# BIG bait



## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

what's the biggest bait any of you have used for flatheads?


----------



## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

I like 8"-9" live skipjacks if possible. Here's the remains of one. It was alove & swimming until jaws got him... Heck, it may have been 12", I don't know, it was a biggun'


----------



## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

I'm totally convinced to use as big as possible today. If I could get 10" shad, that's what I'd use. Bigger baits mean bigger fish. In the James River, they won't even touch a smaller bait.


----------



## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

Big Bait......... I am going after some big bait. Corey, do you & Travis want to come. Call me.


----------



## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

I have used carp around 1-lb, never caught anything..I have caught alot of flats on jumbo bluegills


----------



## catfishhunter33 (Apr 6, 2004)

:F 
hhjhjhjhjhjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj


----------



## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

The biggest bait I ever used was a channel cat. I was fishing the GMR. Our goal(when we aren't able to purchase good bait) is to catch some small fiddler channel cats around 8 to 10 inches and put them on a hook. The smallest one I could catch was 14 inches one night, so it went on a hook. I had to wade out as far as I could to cast the thing. I was able to cast it about 20 ft up in the middle of a riffle. As soon as the thing came to rest, my clicker took off. I looked at my buddy and asked him if he thought that channel cat could pull my sinker and take the clicker like it was. He said that it had to be a big flathead. I didn't know how long to let him eat it, so I dipped and set. I had him for a couple of seconds, then nothing. I reeled in to check my bait. My channel cat was no longer frisky. Something took the fire right of of him. He had some teeth marks(more like scratches) that went down his sides. I prefer a nice big bluegill, goldfish or gizzard shad though. Big gizzard is number one.


----------



## soua0363 (Jun 10, 2005)

I have had luck using 3-5" bluegills. Shad works pretty well too but only as cut bait. I have never had luck using a whole shad even when it was a small one around the 3-4" range. I have only used goldfish once and I did not even get a bite.


----------



## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Welcome aboard soua0363


----------



## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

I like skipjacks









They only seem to work in the waters they live in, If you fish where there is shad, use shad, bluegills, then use bluegills, etc.


----------



## Cat Mazter (May 20, 2005)

I like to use the Big Bluegills, & 7-9inch Live Shad when you can catch them that big, The bigger the better. I hook a Live 8 inch shad on my hook last year & within 15 min. I landed a 28lb Falthead in the rain. So I use as big as Bait as I can get.
Cat Mazter


----------



## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

Hey Misfit

I have heard that Shortdrift has considered using 17 inch saugeye for flathead bait


----------



## catfish_hunter (May 31, 2005)

I like using big chubs and shiners, if I you can catch a small sucker they are decent bait too..........Bluegils dont work for me and have never worked for me EVER! Im going to start useing them more as I go to lakes more but they just dont get it done in the rivers...A good sized chub 6-10 inches is the best bait i think...


----------



## soua0363 (Jun 10, 2005)

Thank you welcoming me aboard Flathunter. I am glad to be aboard. Never knew this site existed until I stumbled across it at ODNR. 

Suckers work well for when I use it as cut bait. I have heard about people using whole suckers up to 12" long for pike and catfish but have yet to try it out.


----------

