One tell tale sign of where you are from (other than whether you say soda or pop) is if you’re fishing for a shovelhead or a flathead catfish. The same fish by a different name, this fish is the king of the North American catfish angling world. Although, this can be disputed as well sometimes more heated than a GM fan versus a Ford fan. The flathead cat is a specimen that can be as large and in some cases larger than the blue catfish. The flathead really isn’t as closely related as the blue and the channel are. The flathead cat actually is in its own family in the fish world. The most distinguishing sign of having a flathead is it’s massive under bite and its smaller beady eyes on the top of its head. The flathead/shovelhead catfish is named such for its looks.
The size of the flathead is also in excess of 100 lbs. However due to their elusive nature and aggressive fight if you catch one in excess of 20 lbs your liable to do a happy dance in your boat. The fish is native to the Midwest, namely the Ohio and Mississippi valleys but like most sport fish it is being transported to other waters in the US.
Like most catfish species the flathead starts spawning in the summer time when water is at about 80 degrees. Flathead males are usually the care givers of the fry and keep the nest well guarded. As the flathead fry ages it shows its true nature as a carnivore and feeds on smaller fish and insects. Just like its cousin the flathead grows to prefer the living breathing prey.
Unlike channel and blue catfish the flathead prefers a more Stillwater location. However, just like its cousins it prefers the safety of cover. Usually they can be found at the bends of rivers where debris collects. The substrate usually isn’t as important to the flathead as the blue or the channel.
The bait of choice when targeting the flathead should always be live, live, live. Very rarely the flathead is caught on dead or manufactured baits. In this sense the flathead is very similar to other predatory fish. They are most active at night when they forage for food. Most of the largest flatheads were caught in the wee hours of the night or morning so keep your coffee close by. The hardest part of flathead fishing is both knowing when you have one on your line and getting in the boat when you do. The lethargic nature of the flathead makes it hard to know if you have one due to them taking the bait and either sitting still and chewing on it. One of the signature moves of a flathead that is hooked is its tendency to want to wander horizontally rather than vertical.
Either way once you hook one of these freshwater beasts hang on and I hope you ate your wheaties!
The size of the flathead is also in excess of 100 lbs. However due to their elusive nature and aggressive fight if you catch one in excess of 20 lbs your liable to do a happy dance in your boat. The fish is native to the Midwest, namely the Ohio and Mississippi valleys but like most sport fish it is being transported to other waters in the US.
Like most catfish species the flathead starts spawning in the summer time when water is at about 80 degrees. Flathead males are usually the care givers of the fry and keep the nest well guarded. As the flathead fry ages it shows its true nature as a carnivore and feeds on smaller fish and insects. Just like its cousin the flathead grows to prefer the living breathing prey.
Unlike channel and blue catfish the flathead prefers a more Stillwater location. However, just like its cousins it prefers the safety of cover. Usually they can be found at the bends of rivers where debris collects. The substrate usually isn’t as important to the flathead as the blue or the channel.
The bait of choice when targeting the flathead should always be live, live, live. Very rarely the flathead is caught on dead or manufactured baits. In this sense the flathead is very similar to other predatory fish. They are most active at night when they forage for food. Most of the largest flatheads were caught in the wee hours of the night or morning so keep your coffee close by. The hardest part of flathead fishing is both knowing when you have one on your line and getting in the boat when you do. The lethargic nature of the flathead makes it hard to know if you have one due to them taking the bait and either sitting still and chewing on it. One of the signature moves of a flathead that is hooked is its tendency to want to wander horizontally rather than vertical.
Either way once you hook one of these freshwater beasts hang on and I hope you ate your wheaties!
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