# First Flathead of the year



## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Yea I know, just a dink 6-lber but it was good to get my first of the year..Rhonda and I also caught a bunch of dink Channel cats, nothing over a couple -lbs..Caught them all on cut Shad..I lost agin what felt like a very large fish, dang them circle hooks!










Heres Rhonda


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## crappielooker (Apr 5, 2004)

nice going jack..i got :S today..  
goood lookin spot too..


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## flathead (Apr 11, 2005)

where you fishin at here


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## flathead (Apr 11, 2005)

in your picture


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

paint creek


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

nice fish, you gotta start the year off somewhere


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

Good job Jack. Nice going buddy! I'm moe than jealous.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I see a braidge, which means car, which means a road, which mean this pot must be easy to get too, which means something I've never seen out of Jack. What was up, a little tired didnt want to battle cliffs, mud, stickers, hills, ticks, & bigfoot(s)?  I'm happy for you man!


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

WTG Jack...


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## GMR_Guy (Apr 10, 2004)

They all count. The river or creek behind you looks really nice. I think I might try to do some nightfishing the next time the weather and my work schedule agree with each other. I've got that urge to hear that baitclicker clicking.


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

Looks like fun, I have to get out sometime.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Way to go man!


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## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

Nice going Jackson !!! Man, my wife is killing me using my cattin truck for work.......... She works this morning and tonight..........  ..Looks as if I'll be buying a bike like " Oscar " did...........  ..Hey, nice lookin day you and the Mrs. had !!! THE CATKING !!!....


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## RiverRat (Apr 5, 2004)

Way to go Jack.....i certainly remember that spot, great area.

Circle hooks ya say......lol.....thats why i never use them!!

Scott


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

I love Circles for channel cats..HOWEVER...I have lost about 6 fish in the last cople years on them that felt like trophy Flatheads..Cant be sure of course, but they felt like 30+ -LB FISH..Same senario, fish would slam the bait, double the big cat rod over almost to the breaking point..Fight the fish for a few seconds and then its gone..Reel in the bait and find that the point of the hook had truned into the cutbait, preventing a hookset..I hope I learn someday.


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## RiverRat (Apr 5, 2004)

I guess the answer for that is to ALWAYS be prepared for the big flathead and use "GOOD" hooks...i hate circle hooks for that exact reason Jack, never got them to hook up very well on large fish.......as you say, good for channels...but thats about it.


Scott


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I'll chime in  
I've been trying to get used to them now too, same thing I think I lost that larger one due to the circle. I think they are/will be great for Channells. The problem I'm having is the "What If Factor" What if a large fish, Channell or Flatheads takes my bait & I miss it due to the hook being turned into the cut bait or something like that. Is it worth loosing a :B in order to catch the smaller ones easier?  This is what I'm not sure about. I see advantages but I also see BIG disadvantages. At the same time, I want to go w/ what someone like Doc knows, shoot they got the 88lb Blue on a circle hook, so they obvious can catch HUGE fish.


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## RiverRat (Apr 5, 2004)

Always use what YOU have confedence in..thats the key to any fishing situation.

I have lots of confedence in Gamakatsu Octopus hooks, so thats what i use......same goes for rod/reel, line, rigs, knots, baits...on and on.


Scott


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## CarpFreak5328 (Aug 16, 2004)

WTG, Hopefully I will land my first Flat of the year here in a few weeks.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I have lots of the Gamakatsu Octopus (red color) I really like them.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Interesting discussions on the circle hooks, I too was thinking about this today. I miss a lot of fish and I'm not sure if it's cause of the circles or not.

I do know this much, any cat guide I have ever went out with always uses circle hooks. They leave the rods in the rod holders and let them do all the work as far as hooking goes.


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## rockbass (Apr 16, 2004)

Man, I will keep my eye open for this problem with Circle hooks. I use Gamakatsu Circle Octopus hooks almost exclusively when using cut bait or live bait. I have never lost a fish after fighting it because of the hook not working. Maybe I am just too dam good!  ok just kidding guys! Even when I do use the cutbait, I don't have problems with the bait getting caught on the hook point. I do usually only use the circles with cut bait in current though. I don't know if this would be different in the lakes or not. I will keep this in mind though. I know I am not real experienced with targeting larger cats, but something I have been doing when using circle hooks ir when I get a fish on and fight it for a few to where I feel confident that he is hooked, I will basically set the hook once or twice just to make sure the hook point goes through the lip. Maybe I am wrong for doing this, but it has seemed to work for me.


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