Setting the hook

I’m a self taught cat man(except for articles and Dan Gapens book)I always let the cat take the bait downstream then whack him hard.In Gapens book he says you should set the hook before he turns down stream.I always miss or can never feel the bite.On a good day I miss 1 out of 5 on an average day I miss1 out of 3.This is using a kahle style hook.If I’m using anything else I might as well be sitting in the bar.How do any of you guys drive it home?

Good question. I dont know the answer but heres my opinion. If its cut bait I set the the clicker as light as I can and if I’m holding the rod that cat doesnt go more tan two feet and the hook is set. Cut bait isnt large and if they have it they have it. If the rod is in the holder and I here the clicker I get to the rod ASAP and set as soon as the fish starts to run again. I was out last night and was missing fish. The ones I caught were all under 5lbs and all channels. Match the hook size to the bait you using. 1/0 – 3/0 for cut bait. If your missing allot of fish they may be small “fiddlers”, drum, etc.

Live bait is a different story. I usually let them run longer depending on how “strong” the run is. If its a tentative run I wait up to 15 seconds??? If the the line is screaming I usually set. If the bait was a 8 inch chub in my favorite flat spot and I miss, thats when I begin to cry!!! Channels love live bait but their mouths are smaller. Other, and better, cat men will have different opinions on this. Lets here them boys!!!

It depends on the amount of cover you are fishing….. If it’s cut baite I usually wiate until I think that they turn with it and then set,,,, for flats if it is in a snag infested hole can’t let them run with it for land….. but if you are on a run or flat above a nice whole then let them take it for a good run…..

I am just a flathead fisherman from Ohio and find that Kahle hooks serve me well when fishing live bait. Each time I fish I go over every piece of equipment. This includes sharpening the 5/0 or 6/0 Kahles till they will dig into a thumbnail.

Flatheads being the predators they are usually engulf my baits and I get hooked to a bulldog ready to fight.

I only set the hook when the line is moving so that I am sure the fish has it in his mouth.

I have had problems in the past with small flatheads attempting to take baits too large for them. I fish in big flathead territory with big baits. It seems the smaller flatheads are potential meals and stay away from the big boys.

Of course since there are fewer big flatheads than small ones you often must wait a long time to catch them. But sometimes everything works out well and you are at the right place at the right time.

I hope this info helps and wish you good luck fishing for the whiskered ones.

Catchabiggun,

Robby

its been a while since I had a 40+ flat in my hands….. but a couple of these look maybe 50+!….. those are some really BIG flats!

Funny, I thought that flatheads were predominantlty a night feeding fish, yet all of his pictures seem to be during the day( or very far removed from the body of water he should have just caught the fish on)???? Either he is killing a lot of big fish, which on his web site he claims not to. Or he is keeping the fish on a rope all night to take pictures in the light of day. I think it is the second, that is not good for those fish. That puts way too much stress on those fish to hang there all night strung up on a rope. Just take their picture at night and then realse them.Don’t jepordize the life of a big fish just to get a better picture.

Edited by BigTime on 07/15/01 07:59 PM.

If you can find the holes, flatheads can be taken during the daytime. I doubt those fish were released, but hey……..who knows…..

Just wondering what a person does with that much catfish?Must be about

40pounds each average for four cats makes 160 pounds even if half is

fillet thats 80 pounds. Do you smoke some,sell to fish market or???Those

are some monsters.Nice photos.

catfish loaf? open a restraunt chain?…. pickle em? (what someone told me they do with their big walleyes!.. yummy… you can BET I asked for the recipe!…)……

just kidding on the above suggestions….

maybe those pix were taken a while ago? it was less fashionable to do catch and release even just a few years ago….. everyone has the “right” to make their decisions regarding release….

still I will stand in total support of releasing big fish like these….

I agree it’s up to the fisherperson as far as if they want to release them or

not I was just wondering what would a person do with that much fish.Fish

Loaf I never heard of that.Is it like fish patties only larger and square.

Ha Ha

actually I have a really good recipe for musky loaf.. you could probably use if for catfish!! lol…..

but seriously.. I always wondered what people do with those big fish too… my musky loaf (joke).. originated from fishing up in Lake of the Woods.. we went to the fish cleaning house one day for fillet a couple of walleyes for supper and someone was cleaning a 50 inch musky… sure I know its everyones choice…. but to tell you the truth it made us “sick”…… and we just HAD to speculate just what they were doing with it…. lets see 50” musky… at least 30 pounds… filleted at least 18 pounds of meat!! musky loaf was my entry in the what are they going to do with it… maybe you had to be there.. but it seemed funny at the time….. and we used it all the time after that…..

Yes its possible to get flatheads during the day in a good hole, but come on any one who has spent any ammount of time fishing flats knows that to get that many during the day is something pretty unreal. Except for winter fishing, which is something else all in its own. As far as wether those fish are kept or not, its up to the descression of the angler. So long as its withing the limits of the state regulation you cant bag the guy about it, but I see it as being the same here if the muskie limit were five fish. What would happen if a muskie fisherman went out and caught 5 muskies from 48-52″(which is about equivalent to the size of those flatheads pictured) and kept them all for trophy or food. He would be persecuted beyond belief by his fellow anglers. I am all for an angler to keep his fair share of fish, but big fish are special regardless of species and every angler should do their part to ensure the future of these big fish. Muskies have been protected by great regulations and committment by the anglers who persue them, like muskie inc. members. Big flatheads are just as much a “trophy” fish as a muskie and deserve the same type of protection and respect by anglers and the DNR to ensure large fish for the years to come. What I am saying is just because the limit on cats including flatheads is 5 doesn’t necessisarly meen it would be a good idea to kill 5 fish, especially big ones, just because you caught them

I am happy to learn so many catmen are concernerned for the welfare of the flathead fishery. Let me assure you that my flatheads are handled well and released alive.

Many of the lakes I fish are patrolled by Rangers. They report big fish dead to tournament directors and others. When the catmen have enquired about flatheads found dead they have reported 2 ( In 15 years) Since the catmen have a log at one lake with about 600 released fish, I think that 2 fish are not a high percentage.

For those of you who still think I am hurting the flatheads, I would be more than happy to send you pictures of one 55 pound male that I caught twice and my partner caught once.

This fish is identified by a big scar encountered either while fighting or while getting himself off a limbline.

Catchabiggun,

Robby