Cut bait & Flatheads

[Sparky Larson]

Vic & Sal,
I've been looking through this web site, and I've seen different catfisherman saying they use fresh cut bluegill, shad, and other bait fish for catching flatheads. ( And large Channels). Just like our buddy Jim Ross. I was understanding all flatheads could be caught on is Live bait. On one of the threads, a fella caught a 38 pounder on a Bluegill head. Help me out.
Sparky

[Ol Whiskers]

but they tend to get really picky sometimes. With a 2-pole limit, my son and I tend to put out 2 live baits, say bluegill, shiner, carp, goldfish, bullhead, and chub, and 2 cutbaits like shad, sheephead, chub, or several big minnows crushed, until we see what they want. Presentation, current, water conditions make a difference as well. Have also caught flatheads (unintentionally) on corn, wheaties, nitecrawlers, jigs, spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits...

If you take live bait and have some left over, put it in the freezer in a ziploc (push all the air out of the bag) and take it for cut or whole bait next time out. Been out many times when frozen bait is the only thing they'll touch.

[flathunter]

90 percent of my flatheads are caught on fresh cut shad...Even while fishing next to live bait the fresh cut shad has outproduced it..The fish on the header of these forums I caught on fresh cut shad also.

[dinkbuster1]

if its fresh they'lle eat it, shad and chub heads are best. theres something about them chub heads, ive had chubs out all night and not have a hit, but reeled them in, wacked off the head and couldnt keep the flats off my hook! its almost a guaranteed thing. caught 15 flats in a half hour one night on the same head. heads off anything will work though.

[H2O Mellon]

F-R-E-S-H is the Key !

Flathunter is right, last year we had FRESH cut Shad outfish the following:

-Live Bluegills
-Live Crappie
-Live Smallmouth Bass
-Live Crawfish
-Live Chubs
-Live Goldfish
-Live Whitebass
-Live Nightcrawlers
-Live Rockbass

[Baitkiller]

A little hink fer ya. On the Ohio River with fresh I've seen them thar Tabbys sit with the cut bait in their mouths for over 20 min. and not move. Not even see the pole jiggle. On the Ohio in the NE I've seen them do all kind of stuff from which I just stated to slaming the bait. IF, I said if I did not tight line I would not have caught 65% of the fish I did.

GOOD HUNTING!

"Join in the pursuit"!
<><Baitkiller><>

[dreamcatcher]

Sorry to take so long Sparky in getting back to you, but these guys are right. You can catch them on cut bait, although the type used should be indigenous to the waters you fish. When I was introduced to the fish it was done using live presentations, so I've been stuck in that mode. LOL. These guys have certainly caught more flatheads than I have, so you better take heed to what they're saying and apply it to Michigan waters. Hey, if it don't work you can always catch a big channel. LOL.

[Sparky Larson]

Hey Vic,
We got to get together! Thanks for your input. "Big thanks to all who responded from the "Buckeye" State. It's nice to know that you fellas keep track of us up here in No mans land.
We have to get the Michigan crew & the Ohio bunch together and do some fishin & some visiting.
What do you say guys, lets put something together.
Sparky

[dreamcatcher]

I agree Sparky, but it has to get a little warmer before I come out to play. LOL. When it does though, full speed ahead!!!

[Whistler]

My biggest flathead on live bait was a about 15 lbs I believe. My two biggest and only flatheads on cut bait weighed in at 37 and 40 lbs each. First one was caught on a gut pocket from a fresh skipjack, the other was on a gut pocket from a frozen skipjack. I was fishing for Bluecats when I caught both of them.

[jross1901]

i do really well on fresh cut bait. has to be fresh though.
only problem is turtles won't leave your bait alone.
hey sparky, happy holidays. jim ross

[Sparky Larson]

Jim,
Nice to here from you to hear from you. It's been a long time. It's not even January yet and I've got the winter blues. I've got Catfish fever!LOL Happy Holiday to you also.
Sparky

[sal_jr]

I got a flatty out of the maple by Bliss Road on a crawler ball once- it was only about a foot long but it happened.

[jross1901]

i'll get a couple during the summer using shrimp as well.
lil' fells though.

[slimcat]

I am starting to really believe in fresh cut skip heads and gut pockets. The last two flats I caught this year I caught on skip heads, a 18lber and a 52 lber.

[Sparky Larson]

Wow,
52lb flathead on a skip jack head. My state record isn't even 40lbs!
Hey Vic & Sal, we better start listening to this guy. We spend to much time and effort on Live bait with nothing to show for it. Vic you still got some of those frozen skips at home? We might want to try a little of them on the Maple!
Sparky

[hear_kitty]

First of all cats are opportunistic feeders and taste feeders and movement feeders the fact that more flatties are cought every year is that flatties have become more popular!! but . I think that that most people don't now a flattie from a channel cat or a bullhead don't get me wrong the true catfisherman nows but the weekend fisherman don't this makes it hard to keep track of where and when there cought! as far as the great lakes go. I think that there is the next state record in there! And i hope i will be the first to hunt it down there is to much deep water out there if they are in the saginaw river they are in the bay !!!! the most fresh water in the the word!!!!!!!!!!! ANY THOUGHTS

[dreamcatcher]

Sparky, don't be alarmed. Guys down south catch 40 to 50 pound flatheads quite regularly because of the growth rate. Our state record is 47 and a half because of a slower growth rate. As for skipjacks, those are also in abundance, which may explain the preference for that particular bait. Any oily fish would probably work, but I'm fresh out of skipjack. Moreover, it helps when the bait is freshly caught, and from my knowledge all the herring here is further north in the peninsula area. Shad would probably work fine here as far as cut bait is concerned...

Don, I agree that catfish are opportunistic feeders, and identifying them is a dubious feat in this state because of their popularity status. You said that you believe they're in the bay. No doubt, especially if you can find the right type of structure they like. That might be difficult in the bay...