# Flathead Questions



## bimhoff07 (Mar 9, 2006)

I've heard various talk about the best baits to use for flatheads and wondered what you guys recommend? Unfortunately, I don't have time to catch bait myself, so I was wondering if flats will bite on anything that can be bought? For example, I know channels like chicken liver, but is there anything store-bought that flatheads will go after? There's a local place from which I can buy shiners, but will flatties eat those? If so, is it better to hook them alive or to cut them up and hook them? Any help or tips on where to get bait would be appreciated. (As far as location, I'm at Muskingum College and will be home this weekend in the Wooster area, so anywhere around there or in between would work in case anyone had shops/stores in mind.) Thanks folks!


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## Snobal (Jul 26, 2005)

From what I've been told, Flatties prefer live bait. Usually catch creek chubs or small gills for bait. I also know of a few people who have pretty good success with 2-3 inch goldfish which you can buy at most pet shops but they are a bit pricey for my liking!


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## JUSTCRAZY (Apr 6, 2004)

Many baits will works, but the big fish like live bait. Bluegill, rock bass, chubs, goldfish, ... anything they can find. The question is, which one do they want that day, and even better is will they bite at all.

On the river you will also have good sucess with good chunks of cut bait. Shad, chubs, suckers. With these baits you can expect to pick up fish up into the teens / twenty pound class. 

It is just a lot of time and experimenting, but there is no super bait that I have found yet!

Rob.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

Your not talking about going out this weekend for Flathead are you? If so, you might want to reconsider.


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## rockbass (Apr 16, 2004)

Like was already said, live bait.......but other baits will catch a flattie here and there. I have caught them on shad, liver and worms. If you are going to get serious about catching them though, stick to live baits.


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## bimhoff07 (Mar 9, 2006)

No Mellon, I was just talking in general, no plans for this weekend. I have heard that it is much harder to catch flatties in cold weather, whereas channel are still catchable in all temperatures. Is this true?


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## Snobal (Jul 26, 2005)

It is definitely easier to catch flatties in warmer weather. They tend to go into deeper holes and "hibernate" earlier than channels. Once the cold weather sets in, you can still catch flatties but you have to basically hit them in the head with your bait.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

Yes, that is right but its more like snagging them w/ your bait 
I have seen videos of big Flats layign on the bottom belching up silt & all other sorts of nasty stuff & have had bait directly in front of their mouths. For those people that claim they can sometimes catch dozens of flats in one spot during the winter, in my opinon they must be snagging them verticially. I could be wrong though, but thats just based on the info that I've gotten back when looking the subject up.

Channels will be on all year. I've seen & heard of some nice Channels being caught in the winter. I know Flathunter caught a 15# Channel on 1/1/06 a couple eyars back. if you can get to some Blue Cat water, then your in GREAT luck.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

i'm with mellon ball and the crazy guy  
i'll add that the bait shop at dillon has goldfish also.probably available from spring through fall.cut or big dead bait works on flats in spring,but big live stuff is best once the water warms through the upper 60's or more.
as for channels,again they can be caught throughout the year.
here's a little one that toad got a couple years ago when it was a "little chilly"


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## bimhoff07 (Mar 9, 2006)

Do blues populate any of the rivers or lakes in Ohio other than the Ohio River?


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

bimhoff07 said:


> Do blues populate any of the rivers or lakes in Ohio other than the Ohio River?


Oh no.... Here it comes the Blue Cat vs Large Male Cat debates! Yes!!! Grab a chair and throw some popcorn in the microwave!  

Seriously though, I know of one lake that has them, but it's very far from you and I'm not sure it's something that has gotten out yet. I will tell you though, that if the Muskingum is like ther GMR, and it should be, the channels are active right now, very active. Look deep & you will find them! 

If you cast it, they will come!!!!  

Good luck!


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

Hmm... We'll okay. I take that back. I just got a report from a trusty source, he was catching the crap out of channels, in shallow water, yes that was not a typo. I'm inside WORKING and don't know what it's like outside, but I guess the water is 47-48 degrees & the channels were coming into he shallow water where the sun was warming things up a little, or these were just a bunch of dumb idiot channels & he was just lucky!!!


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Come on Bryan?? you KNOW I wasnt lucky, it was all that skill I posess ( and a little I picked up from you and Dink over the past year) Yup Channels were on a mud flat near some structure in about 5-6 feet of water and then I took some on a drop off fron 3-4 feet down to about 12 feet of water. 
Typical winter bites, they pull hard and youll miss as many as you hook, I landed 7 today ( all around 3 lbs each) in about 3 hrs so it was a great little afternoon trip except... the motor is still acting funny so Im gonna take it in again. 
Yes water was between 44.5 and 46.5 degrees. Im pretty sure once the water gets back to its normal level the fish will be in the deep water for good but this bright sunny day pulled em out and the flows are still high so it tends to concentrate them. I wont be able to get out again until saturday..... I hope the bite stays on!  

Salmonid


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

Mark did you catch the jealous WORKING part? I hate the fact that i was here while you were there!


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## 01mercLS (Oct 28, 2006)

I'll tell you what i use... but I mostly use this for the paylakes... mostly catfishermans paradise. I take raw chicken breasts, cut them up to about 1/12 in squares. put them into a bag with cherry and strawberry koolaid, about 6 bags of koolaid. Let it sit before you use it. It's never let me down, i dunno if anyones tried it. But it seems to be pretty effective. But like everyone said... live baits work well too, bluegills, goldfish will do it.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

H2O Mellon said:


> Yes, that is right but its more like snagging them w/ your bait
> I have seen videos of big Flats layign on the bottom belching up silt & all other sorts of nasty stuff & have had bait directly in front of their mouths. For those people that claim they can sometimes catch dozens of flats in one spot during the winter, in my opinon they must be snagging them verticially. I could be wrong though, but thats just based on the info that I've gotten back when looking the subject up.


I am by no means a Catfish expert, but I have heard of some guys catching Flatheads out of the Scioto during warming trends in the middle of winter. There also was a In-Fisherman article a while back which mentioned the tendency of Flatheads to sporadically eat during mid winter warm-spells, only to shut off again once the spell lifted. Not sure if anyone remembers the article, but it had a picture of one of the editors all bundled up holding a flathead with a jig in it's mouth, and an illustration of a sleeping flathead on the bottom  . It also mentioned how Flatheads school up in deep holes to hibernate, and can be snagged (not caught) with ease.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Not the article I was thinking of, but still a good one

"Frosty Flatheads"

http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/exclusives/if2901_CatfishArchives/

And another discussion on the same topic on BOC, guess these guys think the anglers mentioned in the article above are just snagging.

http://www.catfish1.com/forums/showthread.php?p=125465


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## dinkbuster1 (Oct 28, 2005)

i'd say a warm spell would get them moving, especially if it was for more than 4 or 5 days. dont know if anyone else remembers, but in '92 i think it was, we had a really long warm spell in the first of March (ah, found it! scroll down on page. http://www.wunderground.com/history...tml?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA ) and i remember fishing the GMR for channels and a freind and i ended up catching 15 or more flatties on cut creek chubs. most were small but we broke off a couple big ones cause we were using light channel gear. as a matter of fact there were guys there fishing for "eyes" that were getting them too. after that warm spell we couldnt catch another flattie until mid-late april. that warm spell had completely sunny skies with 65+ days and no doubt warmed the water above that magical 47-50 degree mark on the last couple days. we were there on a Sunday so i'd say that was the 8th. went back that next weekend with live bait and everything to only be dissapointed  . if it does that again you can bet i'm givin it a shot!


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I'm w/ you for this weekend Dink. We can take my boat if you want, I havent started it since I went to TN.


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## dinkbuster1 (Oct 28, 2005)

if you wanna get one this weekend is going to be the time. the GMR in middletown is 52 degrees, rain will dump even more warm water, even the saugeye fishermen are starting to catch them again http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59138 . i along with some "local experts" are going to give it a shot this weekend. if i get one, will be my first December flattie!


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## hunted (Dec 10, 2006)

the bigger rivers,scioto,ohio rivers,have power plants located on them.you can catch flats from what i have heard all winter there.someone was telling me in the scioto,i believe down by circleville there is one on the scioto.says he catches them all year long there.there are warm water discharges off of em.

i have also had luck using yellow bellies for bait


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