Flathead Cat fishing - See Our Guide

Flathead Catfishing

Flathead catfish get their name from their long flattened heads. Their lower jaw protrudes past their upper jaw and their eyes are flat and oval shaped. The color of flathead catfish are mottled yellows and browns and you will find them in rivers and lakes.

They typical weigh between forty to fifty pounds but reportings of flathead catfish weight over one hundred pounds have been reported.

Flathead fish grow continuously throughout their life. They prefer to eat fish but will also eat anything they can get their mouths around. One of their favorite meals is bream but they also love to eat sunfish and live perch.

After hatching they grow quickly and hit maturity when they are between fifteen and nineteen inches long. The average life span for a flathead catfish is twenty five years.

The flathead catfish can wipe out a sunfish population if they are in water where they are not a native fish. In fact a few small rivers in Georgia have seen the devastating effects.

Flatheads are a native species to the U.S. Long ago, they could only be found in the Mississippi River and all the big rivers that drain off of it but they were transplanted around the nation so today they can be found in waters all over the United States.

The transplanting of the flathead catfish was due primarily to the popularity of game fishing in addition to a food resource. This particular type of catfish prefers to live in deep water that has lots of submerged objects to hide around. They also like slow moving water, so you will find them in large rivers and streams.

You will find the flathead catfish in deep holes with lots of cover towards the outside edges of rivers. Check around rocks and inside logs or tree stumps for that faint shadow of a large underwater creature. Make sure to cast under the edges and then let your bait drift with the current but make sure you hang on.

Inside bends have less current then outside bends and can be just as good for catching your flathead catfish. If you are fishing kayak in a lake or reservoir, look for submerged brush or logjams and try to find a creek that feeds into the lake or reservoir, this is where they will emerge to feed, especially at night. Simply cast in these areas and wait for your flathead to come to you.

The best time of day for flathead catfishing is when it is dark – either early evening or early morning. In the summer, it is best to wait until after dark. For the best success flathead cat fishing, you will want to familiarize yourself with the body of water where you are fishing.

Eventually you will understand where those catfish live and feed. Another tip for flathead catfishing is to keep your bait on the bottom. These fish are primarily bottom feeders.

It should be noted that Flatheads will eat day and night. Even though most catfish are active at night, you can lure these flatheads out during the day. They like to feed on baitfish, which are attracted to light.

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