin is the bite seems to be pretty deep . 10'-20' of water on the edge of very heavy current.. shallower lines have not been getting hit in the last few days.

[Dennis Steele]

You can't depend on a cat to run. I think a lot of cat anglers miss a lot of fish because they wait for their clickers to go off.

I've been watching rod tips since I started cattin', and I bet that at the minimum 30% of the fish I pick up do not make a run. When fishing the tail of a hole the percentage goes up.

The only hint that a fish has taken the bait is a sharp tap on the rod tip or even just a slight load on the rod tip.

I'll then pick up my line being carefull not to get a finger wrapped in it and feel for the fish. You will feel a grinding or munching vibration coming down the line as the fish is either smashing the bait or forcing it down its gullet.

These kind of bites don't seem to be seasonal or even locational for the most part, however, like I said before when fishing the tail of a hole, you really have to watch your rod tips.

A consistant hole to me is one that produces once a week. That is I won't fish that hole more than once a week. I think these fish can become pressured just like any other species. Flatheads will use the same feeding areas over and over al long as their successfull or do not have a "bad experience". Give it a week and they seem to be interested again.

I've landed the same fish from the same hole for 4 weeks in a row before. It had some scars on its head that identified the cat clearly. After some people heard of the success I had on that hole, it was hit more than once a week and the bite died. Didn't see my "pet" cat again, or any other cat on the spot the rest of the season. Years before the bite lasted all the way through mid October.

I used to swear that the only line I'd use was Power Pro or another kind of superline but am beggining again to see that it does have its limitations. I fish an area where the hole is filled with conrete rubble, rebar, and VW bug sized granite rip rap. The only line that gets those cats to the net is an abrasion resistant mono like Berkley's Iron Silk.(tie a neat knot with this stuff or the knot will give) I didn't go as far to try 80lb PP or even trolling wire, but 50lb PP was being cut very easily and lost 50% of the cats we hooked. We cut very few off now using mono.

[Fisher Dave]

I still use my mono fishing most locations.. the best I have found for abbrasion resistence is Berkly Big Game... I havent used Iron Silk for years.. dont think I ever did for cats.

On the power pro.. there is a huge difference between the 80# and the 50#.. I would guess I lose about 1/4 of the rigs compared to the rest of the setups, and landing fish is greaty increased over the other lines that have been down... I used it on a long broomstick rod, and on a softer rod with about the same results.. the broomstick might have been slightly better.. but that is pretty extreme with 30#+ fish and a drag set at about 50 pounds of pull... they have no problem pulling a little drag.

Noober has been running mono in this area we are fishing and has been having a lot of difficulties with it.

[Mr Special]

What's a "neat knot"? I've used IronSilk before and liked it but did have knot problems. I was using a Trilene and P-knot. What test# are ya using anyways?

Thanks

[hanson]

Mr. Special-

A "neat knot"? I think Dennis is referring to tying your knot correctly and clean. If the knot is messy, it'll loose its strength and you'll lose fish.

No new updates in the quest for the big flathead. I fished Friday night and had a couple chomps but no fish to show. We did land a 10-15 pounder but was not on my rod. I've respooled with 80 Power Pro now and the new rod should be hear tomorrow. Looks like a Mon. evening fishing trip might be in order.