| Flathead Catfish Baits | | | | caught many of flathead and when cleaning them I |
| Flathead baits primarily used are live baits, meaning | | | | have found just about everytype of fish in their |
| you catch baitfish, keep them alive, and chunk'em out | | | | stomachs. On one particular body of water I was |
| to catch a flathead. | | | | mainly using live bream as bait. After a few trips and |
| Now many people will tell you that they catch just as | | | | a few dozen smaller flatheads in the cooler I saw a |
| many flatheads on cut bait as they do on live baits. | | | | trend while cleaning them. Most of the flatheads had |
| We aren't disagreeing with that, it's just that most | | | | crappie in their stomachs. I did my homework and |
| catfish anglers target flatheads with live bait. | | | | found out if I caught the crappie on rod and reel |
| Flathead catfishing is almost like hunting. You search | | | | then I could use them as bait to fish for flatheads. |
| around the body of water you are fishing until you | | | | After the next few trips with only using crappie for |
| see the big flatheads on your fish finder. Then you | | | | bait, I noticed my numbers and size of the flatheads |
| chunk out some live bait and wait for the fight. | | | | I was catching had increased. |
| Your most common bait fish used to catch flatheads | | | | OK, now you should know that flatheads prefer live |
| are bream, sunfish, crappie, blue back herring, gizzard | | | | bait, they are predators. You have also learned to do |
| shad, bull head catfish, smaller channel catfish, | | | | some experimenting with different types of baits. If |
| suckers, and goldfish (gold fish aren't legal in every | | | | you catch some good eaters and clean them, take |
| state and some states do not allow you to use | | | | notice of what you are finding in their stomachs. The |
| "game" fish - most states allow you to use "game" | | | | stomachs never lie. |
| fish as bait as long as you catch it with rod and reel - | | | | One method you can use, if you prefer cut bait or |
| check your local fishing regulations.) | | | | can't keep bait alive, is to add a spoon or blade on |
| The best live baits to use are the ones found in the | | | | your line in front of the cut bait. This provides flash |
| body of water you are fishing. What is native to that | | | | and entices flatheads, like mimicking a live bait with |
| body of water? Does the lake or river have bream, | | | | vibrations. |
| crappie, shad, bullheads, or any other type of smaller | | | | We will later discuss the debate of "use big bait to |
| fish? If so, experiment around and find out which bait | | | | catch big catfish! |
| flatheads prefer for that body of water. I have | | | | |