# Central/SW Oh flatheads



## JSeeger (Jun 13, 2018)

The last few years of practicing good cpr, and conversing with other flathead fisherman in the area have yielded about what I expected with the great Miami flatheads north of Hamilton, low numbers and no abundance of fish over 10#, the biggest I've personally handled tipped the scales at 22. I attribute much of this to having SOOOOO many lowhead dams, and lack of depth (just about the majority is 3-5' at most in this area.

I am sure that there are some bigger fish, hiding in a hard to find 10' hole somewhere on this river but without an aluminum boat or kayak I dont know how much more effort I'm going to put toward locating flatheads over 40# into this stretch of river. Below Hamilton where I am sure there are big fish, bank access is severely limited as is MOST of the river actually, and I'm close to 45-50 miles away from that dam, not counting headed toward the Ohio further down.

The mighty Ohio is it's own mess due to the misfortune of commercial fisheries grabbing so many big catfish out to stock those ponds they call pay lakes.

With that being said, I've had mixed results from other reservoirs in the area, and the biggest I've put in a net went right at 25# here locally. I've noticed that Indian Lake has a fair share of flatheads caught every year and their tournament numbers always impress me as in that couple day stretch, there are a decent amount of fish that i would call a good days fishing.

I do have a fiberglass boat, so putting into a reservoir is no problem, just not a boat I'd put into a shallow river. How big are the flatheads being caught up there at Indian? I'm torn between focusing the majority of my efforts there, at Caesars Creek, Paint Creek, or making the trip (though considerably further ) to East Fork. 

It's getting to be that time of the year to get after them here in buckeye land, and I'm looking to make this my most successful year so far.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

If it's Big Flathead's you're after I would focus on Hoover. Scioto has some decent ones, but they usually top out @ 25lbs. That said there's surely a few 40lb+ Fish due South of Columbus.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

JSeeger said:


> The last few years of practicing good cpr, and conversing with other flathead fisherman in the area have yielded about what I expected with the great Miami flatheads north of Hamilton, low numbers and no abundance of fish over 10#, the biggest I've personally handled tipped the scales at 22. I attribute much of this to having SOOOOO many lowhead dams, and lack of depth (just about the majority is 3-5' at most in this area.
> 
> I am sure that there are some bigger fish, hiding in a hard to find 10' hole somewhere on this river but without an aluminum boat or kayak I dont know how much more effort I'm going to put toward locating flatheads over 40# into this stretch of river. Below Hamilton where I am sure there are big fish, bank access is severely limited as is MOST of the river actually, and I'm close to 45-50 miles away from that dam, not counting headed toward the Ohio further down.
> 
> ...


I would suggest Hoover as well. And I realize you have prolly put in a lot of time and money into flatheads,bit maybe consider trying to start targeting blues onHoover. A few guys have really figured it out,and there are finally some big fish swimming around. Plus it is a great lake for big channel cats.....
Something to consider.


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## JSeeger (Jun 13, 2018)

acklac7 said:


> If it's Big Flathead's you're after I would focus on Hoover. Scioto has some decent ones, but they usually top out @ 25lbs. That said there's surely a few 40lb+ Fish due South of Columbus.


Hoover? I've heard of there being flatheads by some, and then next to non existent from others when it comes to that res. I swear I remember hearing of one pushing near state record weight from there but never could find the information again afterward. 

Are there an abundance enough of flatheads to target them there? Any for sure big boys caught over the last few years?

As for the comment in regards to blues, yeah I'd be down to catch blues as well. I just know that I've always preferred the "hunt," approach to targeting flatheads. Pretty cool chasing after the baddest predator in a body of water. 

Appreciate the feedback guys.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

JSeeger said:


> Hoover? I've heard of there being flatheads by some, and then next to non existent from others when it comes to that res. I swear I remember hearing of one pushing near state record weight from there but never could find the information again afterward.
> 
> Are there an abundance enough of flatheads to target them there? Any for sure big boys caught over the last few years?
> 
> ...


While they aren’t very common, there’s definitely a population of 30lb+ Flatheads in Hoover.

Here is the 69lb Fish that was caught a few years back, pushing the record.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.di...warded-by-landing-fat-catfish?template=ampart


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## JSeeger (Jun 13, 2018)

acklac7 said:


> While they aren’t very common, there’s definitely a population of 30lb+ Flatheads in Hoover.
> 
> Here is the 69lb Fish that was caught a few years back, pushing the record.
> 
> ...


Whoa. That's a pig flat!


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## Earthworms (Dec 15, 2014)

Salt fork and knox lake have 50+ pounders


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## Snyd (May 5, 2004)

Ohio River has some pretty big Flatheads especially around the Power Plant Cells.


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Along with the one acklac posted, about 3 or so years ago someone caught one that weighed 42 pounds if I remember right while they were crappie fishing at Hoover. I’ll make a trip there if the creeks and rivers I fish are flooded. I’m stuck on the bank and I dually catch at least one every trip and they seem to like bluegills compared to my other offerings but I’ve never caught anything impressive out of there. I’ve only been fishing it for the last 2 years or so though.


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## JSeeger (Jun 13, 2018)

Earthworms said:


> Salt fork and knox lake have 50+ pounders


They're considerably further away than the Southwest/central areas I'd like to stick to.


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## Muskeye (Apr 12, 2004)

Squirrel boy, not one peep!


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## JSeeger (Jun 13, 2018)

Muskeye said:


> Squirrel boy, not one peep!


Hey man I'm a CPR guy on flats. I'm not taking anyone's spots lol


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

I’m not familiar with the Miami or your area in general. My personal best came from a scioto tributary about 1/8-1/4 mile from where there run into each other. Do you have any access to tribs on the Miami or the Ohio that you can fish? Hardest thing about it anymore is getting permission to fish all the good looking holes that are always located on private property.


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## JSeeger (Jun 13, 2018)

MIGHTY said:


> I’m not familiar with the Miami or your area in general. My personal best came from a scioto tributary about 1/8-1/4 mile from where there run into each other. Do you have any access to tribs on the Miami or the Ohio that you can fish? Hardest thing about it anymore is getting permission to fish all the good looking holes that are always located on private property.


The lower gmr is a trib to the OH however bank access is next to impossible for most of it, and taking a boat larger than a small aluminum jon boat up it (really a kayak) is out of the question for most of its reaches.

The GMR being the size that it is, doesn't have much to offer as far as tributaries, everything is even more shallow and stump filled, and again bank access is Very limited, and the smaller rivers that adjoin it also have the curse of multiple dams thus creating a variety of small, near useless tribs the whole way up river.

My best option to get into the 30s on a somewhat regular basis potentially and provide a more optimistic opportunity at a fish over 50, 60#+ is going to most likely come from a reservoir. 

Did some digging into Hoover and the distance from my driveway to the boat ramp may be worth the caliber of fish I could tangle with. Jumbo channels, good numbers of big healthy blues, and absolutely massive flatheads. I could get on board with making that a somewhat regular trip.


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

My dad got a flat out of knox a few years ago somewhere in the 60#+ range. Caught it on a finesse jig bass fishing. 

Theirs more big flatheads out there than people think.


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

A Flathead over 40 lbs out of the GMR is a hard thing to achieve for sure, but not impossible. The Scioto holds similar sized fish south of Columbus as does Paint Creek. Maumee River also has a good population of Flatheads too with some size in the mix. Hoover does hold some (big) Flatheads but reservoir fishing is a whole different ball game in itself. Big Flatheads are smart, they will be in the snaggiest, nastiest, most difficult water to fish, the trick to catching them is just to be stubborn as hell and keep at it.


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## JSeeger (Jun 13, 2018)

Fisherman 3234 said:


> A Flathead over 40 lbs out of the GMR is a hard thing to achieve for sure, but not impossible. The Scioto holds similar sized fish south of Columbus as does Paint Creek. Maumee River also has a good population of Flatheads too with some size in the mix. Hoover does hold some (big) Flatheads but reservoir fishing is a whole different ball game in itself. Big Flatheads are smart, they will be in the snaggiest, nastiest, most difficult water to fish, the trick to catching them is just to be stubborn as hell and keep at it.


I'm capable of that. But navigating the gmr in search of a one in a thousand fish that may or may not exist is extremely troublesome. 

Putting the effort in somewhat comfortably in a body of water where those fish definitely exist and putting in the time and effort to learning their behaviors and out stubborning them (I dont think that's actually a word but..) to make that catch for a picture and release to get bigger..just seems more worthwhile.

A fish north of 50# anywhere north of Hamilton, let alone Dayton on the gmr just seems as close to impossible as can be without being completley impossible lol


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

I have seen 1 fish for sure in the 40-50 lb range north of Hamilton. The truth is, you're probably going to have to do some traveling to find what you seek. Shoot me a pm if you have any questions.


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

I echo what fisherman said. The further south I go on the Scioto and it’s tribs, the bigger the fish seem to get.


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## MagicMarker (Mar 19, 2017)

Independence dam on Maumee river at Defiance I've seen some monsters come out of there


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## Govbarney (Jan 3, 2011)

Every year I seem to catch more and more flatheads in the 15-25 inch while bass fishing in the scioto and its reservoirs, so I think the population is healthy and getting healthier. Now I dont know what envirmental factors turn a 25inch flathead into a 40lb flathead, but if shad population plays a big role I can tell you the reservoirs in the scioto have that in abundunce.


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