Myself and a freind are planning to do some Flathead fishing by pole. He has run trotlines for years, and I have searched this site and found plenty of info on equipment etc. So we are good to go in the where to find fish and equipment departments.
But my question is how do you rig up your bait, sinker, etc. when pole fishing? If anyone has pictures that would help a ton but instructions would be helpful also.
Thanks alot.
It’s just your basic slip rig. Thread your mainline threw your weight, connect to swivel, and then a short leader same test as mainline to Hook.
For weight’s how much depends on size of baits and current. I like me it’s mostly 3-5oz No-Rolls, you don’t want that big lively bait pulling you into a snag.
Swivel it’s 2/0 #100 or better
Hooks I like Gama Oct 8/0-10/0, alot of people like Khale style in the 5/0-8/0, and Circle hooks are becoming very popular as well 8/0-12/0. I haven’t hook a flat on circle yet but I’m sure it’s due to user error.
Good luck and have fun
Thanks guys,
Also how are you hooking your Bait? Through the lip, Back?
Both are good options.
Vol02, I’ll expand on Whisker’s answer.
Using bullheads, there are a number of folks that hook them through the lips. I’ve only tried this a couple times personally. I think FatheadWI normally hookds them trough the lips and that guy boats more than his fair share of flats.
I can speak about tail hooking…(left the door open there! 
)
Using a 10/0 Gamakatsu hook, I’ll place it about an inch forward of the tail..piercing the flesh diagonally, making sure I don’t go deep enough to hit the spinal colum.
My reasoning is this. Hooking through the tail allows me to see the “action” of the bullie on the line and rod tip…better IMO. A lively, struggling bait is best for flats.
Once a flat takes the bait..I’m going to set the hook…what this will do is pull the hook out of the bullhead..(now I have a fully exposed hook) and drive it into the flats mouth.
I place the hook in diagnally to keep it from turning and hooking through the bully agan…which covers up the hook point and lessening the odds of a good connection.
There are some that feel the hook should be places in the middle of a bullhead and their reasoning is this. Sometimes a flat will take a bully with only half the bait in it’s mouth…placing the hook further forward will give the angler better odds of the hook being in thr right inside and not hanging on the outside, which of course ends in a missed fish.
Give them all a try and let us know which way you like best.
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I can speak about tail hooking…(left the door open there!
You took all the fun out of it knowing what was coming 
I am finaly going to make it out tonight after work 
It has been killing me, seeing the great pics and not being able to go 
I fish with gills and crappies on the Wisconsin side. I like to hook my bait behind the dorsal fin. I have not tried closer to the tail. I have tried hooking them through the lips but, it seems I kill my bait that way. I’m not sure if it restricts there breathing or what. I just know they are not down there kicking as long as the ones hooked through the back.
Bret
Thanks Bret,
Kinda took the wind out of the sail huh!?
Here’s a photo curtousy of another member…of a chomped on bullhead. It illistrates my prefered area of hooking bullheads.
Remember to know the laws of the state before using game fish. Gills and Crappies can’t be used in MN for bait. 
That just looks like it had to hurt 
I like how you can see the sides scraped from the rough sand paper like mouth.
Cool pic!
That bullhead looks to be a little bigger then 7″ 
, Whats the story with that 
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That bullhead looks to be a little bigger then 7″
It was obviously caught in the same body of water that it was used in.
If it is legal to use gills and crappies in WI and not in MN, what is the rule on P4 seeing how it is a border water? Just curious.
~SKINEBOY~
The answer is that we have to follow the rules of the state that we are licensed out of…
Because I’m from MN…I’m not allowed those baits…but if you’re from anywhere in the world and buy a WI non resident license…it’s legal…
AAAaaaah……The border waters topic
This gets hashed out at least twice a year. The best I can tell you, follow the rules from the state in which you are a resident. Wisconsin, I follow the rules for the state I am fishing in, bullies in MN and whatever I catch for bait in WI.
That was the short version 
Bret
That sounds about right. So really all you would have to do is have a WI license and you would be fine? There are some things I guess I will never understand, like why P4 is open for walleye fishing year round, but I guess that is for another forum. Why is it that the MN and WI DNR can’t work together to make universal laws for borders waters?
~SKINEBOY~
I hope that WI never swings to the MN rules….like BrianK says
just to make sure you are clear on this……being a MN resident you cannot use a WI license and fish the WI regulations. You must still follow the MN regulations if you are a MN resident.
Why is it that the MN and WI DNR can’t work together to make universal laws for borders waters?
That is the question of the day!
When Dirk and I were at the MN DNR office working on increasing the lenght of transportable bullheads, I asked that puzzling question.
The answer I recieved was “MN wants WI to change to it’s laws and WI wants to have MN change to there laws.”
Stalemate.
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Stalemate.
FINE BY ME
Well we, the citizens of Minnesota, want the people we employ with our tax dollars, to adopt Wisconsin’s bait regulations. I want 2 poles and be able to use panfish as bait. My garsh, have you seen the panfish in metro lakes? These stunted fish could use a good harvest!
It’s time for a petition. Well if they don’t listen to the walleye fishermen, why would I believe they’d listen to us? 
Actually we get 3 poles per person.
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I want 2 poles and be able to use panfish as bait. My garsh, have you seen the panfish in metro lakes? These stunted fish could use a good harvest!
Also, the fish used for bait must be from the body of water you are fishing in. We are not allowed to transport gills and crappies for bait.
Bret
I asked about the license thing because I usually end up with both a WI and MN license. Makes sense that you would have to follow the rules from the state you are from I guess. Like I say though, I find it hard to believe that the DNR from the 2 states can’t agree on regulations for border waters. The river is a great fishery, but I can’t help to think it could be even better if there was some cooperation between the two states to come up with some rules to protect it a little better. OK, I am done ranting for the day, hope I didn’t ruffle too many feathers.
~SKINEBOY~
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Actually we get 3 poles per person.
Ok, same body of water is fine with me.
No feathers ruffled here…I do understand that the MN DNR is charged with protecting our resources and have normally tighter rules…
Sometimes I just don’t understand the how’s or why’s.
WI P4 catfish limits….25..no lenght or species…
MN P4 catfish limits 10 no lenght or species.
MN inland water limit…5 only one over 24″
Kind of a differance there…eh??
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MN inland water limit…5 only one over 24″
… and only 2 can be flatheads (not that I’d keep them anyways).
Just a bit of a difference.
It sounds like most of the people oin this site practice CPR making limits not matter at all. The problem arises when people don’t practice CPR and just take as many fish as the law will allow them to.
~SKINEBOY~
I don’t think we have to worry about Ryan Catching….. I mean keeping any Flats.
Sorry Bud couldn’t help myself
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I don’t think we have to worry about Ryan Catching….. I mean keeping any Flats.
Sorry Bud couldn’t help myself
Mr Special where are pictures of the Flatheads you have caught this year again……
Bass Master Guide…. 
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I don’t think we have to worry about Ryan Catching….. I mean keeping any Flats.
Sorry Bud couldn’t help myself
Wise guy. Real funny 
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