What is the best way to catch flathead catfish?
Flathead catfish hang out in deep cover near the current. When they come out of cover to feed, they will move into the current while staying on the bottom. A good technique for catching flatheads is to drift the bait next to the current in river bends.
What is the best bait for flathead catfish?
Best Catfish Bait For Flathead Catfish. Flatheads feed primarily on live baits. Good hearty and lively baits like live perch, bluegill, sunfish, goldfish or mudcats are the preferred bait for catching flatheads.
How do you fish for catfish in Arkansas?
Top baits for trophy cats are fresh cut shad for blues and channel cats, and live sunfish for flatheads. Big crayfish also work well on all species here. If deep-water angling isn’t your cup of tea, don’t fret. You can probably still catch catfish in shallow water haunts if you can locate shady cover.
Where can I find big flathead catfish?
Focus your fishing efforts on large rivers and lakes. Each river and lake also has specific areas on which you should focus your attention. In rivers, look for flatheads in areas with a steady water flow and hardened mud or gravel bottom. The outside bends of rivers are among the most productive hotspots.
Will flathead catfish eat Nightcrawlers?
Night crawlers and other big earthworms work well, even on big flatheads, if you use the following bait setup. Small fish—sunfish, suckers, little catfish—will nibble the worms when the big ball of bait is fished on bottom.
What is the best catfish bait?
10 Best Catfish Bait – Both Live and Artificial
- Chicken Livers. Chicken livers are traditionally the best way to catch catfish if you’re fishing in deeper waters.
- Asian Carp.
- Crawfish.
- Nightcrawlers.
- Stink Bait.
- Punch Bait.
- Blood Bait.
- Shrimp.
What is the best rig for Flathead?
When targeting flathead with bait, simple rigs are best. A running sinker above a small swivel, 30cm of leader and a hook is perfect for presenting a natural looking bait close to the bottom where the flathead live.
What’s the best rig for Flathead?
Thinking about using 80 lb braid with a palomar knot tied to a 2 oz disc sinker at the end then about 1 foot up a dropper loop with a j hook with a live shad, bullhead, or bluegill hooked around the spine. Some folk were saying to use a slip sinker rig instead.
How do you catch Flatheads in the Arkansas River?
Flatheads are native to Arkansas, primarily the larger river systems. Anglers in the state use three methods to catch them. The most common two ways to fish for them are with a rod-and-reel or with a trotline or jug set on the water.
Where did the state record flathead catfish come from?
Three state-record flathead catfish also came from the Arkansas. And there’s no telling how many more mammoth Arkansas River cats have been landed but never considered for the record book. For instance, in 1982, a 139-pound, 14-ounce flathead was caught on a snagline below Terry Lock and Dam downstream from Little Rock.
How big do flathead catfish get in Arkansas?
LITTLE ROCK – Of the three species of catfish in Arkansas, the flathead may rank at the top, at least in fishermen’s interest. Flatheads aren’t the most numerous. Channel catfish hold the lead there. Flatheads also aren’t the largest; the blue catfish holds the state record at well over 110 pounds.
What’s the best way to catch a flathead catfish?
The most common two ways to fish for them are with a rod-and-reel or with a trotline or jug set on the water. The third method, hogging, is not for the squeamish. Catfish hogging means setting large barrels under the water or digging holes into an undercut bank and reaching in with bare hands to pull the unwilling fish out.