everything biting except the flatheads

Fished in Jackson Run the last 2 nights without a single flathead. All the other river species are in a feeding frenzy during the day though. We caught many white bass, including two 2 pounders. Gar are also active. Caught some mooneyes in Miley’s Run, first time I’ve seen one. Also caught some nice channel cats, a few sheepshead, a carp, and a sauger. Flatheads just aren’t eating right now. Anybody have any action elsewhere? I’m thinking the Minnesota could be next up. Saw some kids catching flatheads on the Minnesota right in the middle of the day on Minnesota Bound tonight.

They seem to be biting on the MN.I have been outfor a few hours at dark the last 5 nights and between my budy and me we only went one night went fishless.On one night I had 6 fierce runs in about an hour..Landed one smaller one and lost two to a tree.

The flathead fishing on the miss has really slowed down as of last weekend. It was like someone flipped a switch. The minnesota shoul be a better bet right now. More fish less water. I think we need to get creative though and figure out were these fall flatheads are. they have to be feeding heavily somewhere since they won’t be in a couple months. I’ve tried some drifting and thins like that through the scour hole area but no successs. If anyone has some crazy ideas, spit um you never know.

caught one 20lb flathead in the Miss in and area of fast current about 100 yds downriver of one of the only deeper areas in upper Pool 2. It hit a rattling shap rap in 14′ of water. The entire shap rap was in its mouth.

I doubt if this would produce numbers or any consistancy, but you did say “crazy ideas”.

I average one cat for every 4 hours or so shad rapping for walleye on upper pool 2 this year from Hidden Falls to the MN confluence. Most being smaller.

Just got back from the MN again tonite.My buddy got three,the biggest at 34lbs.I got nothing,two half hearted runs and that was it.All the runs through the past week have been in the first hour after sunset.

yeah it’s like someone flipped a switch on the Miss, perfect way of putting it. It sounds like the MN is still going good, thanks for the info fishhead.

Why has the flathead fishing slowed on the Miss.Is it a temperature thing or have they moved.I have read that in the fall they start to migrate to their deeper wintering holes when the water temps are nearing the low 60s,but during this migration they really pack it on.Temps on the MN are in still in the 70s What are the temps on the Miss?

caught a 17 & 22lb.flat head last night on 3inch bluegills,caught a 12,2-14,& 17lbs. on chicken livers,not to mention fidlers & sheepies on night crawlers all in pool 8,depth range 9 to 20ft.Was very happy!

noone knows why they have slowed. they have to be somewhere “packing it on ” as you say, but where?? dirk and my self fished last night and all we had action from was channels. If it were known where the flatheads are right now feeding heavily I would be out there catching them. I think they are just moving now. They won’t be entering the wintering hole for awhile yet, and they are forsurely not in their sumer haunts. This leads me to believe that they are somewhere in between. The main reason why people are still having success on the minnesota river now is that there are so many flats and so much less water as compared to the miss. Therfore it is easier to eliminate “dead” water on the minn. They could be anywhere on the miss. my guess is they are relating to either the wing dams, the main channel or somewhere arround the dams. The problem is that even if you find them they could be gone the next day if the conditions change. Sure sone guys are catching them now on wing dams, but all the fish I have been hearing of have been little 5-10 lbs. Where are the big gals?????? I don’t know and I don’t think any one does. Flatheads are the least understood fish in fresh water. This proves it self during the fall, because as they are in transition they move quite often making staying on top of them difficult. Water temp on the miss yester day was @69 if I remember right

I talked to a few guys that said that they were getting flats down here on the Iowa River. Those were on sunfish, and of course bank poles. But they said that they got in to a few of them the biggest being 15 lb.

Hey guys, never replyed on the catfish thread before, but being a college student and living in Mankato on the MN river I must admit there is nothing better than sitting on the bank with a coldee waiting for the clicker on my ABU to start buzzing. Anyways, my buddies and I have been doing really good lately on the flatheads. We have been getting 4 to 6 fish a night. Landed a 38 lber on Mon. If you are from the cities and Kato is too far for ya, I heard they were doing good in the Le Sueur area. Heard a guy landed a 62 lber, I guess they had to weigh it with a compound bow scale cause that was all they could find to weigh it. May be a roomer, who knows. We have been using the largest suckers or chubs we can get a hold of. I don’t know about you guys, but we are paying 2.00 a chub in Kato. What a rip off.

JJW

My friends and I fished the Iowa River this spring, not much luck but that’s what you can expect with crappy weather. I still want to pull up a big flathead from a bank pole or limb line. Tried it twice and ended up with several broken lines…