# Structure and flathead



## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

Most flathead fishermen agree that structure is important to flathead.
They seem to locate in security cover and feed using structure.

I fish many flood control lakes. The rise and fall of the water each year seems to scour the banks. I assume the ice does most of the damage as the lakes rise and fall up to 10 feet with winter drawdown and the fill up in Spring.

The specific question is this:
How much benefit can be gained by adding structure to bare banks in regard to flathead fishing?


Depending on wind and ice, as much as 80% could be moved or crushed during the fill of lakes in Spring. Ideal conditions would have brushpiles 100% intact after fill up of the lakes. Would this attract flathead or just be a waste of time?

Here is a bay after drawdown on a lake.










You can see most submerged brush is gone do to the ice scrubbing the edges as water raises and falls.










This is an example of structure we added to attract flathead. 

If the flathead do not use it as security cover we felt they might hunt near it since it would attract preyfish.

We built this pile a few years ago to attract flathead.









It never produced a big cat and I am not sure it wasn't crushed by ice before it had a chance.

I know it is gone because I rebuilt it again this year.









So the question remains.

Is the work of establishing structure worthwhile? If the structure survives the elements will it attract and hold big flathead to an area devoid of submerged strucure?


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## dinkbuster1 (Oct 28, 2005)

i am sure you know more about Lake flatheads than i do, but could it be the success of a "Kitty Condo" would be determined on where it was placed? 

i learned a lot last year about structure/cover in rivers (especially flooded sections that resemble reservoirs) even though we had a very bad year. one thing that started dawning on me from my years of chasing flatheads is no matter how good and thick, deep of water a log pile is it wouldnt hold any big ones if it wasnt located in or really close to the main river channel. as a matter of fact, those far away from the channel wood piles and hug submerged trees wouldnt hold many channels or dink flatties either. lots of turtes though!

the only type lakes i have experience fishing for flatheads are old Gravel pits (one is about 200 acre) and years back when i fished pay ponds. now when i say pay ponds not talking about a small mud puddle but ones that were larger. 

in those type lakes/pits if there is any structure in it, where it is placed was important as well. in any of the lakes the flatheads prefered the east and northeast banks where the south and west winds blew and if there was any cover, even if it was just a concrete block you had a hot spot. in one lake in particular there was a spot like that which had a couple metal barrels on the east bank in 12ft of water that was the lakes go-to spot (if you could get it), but just on the opposite, west bank of the lake there were a few cars, many stoves, refridgerators, and even a huge sunken oak tree but never did i see it produce more than a few dinks.


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## smoothkip25 (Nov 17, 2008)

I dont think it will hold big flats but will for sure attract baitfish and in turn bring other predators by. It seems to me like it would be awful hit or miss in a location like that. As Dink said about his bigger fish coming from structure closer to the Channel, I too have experienced this. Im not saying that a flathead might not use it for a place to spawn, who knows. I havent spent a whole lot of time on the lakes.


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

I notice the DNR doesnt put much deep struc in the Ohio lakes. Maybe for the same reasons. They keep them above fall pool. Blocks or rock might hold better off the channel too. Maybe a tree instead of brush.


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## SeanStone (Sep 8, 2010)

Most of the lakes I fish, and particularly the spots i fish for flathead are structured yearly by beavers. Every now and then the beaver drops a tree in the water for me. Obviously each structure is different than others, and flatheads dont releate to all structure. But, in an area divoid of structure, any structure that is added is better than having no structure at all.


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## dinkbuster1 (Oct 28, 2005)

another thing i have learned over the years, at least where i fish, is it seems a Flathead will quickly vacate his resting spot once it starts to roam and feed after dark and go somewhere else to roam and feed. might get some quick action once they get motivated but after that they are gone. 

making something more solid that the ice has a hard time moving would be better and give the fish a few years to become acquainted with the new hideout. what about 55 gallon drums anchored with concrete blocks? or if you could get them out there, Concrete drainage tiles?


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

dinkbuster1 said:


> making something more solid that the ice has a hard time moving would be better and give the fish a few years to become acquainted with the new hideout. what about 55 gallon drums anchored with concrete blocks? or if you could get them out there, Concrete drainage tiles?


Everything in those pics is tied down with at least some concrete blocks, many with stumps. The problem is the forces of water and wind once the structure becomes encased in ice. Everything would probably need chained down with 1/4" chain to make sure it stays in place. That's just not feasible.


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## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

So far everything has stayed in place. The lake is thawed and recent rains and snow melt have covered about 1/2 the brush and partially covered the rest.

I don't anticipate any more ice so maybe I will get lucky.

My first test will be to see if the crappie like the brushpiles.

We also plan to augment with brush dropped in summer to sweeten up the deeper water.


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## dinkbuster1 (Oct 28, 2005)

its amazing how lacking of cover those areas in the pics are. those fish must do a lot of roaming looking for food! 

after reading this thread last month a friend and i are planning on dropping some hollowed out plastic 55 gallon barrels in a lake we sometimes fish during summer for flats. thinking on 6-8 barrels anchored on each side with concrete cinder blocks. this lake doesnt drop in winter and will be placed in about 15ft of water. 

our lake is also lacking in cover so we are hoping to create a couple areas for the big ones to "home" in.


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

dinkbuster1 said:


> its amazing how lacking of cover those areas in the pics are. those fish must do a lot of roaming looking for food!
> 
> after reading this thread last month a friend and i are planning on dropping some hollowed out plastic 55 gallon barrels in a lake we sometimes fish during summer for flats. thinking on 6-8 barrels anchored on each side with concrete cinder blocks. this lake doesnt drop in winter and will be placed in about 15ft of water.
> 
> our lake is also lacking in cover so we are hoping to create a couple areas for the big ones to "home" in.


Dink, if you are setting barrels, i would never set them in 15 ft, i have never caught a flathead deeper than 12 ft, im prety sure a flathead would not be intrestedin spawning in 15ft either. not saying there has never been a flathead caught in 15 ft but i think you would do better in 9 to 6 foot.


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

I understand in rivers deep holes seem to produce some good fish but lakes seem to be different.


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## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

Brock

The flathead in rivers will usually spawn in low current or no current areas.

But they would probably use the barrels as security cover where they spend all their time that they aren't hunting or spawning. Depending on how clear the water is, they may prefer them in deep water when sunlight is strong.

Dink if you put them in current remember it will take lots of weight to hold them in place. I have used 5 gallon buckets for drift socks to hold boats in current so a barrel is 10 times that much water resistence. Also deadman logs will catch them and take them along with the current.

Good luck and let us know how things work out.


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## dinkbuster1 (Oct 28, 2005)

most of this lake is 12+ ft deep with a lot of 30+ ft of water. most flats i have caught in this lake have been on shallow flats (12-14ft deep) near the really deep stuff. water is also very clear and spring fed with zero current. 

the barrels will have the bottoms cut out and hope the 2 blocks on either side will do the trick to keep them put. 

thats the plan anyways, we will see if i get around to doing it this year....


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