The flathead catfish are the toughest ones to catch of all catfish around. They are solitary and difficult species to find and catch. Once you hook flatheads, they put up a great fight day or night. Even the most experienced anglers are happy when they get one large catfish in a single trip.
Why are flatheads so hard to catch?
A big difference between flathead and many other fish is that when they are in a feeding mode, they don’t move around other than to break camouflage and attack. They stay still until their food comes to them. So you need to bring your lure to them. A few casts in an area for no result and it’s time to move on.
What is the best bait for Flathead Catfish?
Flatheads feed primarily on live baits. Good hearty and lively baits like live perch, bluegill, sunfish, goldfish or mudcats are the preferred bait for catching flatheads.
Is flathead easy to catch?
Flathead are one of the most popular and easy to catch species in the country. Better still, they taste great! Flathead are one of the easiest species to catch just so long as you understand the basics.
What time of year is best for flathead fishing?
Flathead are available all year round. There is no closed season for flathead. The peak seasons run from April to May and September to October. Cronulla is the perfect fishing location for flathead.
How deep do you fish for flathead catfish?
At night, flatheads move onto shallow flats to seek out food. He says the best flats are those that have wood cover and good depth and are just adjacent to them. “I often catch 40- to 60-pound fish in flats from 1 to 5 feet deep.” He says a large flathead will often have a subtle bite.
Can you catch flathead during the day?
Despite what you may have heard, it is possible to keep up on your sleep and still catch flathead catfish. It’s true. You can catch them during the day.
What size hooks for flathead?
Depending on the size of your bait, 3/0 to 5/0 will do the trick. The best tip is to go super-sharp, quality hooks. Suicide, light gauge live bait, and circle hooks are brilliant here. Just remember, the worst thing you can do is use a hook too small or too large for the bait.
Are flathead catfish good eating?
But the flathead catfish’s delicious taste also provides an excellent reason to fish for the species. Flatheads, Channel Cat, Blue cat, and Bullhead cats are excellent table food. Many hardcore catfish fishermen believe a young flathead has a delightful flavor that is preferable to the other cat species.
Are hotdogs good catfish bait?
Hot dogs are a common food taken along on fishing excursions and double as excellent catfish bait. Points to remember when using hot dogs as catfish bait include: Cheaper hot dogs seem to catch more fish.
What is the best rig for catching flathead?
You can make your own flathead rigs. The most common rigs are running sinker rig or a paternoster rig. You can buy premade fishing rigs which are an easy way to get started. Simply tie to your main line and attach a sinker and you’re ready to go.
What size flathead can I keep?
For all other saltwater species, the possession limit is the bag limit.
Finfish bag and size limits.
| Species | Flathead |
|---|---|
| Flathead (Bluespotted) | |
| Size limits or legal length (cm) | 33 cm |
| Bag limit | 10 in total *. 20 in possession. |
What depth is flathead?
Habitat: Deepwater flathead are a demersal species that lives on the continental shelf and slope. They can be found at depths of 70-490 metres. They are well camouflaged and spend the majority of their life buried in sand or mud, with just the eyes or upper parts of the head exposed.
Can I catch flathead in winter?
With winter just around the corner it’s time to gear up for flathead. Dusky Flathead (Platycephalus fuscus) are found in abundance in the winter months. With this said, it is a great time of year to bring out the flathead gear and chase a few on plastics. If you are new to lure fishing then this is the species for you.
Are flathead active in winter?
Best Times/ Seasons. Dusky Flathead are more active in the warmer months. This increased activity is due to their breeding season. They are less active in winter months but do not migrate so they are still present.
Where can I catch flathead in the winter?
Shallow weedy flats that are out of the wind can save your bacon in cold conditions, especially on the last half of a run-in tide. In winter we generally don’t get too much rain and the run-in is often crystal clear. Also, in a shallow flat, every fish that moves up as the tide rises is there to feed.
How old is a 25 lb flathead catfish?
To reach a 25 pound trophy mark, Flathead Catfish have to survive to at least 7 or 8 years.
How do you attract flathead catfish?
The big guys seldom eat invertebrates or rummage for dinner. A meat-and-potatoes meal for a giant flathead is another fish—a live fish—so that’s what you should use to entice them. Good choices include live sunfish, suckers, bullheads, carp, goldfish, and chubs.
Where is the best place to catch flathead catfish?
The native range of flathead catfish includes the larger rivers of the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Rio Grande river basins from the Great Lakes south into northern Mexico. Flatheads thrive in rivers that range from tributaries just 100 feet wide to the lower reaches of the nation’s largest rivers.
What time of year do flatheads start biting?
Best Time of Year to Catch Flathead
The best time to target flathead catfish is from the spring to the fall. Flathead LOVE warm water, so usually around may – august I have my best luck. When the water temp reaches 55, they seem to pick up and start biting.
What is the best month to catch catfish?
Late March, April, and early May are some of the best blue catfish fishing of the year for numbers of fish and also offers excellent opportunities for trophy class catfish as well. Channel catfish action is typically excellent and very consistent also.