[flathunter]

In years past almost all my Flats have come on "live" bait...But this year has been much different cut has out fished live bait 10 to 1...My biggest flat ever came this year on cut frozen shad 50-lbs....So I think till it stops producing, cut bait, such as Shad or Sucker will be my bait of Choice, no more wasting time catching and keeping live bait alive.

 

[Flatheadmaniac]

i agree Jack..BUT

I have noticed from year to year what the cats prefer changes..sometimes small live, sometime very big live....also sometimes cut pcs. of bait...other times the whole 7-10" bait fresh dead. Also what SPECIE of bait they want changes too each yr.
Them flatheads will tell ya what they want...consistancy is the key, just make sure you have plenty of what they want eack trip,
Scott

 

[mrfish/OH]

Pretty even

We were catching our fish on live bait & fresh cutbait. Got the biggest on frozen skip. Seems the fresh bait worked best for us. I had some good fish on 7"-9" live skipjacks, and also on 3 shad on a hook. One day they seemed to prefer shad over skips & then skips over shad. Some days they'd hit both.
This bait was a live 8"- 9" skipjack when it started. Man, we got into some nice fish that day !!

 

[Ðe§perado™]

I have caught them on both. I guess i will still keep both live and frozen on hand.

 

[pawclaws]

Yep Catfish are a lot like women. Just when you think you got it figured out...

 

[Doctor]

Each year I see a different pattern

I remember the time when Flatheads would not touch a Shad both cut or live on the Ohio, we used to fish with all Bluegills, both live and cut and they really were fond of just the heads before the spawn, it has been several years since I have caught a flathead on the river using a Bluegill, I always carry them just don't get the hits like I do on Shad, and this year they were stingy with live Shad, man all they wanted was cutbait, Shad or Skipjack, it will be interesting to see what 2003 brings us..........Doc

 

[pawclaws]

I use a good bit of chicken liver and pork liver too. Wrap it in an old chunk of panty hose material. Probably the most consistent bait I've found for cats. That is if they are biting on anything they will bite on it. Has anyone ever had any luck with commercial bait preparations?

 

[flathunter]

pawclaws..I have caught alot of Channel cats in the past on Chicken liver, but never caught a Flathead on anything but Live, or Cut fish.....

I have never tried the commercial bait -dip baits...I have heard they do catch Channel Cats-mainly small Channels.

Anymore I fish some sort of cut-bait 90 percent of the time, For both Channel Cats, and Flatheads...

 

[pawclaws]

I have a deceased uncle who used chicken heads for flat heads; but, I guess the strangest bait I ever saw him use was his arm. Driving parallel with the Ohio one afternoon he stops abruptly, jumps out of the car in Sunday best dress and jumps in the river. He scoops his arm down and comes up with a flathead . Said he
saw it flip. I don't remember what the weight was but it wrapped completely around the wash tub that I took my baths in and just touched nose to tail. Chicken liver results in mostly channel cats for me too, well those and bull heads. I guess you are right flatheads do seem to like to eat their close relatives!! Have any of you guys fished around the locks up around Rock Island, IL and the arsenal? Talking to the Corps of Engineer folks up there is pretty interesting.

 

[Ðe§perado™]

I have tried different commercial baits and some dip baits and only caught small cats. Just tried it to see what would happen. I would have to say stick with the natural baits.

 

[FishNasty]

I usually only have luck with cut bait for flatheads in the fall, as a matter of fact back in October I was getting about 7 flatheads a trip on skipjack heads.

 

[FishNasty]

As I recall my best day in October I pulled some real nice channels and flats out along with an oddball walleye that went 26 inches, that's the day this bum Desperado was supposed to meet me and backed out at the last minute, not a good move on his part LOL

 

[Ohio Bill]

I like using chicken livers, the tub u buy in stores...just put a huge blood soaked piece on your hook , cast it out and BOOM...those cats hit hard!!...thats my favorite bait

 

[mrfish/OH]

Chicken livers

There's a KFC close to the ramp. The smell gets to me all the time when I pass it for night fishing, I'm always tempted to stop. Anyway, one night Dave says he brought chicken livers, I'm thinking for bait, but no, the cooked snack. I tried one or 2 & said that's enough. He didn't like them as they were too spicy for him. After about 5 minutes, I had a craving for them. Ate the rest of the 1/2 pint by myself. About a week later I stopped & ate some on the ride home too. I hear for bait (raw) you can use a piece of panty hose to keep them on the hook.
Anyone ever try White Castle FF for bait, or Ivory soap ? I read a fish story where these guys got an 80 something pound flathead in the Missouri or Mississippi River during the flood a few years ago. It was a great story...off some catfishing site.
Strips of steak are supposed to be good near the floating restaurants where people toss in food.

 

[pawclaws]

Not to change the subject but; I have a friend who was fishing with two buddies up North in Canada. Two of them got out of the tent early and couldn't raise "old sleepy head" so they took the boat and all the bait out for Steel Head. Well the third boy finally woke and all he could find around for bait was a frozen moose biscuit and swears he was getting bites! Think those nibblers might have been flatheads?