Setting The Hook On Flatheads

[AceintheHole]

How have you guys been doing using cut bait this year. I was thinking about picking up suckers before we head out. I know channels wise I have been hammering then on suckers just wondering how the flats are doing on them. Stupid ? just wondering.

[SteveD]

We picked up a small flathead on cut bullhead on Tuesday evening. He just hammered it about 7:00 in the evening. Cut little guy - about 5 lbs.

[SteveD]

Back to setting the hook. I'm using circle hooks for flats and I set just like Hanson does. When the rod is in a holder I set the clicker. When I get a clicker run I take the rod out of the holder immediately and engage the reel as I remove it from the holder. I bow the rod to the fish until I have a tight line and then I just start reeling.

I want to get the fish on as quickly as possible. In my opinion, if that clicker is going he has my bullhead in his mouth and I want to get the hook out of the bullie and into the flathead while that bait is in his mouth. I don't wait for anything.

I've downsized my baits this year, I want to see if I get more pick ups with smaller baits. I haven't been using BIG 7 inch bullheads like I have in the past - I like smaller 5 - 6 inch bullheads and they work good on an 8/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle hook.

[Cooter]

A great question that probably has no great answer! My theory is with that big ol mouth and their attitude there is no foolin' 'round. So if you set early and miss more than likely it just wasn't meant to be that time and waiting wouldn't do you much good. Just my .02 though.

Side note - the musky fishing has been slow for me, maybe time to catch me a flathead! Too bad they don't hit smack and moving topwater!

[mainbutter]

you guys using circle hooks? Make sure drag is engaged and the fish should hook itself. Sometimes I give circle hooks a few yanks(not TOO hard mind you) after a run to double/triple check that the hook is in past the barb. There's alot less needed to hook a fish on a circle hook than your typical J-hook.

[SteveD]

Side note - the musky fishing has been slow for me, maybe time to catch me a flathead! Too bad they don't hit smack and moving topwater!

You would be surprised at the number of BIG St Croix flatheads that are caught each year by guys trolling large cranks. I've got a friend that caught a huge flat casting for muskys. He was working a shallow rock pile casting a 6" Reef Hawg and that flathead inhaled that lure. He estimated the fish at over 40 lbs. He thought he had a big musky on until he got it up to the boat - he has a new appreciation for flatheads.

[goblueM]

i caught first flathead ever 2 weeks ago with croixflats casting a rapala for bass and eyes... 29 inch, 13 pounder. thats why i been buggin some people about spots and tactics

might get me hooked!

[hanson]

There really is a lot of good information throughout this topic, its worth the read.

A couple other points to remember:

- Every bite you get in the river while fishing big live bait will not be 100% flathead catfish. Other fish will hit these baits including walleyes, channel catfish, and even Sheepshead as proven by WWG.

Channel catfish are notorious for the screaming run. If you are sitting there and line starts pealing off your reel out of the blue and doesn't stop, it is probably a channel catfish. They don't usually take the bait all the way in their mouth which results in a missed hookset and oftentimes a very roughed up looking bait.

- Depending on the type of reel/clicker mechanism being used, a live bait can swim off in the current giving the impression of a run. This is why I really like my Garcia 7000C3 reels. The clicker tension is impressive so when the reel clicks, it "usually" is a fish messing with the bait. A live bait will very rarely pull the clicker on these reels.

- Debris in the river can also give you the impression of having a run. Whether its a bunch of grass, weeds, and leaves accumulating on the line, or a small branch or stick getting tangled in your line on the surface. This can be enough pull to get the clicker running and once its going, it'll keep going giving you the impression of a run.

I think the most important part of identifying the flathead catfish bite is seeing it before it happens. What... maybe 9 times out of 10, a flathead bite will start off with an oftentimes boat echoing "thump". This is THE best sound in the world on the river IMO!

What I've come to believe the "thump" is is a fish with a garbage can sized mouth inhaling the bait. A 40lb flathead is going to move 5 gallons of water or more through his mouth and gills when he flares his gills, opens his mouth, and sucks the bait in.

After the thump, there will generally be a few seconds of silence at which point you'll start to see the rod bending over towards the surface of the water until the clicker can't hold anymore. Then you get your zzzzz, zzzzz, zzzzz clicker run. Set the hook!

[DTro]

Also, expect the unexpected.

I’ve seen a lot of things on the river, but last night was a new one.

We were set up on a trough adjacent to a large sand flat that dumped into a hole. We were fishing in swift current directly behind the boat. Our baits were super lively and it felt like a good spot, but no real good runs.

We decided to move upstream a bit, so we reeled up. Aanderud says to me, “ah man, I’m caught up in youR line”. I said, “no, I’m way the heck back there, there’s no way you are caught on me, I think that’s a fish.”

It sure was.

As it turned out the fish picked up his bait and came upstream and had gone under the boat and above us. Brian finally got his line tight and then the fish finally figured it out and took off leaving Brian in an awkward spot over the splash well and transom. It only took a second for that heavy fish to pass the line across the lower unit and prop……….SNAP.

The point is that there was never an indication of a bite at all.

The sad thing is that a few of those actions often indicate a very large fish

Crazy stuff.

[AceintheHole]

I had that last night my line went slack so I just kept reeling in all the way back to the boat. There was no tension on the line at all till it got straight under the boat. Thinking a fish had swam up stream under the boat, set the hook nothing bully was gone to.

[crazyice]

On top of what was said... SET YOUR DRAG TIGHT TIGHT. It's amazing how tight you need it so it don't slip on the hookset. It's not even in the same ballpark as walleye/bass fishing. Cinch that mother.

Maybe there is such a thing as too tight, but I have not found it quite yet. Make sure you have your bearings about you thou when you do connect. You might be faced with a situation where you need to loosen the drag immediately so you don't get pulled overboard or snap the line.

What's your opinion on drag tension on the hookset?

I seem to remember that trip!

[Cooter]

Quote:

You would be surprised at the number of BIG St Croix flatheads that are caught each year by guys trolling large cranks. I've got a friend that caught a huge flat casting for muskys. He was working a shallow rock pile casting a 6" Reef Hawg and that flathead inhaled that lure. He estimated the fish at over 40 lbs. He thought he had a big musky on until he got it up to the boat - he has a new appreciation for flatheads.

Maybe the DNR could cross muskies and flatheads - what a sport fish that would be!!

[crazyice]

I think the most important part of identifying the flathead catfish bite is seeing it before it happens. What... maybe 9 times out of 10, a flathead bite will start off with an oftentimes boat echoing "thump". This is THE best sound in the world on the river IMO!

What I've come to believe the "thump" is is a fish with a garbage can sized mouth inhaling the bait. A 40lb flathead is going to move 5 gallons of water or more through his mouth and gills when he flares his gills, opens his mouth, and sucks the bait in.

After the thump, there will generally be a few seconds of silence at which point you'll start to see the rod bending over towards the surface of the water until the clicker can't hold anymore. Then you get your zzzzz, zzzzz, zzzzz clicker run. Set the hook!

God I love those sounds!!

[TMF89]

Quote:

Maybe the DNR could cross muskies and flatheads - what a sport fish that would be!!

*Jaws Theme*

Sweet Jesus that would be a fish!!!

[ec30_06]

You might want a shock leader or soft rod with 65lb pp. I have had that stuff break several times with the drag tight on a heavy action rod just from setting the hook.

[TMF89]

The rod's a Medium Heavy, will that do?