# 400+ Miles Driving For Cats Within Ohio In Late April = ?



## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

The answer is NOTHING!

Between myself and Flathunter we drove aprox 402 miles (and the majority of it was together) this weekend looking for Flatheads. The grand total was: ZERO. To top it off the grand total on channels = ZERO. We had great bait, fresh shad and live large Flathead size Chubs that I trapped from our creek. We ended up fishing a spot that was rumored to have some flatheads, that was a mistake. This spot ended up being 20-25 yards wide. It would have been a nice place to land some nice smallmouth and rockbass (read: BAIT :wink: ) but not for what we were looking for. We gave it a shot without luck of course. We also hit the Scitoto, sat threw some lighting/thunder/rain storms and failed to land a single fish. 

With the expection of one day, this year has been horrible for me. I've fished 36 foot holes to 1-2 feet of water and haven't really produced much. It has me rethinking everything. I'm thinking of maybe buying a bigger boat sooner than expected and fishing the Ohio River more, possibly buying/leasing a piece of land to build a boat ramp on a specifc stretch of water, targeting one specifc lake all year, not getting into it for now on until mid-late May, or just taking a year or so off from catfishing and going back to the old days of wading for smallmouth and other bait...., whoops I mean fish. :lol: 

After seeing pics of a 66# Flathead beast from a restrcited 9.9 Lake in SE Ohio and hearing about the 49# & 52# Flatheads that were caught at this lake this year, I'm thnking of targeting it. I know I'd prob get skunked 15 out of 20 trips, but I know the lake and think I could produce part of the time. 

Those of you that are fishing (with the Ohio River excluded) right now, are you getting the same louzy results?


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## Predator225 (May 14, 2005)

Alot of things are running a little behind this year it seems. Because of this, i usually take a vacation in may to fish pre-spawn flatheads; but this year i am gonna take it early in june instead. This is gonna be the first year in a loooong time that i can remember that i have not caught a catfish in general (not just flatheads) before may 1st. I actually made a cat trip last week in northeast ohio, great bait (some HUGE, fresh cut shad), good conditions, and not a bite! Youre not the only one feelin the pain Melon, just sucks you guys had to go through an entire weekend like that!! Don't give up either, you n Jack will have ur day soon enough!


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I actually don't intend to regularly catch the 20#+ (heck even the 15#+) Flatheads until a month or so, but what has me worried is the lack of Channel cats. It just has me scratching my head.


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## dip (Apr 5, 2004)

come up here mr mellon sir! i popped about an 8# and a 11.4 channel friday nite. and some 4-5 pounders as well. gonna go 2nite


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## Steelwolve (Apr 18, 2006)

Yea had the same results up here in Columbus, Ive mainly been targeting channels up here and besides our trip up to Erie this year I only have 3 cats over a #1 so far biggest being a 4#er.Gonna try a new hole tonight on the OldandTangy ill let ya know. Oh yea we went over to Wills creek fri night and didnt hit squat missed a bunch of small taps (bullhead I bet) on shad, and my buddy had 1 nice run on a 5" Goldfish but as soon as he touched his pole it stopped.


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## JUSTCRAZY (Apr 6, 2004)

Are you saying that someone has already pulled three large flats since the ice has thawed this year. Or they caught those fish this past season?

I know of 4 9.9 lakes right off hand in the SE of Ohio that hold fish of that size, but sure would be VERY suprised if someone told me that they got them already this year.

Rob


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

Rob,

I'll shoot you a PM.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Catfishing sucks..I mean sucks...I have been catfishing for 30 years, and it sucks every year...Last night I was setting in the pouring rain, and wind catfishing and not a single hit..I quit!


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

i see this every spring where guys are out all night without a bite from flatties, there shallow, i keep seeing them taken on jigs by WB and sauger fisherman just below riffles. saw one guy last week who had no clue land 2 in like 30 mins. i dont bother still fishing until atleast may


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## Predator225 (May 14, 2005)

Riverking is right!
Last week when i was out fishin for crappie, the bait shop had a pic of an amish guy holdin a 60lb flathead he caught a few days before; fishing for walleye im assuming. Last year i caught my first flathead of the year on a golden shiner while crappie fishin, second week of april.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

I more or less took a break from it. It wasn't the sheer ammount of time that I was investing into it that bothered me so much, but was the sheer bordom of sitting on the bank with no one to talk to. Sure the aniticaption of waiting to here a rod go off is stellar.

H20/Flathunter shoot me a PM if you guys ever need another pal to tag along on your fishless journeys


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

sounds good man. But stay away from Flathunter he's basically flathead less so far.  Oh yea.... & it's rubbing off. I got FLATHUNTERED S ) yesterday!


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Went down to Brush Creek and spent the whole day canoing the river with the old lady. Had an entire 8 mile stretch to ourselves for the most part. Caught a bunch of smallies/spots/white bass and even a few sauger. Was pretty nice and a change of pace.


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