Softer Side

Bait & Tackle

Big, lively, wild baits are vital. Suckers raised in bait ponds don’t live as long on the hook or react as strongly when a flathead swims close, as do wild, 10- to 15-inch suckers caught by hook and line from the river you’re fishing. Big, green sunfish, creek chubs, and small carp also are effective baits. Perhaps the best baits of all are bullheads. They don’t have to be big—5- to 8-inchers are perfect. Run a 7/0 to 10/0 hook through the thinnest part of the tail muscle, leaving the hook point exposed, to ensure good penetration on the hook-set.

Simple, sturdy hook designs like the Mustad 92671 and Eagle Claw 84 are good options. Sharpen hook points with a file and reduce the barb slightly for easier penetration. Premium hooks with smaller barbs and needle-sharp points are more expensive, but usually worth it. The Owner SSW, Daiichi Heavy Duty Bait Hook, and Gamakatsu Octopus are fine flathead hooks. The VMC 7299 is another good hook—less expensive than other premiums but sharper than standard hooks.

Once baits have been set, place rods in holders on the boat or in ground spikes on the shore, with the freespool on and clicker engaged. Most heavy-power rods with medium to medium-fast action work for flatheads. We’ve caught lots of big fish on muskie rods, saltwater boat rods, and heavier, general-purpose rods like those in the Shakespeare Ugly Stik line. Shakespeare’s Ugly Stik Custom USCC 2270 M is a favorite for flatheads around heavy cover. Their Tiger series rods are another good option. Also check out rods available in St. Croix’s Premier Musky line, Quantum’s Big Cat, and Cabela’s King Kat Pro selections.

Couple these rods with a tough, dependable baitcasting reel with a smooth drag and large line capacity. We’ve used Shakespeare Tidewater reels for years, and now they offer their Arsenal Series. The Arsenal has all the features needed for small-river flathead duty—a powerful gear ratio, a clicker loud enough to wake you up from a light snooze, and a multi-disc drag system. The AR20AL reel is rated for 330 yards of 20-pound mono, but handles all the 50-pound line you need. Penn’s International 975, Abu Garcia’s 6500C3 and 7000C3, and Quantum’s Iron IR430 are other top choices.

Use a good abrasion-resistant mono in 40- to 50-pound test. Berkley Big Game, Stren High Impact, and other premium lines have proven to be tough. Twenty-pound test works for smaller fish and might land you a big one, but chances are when a big one hits you’ll wish you had heavier line.

Hooking, Landing & Releasing

If the hole you’re fishing hasn’t been fished by other anglers recently, the action may start an hour or so before dark, when the sun drops just below the tops of the trees and the light is perfect for a photo. Fish may continue to bite for a few hours after dark, with a lull sometime during the night. Two options here—trailer the boat and check into a motel for a decent night’s sleep, or stick it out and wait for the action to resume a few hours before dawn. We usually wait. Sleep is a fair price to pay for a big flathead.