Flatheads on the St. Croix

[sdmark21]

Hello all. I am a newbie to the St. Croix river area(by Stillwater)and desperately need to catch me a Flathead. I went to school in Grand Forks and know how to catch the big channels on the mighty Red but now need to learn to get big Flatties in the metro area.

Any advise on when one can expect to start catching them? I feel it is probably still early, but am getting anxious to get my boat on the water.

Thanks in advance!

[DTro]

Welcome aboard sdmark21!

SteveD is our resident expert here on them big girls over there. Maybe he can chime in and give you a few pointers.

But in general, the standard approach for Flatheads will work anywhere.

[phishnerd]

It's usually the channels that start to get active on the Croix first. Usually 50 or so is the magic temp for me as far as channels are concerned. For flatties, they usually start around 55 or so for me atleast. You might consider hitting the mississippi first if you are getting anxious. It tends to heat up quicker due to the city run off and its color.

[SteveD]

Welcome sdmark21. I picked up my first St Croix channel cat on Tuesday so some cats are starting to bite. We may still have to wait a while for the flathead season to get into full swing. The water temp is creeping up and we just need warmer water to get the flats into an aggressive prespawn mode.

While you are waiting for the bite to turn on this is a good time to get out and scout out spots. My best advice to you is start scouting and learn the river. It takes a while to familiarize yourself with the river and to be comfortable running it at night.

Like dtro said - the standard approach for flatheads will work anywhere. Learn everything you can about flats and what to look for and apply that to the St Croix and you will be in the catching business.

I'm heading out tonight to seine up some bullheads. I've got the bait tank up and running so all I need now is some good cat bait.

Good luck - Rookie.