# First of the year



## BigFishHunter (Dec 14, 2011)

Fished Lake White again yesterday and finally got a flathead to show for it. I've been out a few times trying for them this year and it feels nice to finally get payment for my efforts. Not only is this my first of the year, but also my first ever from a lake/reservoir. Live bluegill on the bottom in 3-6ft of water. Fish was 29" and 11lb 4oz. Not my biggest ever, but it's a great start. Hopefully I can get one over 35lb this year and beat my personal best.


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## jhouser (Jul 8, 2013)

Congrats, hoping to land my first of the year tonight !!


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

Nice job! Figuring out lake flathead is addictive. The first year I tried targeting them in lakes I only caught 3 that year. I still remember the first one. It was 18lbs. I was using a Abu 6000 on a white ugly stick. I noticed all the shad spawning that night on the bank. So I just flipped a live shad 10 feet from the bank. An hour later I heard that unmistakable flathead run. After that I was hooked! There is something about catching such a low percentage fish in large body's of water that is so rewarding. Like Bow hunting that 160 inch deer.


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## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

Learning to fish for flathead is a slow process for many reasons.

Sometimes we are doing everything right and these cats just do not feed.
Congratulations on your flathead!


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## BigFishHunter (Dec 14, 2011)

Thanks guys. I completely agree ducky. My first couple of flathead came from a small pond a few years ago and I have been hooked since, even knowing the difficulty and time investment I was getting into. Figuring them out sure is and has been a slow process katfish, but with great guys like you and a few others who are willing to share experience and give tips the process can be quickened and narrowed substantially.


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

Good job.

If you are wanting to find bigger ones then I would recommend finding a different lake. Every couple trips you can find a 5-15 pounder but that's about it. The draw-down severl years back was hard on it and many people caught and kept big ones. It gets jugged and banked lined a lot with all the cats being sold illegally to many local lakes. It is just too small of a lake for that. It is still possible to get a big one but the cards are stacked against you.


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## BigFishHunter (Dec 14, 2011)

Well with the rivers being up I decided I would just fish the lake. It's the closest lake to me, but I'm only down here in Beaver for a short time. Just graduated college so I'm living with mom until I start work in Columbus. I've heard of and seen nice fish from the lake, but have also seen many of them go "home" with people. I wish more could be done on the illegal trade of wild caught fish going to the local paylakes. Maybe one day it will be controlled better. Sooner rather than later hopefully.


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

I have spent most of my life withen 3 miles of lake white and have always been disappointed. Good for eater channels and ok for bass. The creek coming out of the spillway is 1000x better than the entire lake. 

Waiting for the river to go down myself, I have had the kayak on the scioto a few times in the last few weeks but its too high to try at night right now.


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## BigFishHunter (Dec 14, 2011)

I've caught some nice fish out of the spillway so I would have to agree it is better. Spillways usually are better than main lakes though. Every time the river gets to a fishable level it rains again. Mother nature just doesn't want to cooperate.


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## JohnPD (Jun 12, 2012)

Wow, good catch..


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