Softer Side

Up North by mid-May and into June, and from April into May farther south, when water temperatures breach 60ºF, flatheads are generally settled into river reaches where they eventually spawn, although “settled” is a relative term compared to the movement activity during the Spring Coldwater Period. They’re still moving, hopscotching among spots like big snags and rockpiles, to feed and scout out spawning areas. But their metabolism is ramped up during this latter part of the Prespawn period, flatheads are feeding heavily, and the fishing is often as good as it gets.

Scouting Small Rivers

For In-Fisherman editors, a typical trip for flatheads to an unfamiliar stretch of river usually begins with a day of fishing for channel cats. The same weather and water conditions that increase flathead metabolism also improve the channel cat’s feeding mood, but being more abundant in most rivers, channel cats are more likely to feed during the day. They also bite willingly during the Prespawn Period, allowing us to cover many spots quickly as we evaluate a long stretch of river.

In most of the small rivers we’ve fished, it’s possible to explore a 10- to 15-mile stretch and catch lots of channel cats during a typical early summer day. The purpose of the excursion, however, isn’t just to catch channel cats, but rather to see and evaluate lots of water. Again, the biggest flatheads in most rivers tend to fall into the largest and deepest holes with the most cover. It’s impossible to make judgments about how good a particular hole might be if you don’t know what lies around the next bend.

Most holes occur along sweeping outside bends, where the river makes a sharp turn. The best bend-holes usually follow a long, relatively straight stretch of river with fairly uniform depth and current. These holes are scoured by the current pushing against the bank and the river bottom. Trees and other debris that fall into the water in the straight stretch also tend to collect along the outside bend, providing overhead cover and protection from current for flatheads and their prey.

Holes also occur behind riffle areas in relatively straight river stretches. Water moves through long, featureless runs at the same speed, creating a channel of fairly uniform depth; but when the current encounters a harder rocky bottom that doesn’t erode, the river becomes shallower and current increases. When the bottom again changes from rock to sand or silt, this faster water shoots over the riffle and scours out a hole. Sediments gradually settle to the bottom as current speed slows and another run begins.

Flatheads and channel cats often prefer different holes. Since most rivers support more channel cats than flatheads, competition for food usually is higher among channels. This forces channel cats into feeding stations that afford the best opportunity to grab edible items drifting in current. In some small rivers, channel cats may feed more often in riffles than in holes. Flatheads, meanwhile, usually are attracted to larger holes with more cover that provide more security and harbor more baitfish. Overhead cover from rock outcrops, downed timber, or manmade structures also seems more important to flatheads than to channel cats.