Need info

[hear_kitty]

This is my new plane of attack 50lb gorilla super braid 3 way swivel and 18 to 20 in of spiderwire30 pound stealth 7/0 gaimakatsu or 8/0 and 4oz weight on 17 pound mono is this the way to go if not tell me why

[laidbck111]

sounds like a plan. Hope it works out for you.

[hear_kitty]

This is my new plane of attack 50lb gorilla super braid 3 way swivel and 18 to 20 in of spiderwire30 pound stealth 7/0 gaimakatsu or 8/0 and 4oz weight on 17 pound mono is this the way to go if not tell me whyMent to say 17lb line to the sinker

[MRR]

Sounds like a plan in the makng. hope it all works out for ya.

[jspiel]

sounds like you have a good rig there Don. but why are you going with a lighter leader than your main line? I usually go with a heavier leader that what my main line is, but that is just my personal preference. as far as your main line? 50 lb gorilla should handel almost anything you come across, and if it doesnt, i dont think i want to get near that fish anyway.

[dreamcatcher]

I would go with a mono shock leader...the length is up to you based on where you plan on dropping your bait. I use 50 - 80 pound test. It's abrasion resistant, and it will save your expensive braid in case you have to break off...

[hear_kitty]

[QUOTE=dreamcatcher]I would go with a mono shock leader...the length is up to you based on where you plan on dropping your bait. I use 50 - 80 pound test. It's abrasion resistant, and it will save your expensive braid in case you have to break off...[/QUOTE . Is there a specific reason that your looking for a shock leader and what would that be ? using 30 pound spider wire has no stretch in it if fishing a log jam i thought it was the idea to stop them from getting there in the first place

[hear_kitty]

what is up with the last post

[Redd]

The testline of the leader compared to the main line is personal opinion, but I perfer heavier line, because of them darn cats mouthin' it once they're hooked. And if there's any knicks in the leader, replace it then, before you loose a nice fish. I'd go with the spider wire stealth for the leader too, but dreamcatcher also knows what the heck he's talkin' about. Probably couldn't go wrong either way. Hope I've been of some help

-Red

[bwanatony]

I may be wrong, but I thought folks used heavier leaders to prevent breakoffs from abrasion on rocks & teeth.
Other folks prefer lighter leaders, so when they get snagged they only lose their hook & leader.
I solved both problems (I think) by going up to way heavier main line than I really need (80-100# braid) so my 60# mono leader is all that I lose if I don't lift the entire tree off the bottom.
50# main line and 30# leader is a perfectly workable rig for most flathead fishing. I'll show a knot trick on Friday that will make it work great.
Tony

[hear_kitty]

ARE you fishing swift current or need the weight for distance? I make my own river sinkers and use a lighter leader because of hanging the sinkers up and braking them off. I figure farliy good curent just to hold the bait in place

[bwanatony]

I figure farliy good curent just to hold the bait in place

I always figure that if the weight will hold the bait from swimming away. then it will almost always hold it in the current, too.
If the current sweeps away a 5" bluegill and a 3oz pyramid sinker, I look for another place to fish.
JMHO

[dreamcatcher]

Don, here is an article that I found in the library that deals with abrasion resistance:

http://www.catfish1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1307

Hope this helps somewhat...

[dreamcatcher]

Here's another great article that sort of ties into what we were discussing last night regarding the stretch factor benefits of a mono leader:

http://www.catfish1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9606

[dreamcatcher]

Yet another outstanding article regarding the general nature of flathead fishing:

http://www.catfish1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1803

[Sparky Larson]

Interesting reading 'vic'!

[hear_kitty]

Thanks vic that helps alot that just what i was looking for

[IL Hunter]

It sounds like a decent set up to me. I would also personally use a heavier leader, but that is just personal preference.

[sal_jr]

LOL- and I lightened up this year.

25lb test and 50lb leader on the biggun, 17lb test and 50lb leaders on the lil rods.

:cool2:

[dreamcatcher]

Don, I was sitting here thinking about something that I said in reference to the prospects of catching a record flathead in this state. If you recall in our conversation I mentioned a fish of that size being at or near the end of their lifespan. I still believe that is true for channel catfish as 40 pounds and above is truly a genetic freak of nature. However, I have to backtrack on that line of thinking for flatheads, because 50 pounds is a common weight for the species, much like 15 is for channel cats. What is a little difficult to correlate for me is the hardiness of that size fish compared to his southern brethren that may double his weight, but be similar in age. I think we know the channels live longer here, but what about the flatheads? I don't know how "geriatric" they are at 50 pounds here. Are theY less prone to stress than a 50 pounder down south because they're older? Just wanted to throw that out there, and didn't want to start another thread to do it...

At any rate, you know my stance if I'm in the boat with someone that is fortunate enough to put Elmer Rayner in the archives...LOL.

Side note: Went to Cabela's in Dundee yesterday to see if I could find me a new toy. As always, I am always magnetically drawn to their aquarium(yes, I like to gawk at fish too LOL) which features most of the species that are indigenous to this state. Some omissions of note were lake sturgeon, bowfin, and carp(they did feature gar, buffalo, and sheepshead so go figure LOL). Of course, I am interested in the catfish behavior, and it's usually the same each and every time. Now I know an aquarium is a simulation of their true environment, but it's hard for a leopard to change its spots.

All of the catfish preferred to stay in the dark recesses of the tank..."hidden" form view sort to speak. There were maybe six channel cats that averaged out to be about 10 pounds swimming around each other like shad, and one that must have weighed 25 to 30 pounds "ignoring" the smaller channels. I jokingly asked one of the staff if it was a blue, because of it's size and it was difficult for me to see the anal fin. LOL. They assured me that it was a channel, probably caught out of a local farm pond somewhere.

They also had two flatheads in the tank. One was about the size of the big channel, and the other looked like it was half that size. There were placards outside of the tank that let folks know that the flatheads weren't dead, but are really just being dormant due to the "daylight" conditions. The flats were basically motionless. One was on the bottom with these channels swarming all around, and the other was in the middle of a root system suspended at a 45 degree angle.

It was just interesting how the posture of the two species were in that setting...

[hear_kitty]

Some good thoughts there. Some thing that come to mind is it would be very interresting to see the tank in a night time setting!

[bwanatony]

I go there 4 times a year, and the flats are ALWAYS wedged as far into seclusion as they can get. One was almost standing on his head once to hide behind a stump because the biggest, baddest one had the better spot taken & wasn't sharing.
I think they tried carp in there, but they kept disappearing- and the flatheads kept growing at an unexplainable rate...

[RiverKat]

I've also seen those Flatheads at Cabela's. Got me thinking about a huge root system that I know of. I wonder if flatheads are able to suspend themselves at an angle amongst the wood in current like they do in the aquarium? I asked an employee about the flatheads behavior when the lights go out. He told me he'd never seen one eat a thing during the day but the foods always gone by morning.

Dan

[Wil]

sounds good to me

[hear_kitty]

I've also seen those Flatheads at Cabela's. Got me thinking about a huge root system that I know of. I wonder if flatheads are able to suspend themselves at an angle amongst the wood in current like they do in the aquarium? I asked an employee about the flatheads behavior when the lights go out. He told me he'd never seen one eat a thing during the day but the foods always gone by morning.

Dan Well as far as suspending them selfs in heavy cover yes during the day but think about this they have to feed and spawn where do they go and like any fish when they lay there eggs they need oxygen so they go to the flats and eat and spawn spawn on a brake and feed on the flat and as someone said here the males take over dose this make since or am i full of sh--

[bwanatony]

I've also seen those Flatheads at Cabela's. Got me thinking about a huge root system that I know of. I wonder if flatheads are able to suspend themselves at an angle amongst the wood in current like they do in the aquarium? I asked an employee about the flatheads behavior when the lights go out. He told me he'd never seen one eat a thing during the day but the foods always gone by morning.

Dan

Once, I was there at feeding time (the best show was the bucket of minnows dumped in with those big bull bluegills- you would have thought they were pirahnas!)
Somebody above the tank poked a long tube in front of the big flathead with a dead 7-8" sucker attached to the end with a wire (it could be released from above). As soon as the sucker was dropped, SLURP! Gone without chewing!

[sal_jr]

fascinating discussion.

I never thought to get that involved!