# Trolling for flatties



## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

A weird thing happened to my tuesday evening while trolling Indian Lake for saugeye. Catching a flatty while trolling is not out of the ordinary. I'll catch around 10 flatties per season trolling and last year's big gal was 37" and 21 lbs. I don't target them but have caught them on bomber Model A B02/B04. Mossback craw is a good one for them.They'll also hit flickershads.

Anywho,A 27" flattie hammered my port side flatline with slick green 5cm flickershad.2nd one this short season. My scales were dead but it was so fat,it was twice the width of my homemade vinyl rain gutter hawg trough and easily 10 lbs+. After tossing her back,5 mins later another flatty nailed my starboard rod.There's no denying a flatty strike with their shear power and rules out a plain snag,hawg saugeye, or huge largemouth.. I lost that one after a couple minute battle. Got both rigs out again and 5 mins later another nailed the port side with slick green and got off after another short battle. Water temp was 70°,slightly stained and about 5.3' of water. Last year's 21# came out of pure muddy water right after the ungodly flood of 2015.

3 flattie hookups in 15 mins which I've never done before. The flatties are thriving at Indian so I entered last year's catfish tournament in the hopes of getting lucky with a huge flattie while trolling for saugeye.It's like a $10 lottery ticket just for 1 lucky flatty. Another 30+ pounder was landed a few weeks ago by another saugeye troller. I troll 3 mph but have hit them before while trolling that fast as I reel in the crank to check for weed. Also caught them using big board planerboards.This is the reason I upgraded to 30# spiderwire a couple years ago, LOL!

Any of you flatty pros have an explanation for this bizaar evening? Not sure if they school up from time to time and I've caught them at various places on the main lake,not just 1 certain spot..


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

They're just plain aggressive when the water temp gets right. My cousin hit a 34# cranking for bass on Mosquito last yr about this same time frame. Its awful fun hitting one (or three) if you like a good battle on lighter gear. As for "schooling up". Not so much IMO. But if they're in the body of water you're fishing and there's schools of bait around,they won't be far!


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## All Eyes (Jul 28, 2004)

I have had days like that on channel cats while trolling cranks on Berlin, but not flatheads. Last year I picked up 7 in a row in one small stretch of water. All 3 to 8 lb. range. They are good fighters but I don't keep them much any more, and don't like them menacing in my walleye water.  Plus I like to use smaller diameter leaders and they can play hell with light tackle. Channel cats are pretty common on crawler harnesses, but lately they are gobbling up the cranks here.


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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

Great report, chalk it up to "them nights" love a good catfish holding bottom and the struggle to bring it in


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## CarpFreak5328 (Aug 16, 2004)

its pre spawn/spring feed wait a couple days and u will troll without getting one unless its a stray male, i caught 15 flats fishing for them a couple nights ago the females were goozing with egg sacks almost sticking out.


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## CarpFreak5328 (Aug 16, 2004)

CarpFreak5328 said:


> its pre spawn/spring feed, late but finally happening! Wait a couple days and u will troll without getting one unless its a stray male, i caught 15 flats fishing for them a couple nights ago the females were goozing with egg sacks almost sticking out.


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## CarpFreak5328 (Aug 16, 2004)

its pre spawn/spring feed, late but finally happening! Wait a couple days and u will troll without getting one unless its a stray male, i caught 15 flats fishing for them a couple nights ago the females were goozing with egg sacks almost sticking out. sorry went to edit and it quoted instead


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