Softer Side

When a fish takes, wait just long enough to know it has the bait, has turned, and is moving away from you. Don’t wait for it to swallow the bait—it may move into a snag after taking the bait or may be hooked too deeply to release. As it moves away, set hard, rod tip high, and hold on. Don’t give any line unless you have to. Keep the fish’s head pointed toward you and away from the snag. Fights with flatheads on heavy tackle usually don’t last long but are memorable for their intensity.

You can certainly catch a 20-pounder from a small river this summer. And once you break 20, catching a 30 won’t be too difficult. Get a bait in the right place at night and you’ll catch them, maybe even most of the fish in the hole. A few 20s, a 30, and maybe even a 40 from one hole during one night is a dream come true for many anglers. But we can’t in good conscience keep all those fish.

A 20-pound flathead in some small rivers may be 20 years old, and it might take even longer for the river to replace that fish. Flatheads are especially vulnerable during the Prespawn Period when big fish are so focused on eating that they can’t help taking a well-presented bait. Capture the moment with a photograph and slide the fish back into the water. Return next season, when the same fish is a little wiser and definitely bigger.