High or Low?

As a flathead angler, if you could pick one water level (high and rising, low and rising, etc.) and time of year, what would it be and why? Since we have catmen from many different areas, my guess is we’ll have a variety of different answers. I’m interested to hear what each of you prefer.

I’ll start out and say on the Mississippi where I fish mostly, I would definitely choose high water rising around the month of June. I love this scenario because the fish seem to hold in or near areas like flooded backwaters and side channels. Even though there is technically more water to cover, I find the fish concentrate in areas close to the bank and out of the current which makes them easier to target.

This is a very good question. How many times have you had a trip laid on only to learn the water is all messed up? The answer is not what you want to hear though. I always do best on stable water but knowing how to approach changing conditions is the bread an butter and the true challenge of catting. I base my approach on the feeding area and the resting area. They are super easy to find. They like deep bends around the main channel or where two sloughs come together and there is a deep spot (resting area). The feeding area is shallower water with cover and or weeds where the bait fish feel comfortable. The worse the water is the closer I fish to the resting area sometimes right in it. Rising water can turn on a slow bite as they have a hard time finding food in dirty water but not as bad as other fish that rely on sight. I have a milk run of various spots I go to and I have a high water milk run and a low water milk run as well.

Good question!! I have a heck of a time fishing when the water is really high, meaning out of it’s banks. When all the islands are flooded and the water is fast and muddy I just cannot seem to find fish. This is usually a prespawn period when they are supposedly most active but I just cannot seem to find them. During high water this year I plan on fishing much tighter to the bank and really concentrating on current seams and structure that breaks up the current flow. I’ve spent some time and effort to map out my spots during low water and use that information to help read the water better during high water.

I seem to catch my biggest flatheads – post spawn. Which on the St Croix is August and a low water period. I don’t catch a lot of fish during this period but I have always caught my biggest fish of the year during low water.

During high water it can be very hard to find them. But when you do, there seems to be plenty of them. I look for slack water. Downstream or eddys, log jams, any current break I can find. It’s shocking how close to shore you can catch them. I’ve caught them in just a 1′ of water also. I’ve also had the best luck with fresh cutbait or nightcrawlers in the spring.

But if I had my choice it would be nice stable water levels. Again I mainly fish the MN so I’m not really sure what that is.

Later

Last year we had High water from May to July.. some of the best fishing I have ever had along with it. I know much of the success was due to the water levels..

My answer would be anything but low water.. low water is tough. The majority of the visual snags we normaly fish might be 15′ up on dry land, the feeder creeks quit flowing, and the fish tend to retreat to the main river channel or holes.. and can be very difficult to pinpoint where they are feeding. Low water I catch more fish during the day int he deep holes than I do at night targeting them in known feeding areas.

I get tight-tight to the inside (Shore) side of wingies. I don’t usually get numbers, but I always seem to find some.

In the hot mid summer on the Minnesota, (very) low water can mean a low dissolved oxygen level and is a bad thing. Very high water means very polluted, dirty water and is a bad thing. Either way, I’ll find a way to deal with it. How about a nice normal flow with moderate current….maybe this year.

I love it when the water is on the fall from high water. I dont mean to swear here but this is the same time we hammer eyes and sometimes in the same spot. It can be tough to locate the fish in real high water but once you do it gets easy. When the water starts to drop you get a few weeks where the fish are concentrated to that piece of water you working. The front side of wingies and current seams along strong structure where the bait can hold are my favorite. When I think about bait for flats I am talking about larger bait like eyes, drum, bass…ect up to 2-3 pounds. And them fish are there for the same reason”bait”. This is when I usually start fishing for flats and seems to usually be the end of june to mid july. Sorry it sounds too simple but thats why I like it so much. After that I usually fish isolated structure”wood” or eroted banks but there alot more time inbetween fish.

DARK 30, do the fish concentrate in deep holes when the water is low? When the water is high and polluted does it make the fish scatter? Thanks.

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In the hot mid summer on the Minnesota, (very) low water can mean a low dissolved oxygen level and is a bad thing. Very high water means very polluted, dirty water and is a bad thing. Either way, I’ll find a way to deal with it. How about a nice normal flow with moderate current….maybe this year.

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Tim

I know Kevin(Dark 30) spends the majority of the time on the Minnesota river which is in his backyard more or less. I have spent my fair share of time on that river and it is tough in high water.. it gets so darn muddy its like fishing in coagulated chocolate milk. My results have been pitiful in high water on the Minnesota river.. its a very different river than the Missis’. In low water, I have done the best in the deep holes on the bends, or the bars/snags directly adjecent to the deep holes. Thats just my personal experience with the Minnesota river.. which happens to be where I started fishing flatheads.

dark30 or fishead should be able to give much better info than me.