need help

Okay… I have been out flat’n about a dozen times this year already at night and have had very poor results. Being new to the sport I was wondering where the flats are in early summer (right now). I have tried deep holes (30+ft) and shallower holes with wood (10-15ft). my results have been very spotty and I can find no pattern. Is there a type of location I should specifically be targeting at this time of year? I know with bass you follow their food. And I know the panfish are up shallow staging on wood out of current in post spawn. But is that where to look for big flats at night? Plus where do you fish in relation to a big hole. On the rise of the slope? On the top? On the shallow rise going towards shore? Any insights as to what I am doing wrong would be greatly apprectiated!.

Let me predicate that I am no expert.

What do you mean by poor results? I am assuming that means you are catching some.

My first question would be what are you using for bait and what size?

To me it sounds like you might be targeting their daytime hide outs. If you fish into the night, I’d go shallow and out from the holes and wood. You can go upstream or downstream. My first choice is upstream, unless downstream looks more inviting with a shallow water shelf. What I do is in the evening start close to cover and holes. What I do is look for likely paths they would travel upstream in search of food. After dark I’ll move my bait up onto adjacent shallows.

Now I defer to people who actually are experts. But to me when I read you post about nothing less than 10′, deep holes and timber, my first is you might be concentrating on daytime and early evening areas.

How shallow and how from the holes are these fish going, and where are they going to feed. I am using scaled sunfish anywhere from 4 to 8 inches.

Your using scaled sunfish from 4″-8″? Your scaling them before you cast them out? Or.. a fillet wih scales? The phrase lost me.

You said a very important thing your 1st post… when you chase bass, they follow the food… Well, so do flatheads. They are the king preditor, and will find the best places to feed. Bass and sunfish are food to them, along with sheephead, small carp, bullheads.. whatever. If they are in abundance on a prime feeding location, they are likely eating what they want when its easily available.

You need to find these key feeding areas, or the fish highway between the resting area and the feeding area. Your bait choice can be critical.. you are obviously using sunfish which is a great choice where legal.. but most of the time the flats will be drawn to a live bait.. dont scale them, it doesnt help with flatheads. At times, flats will take FRESH cut bait, and cut sunfish is also an excellent choice. Most people fish waters from 2′- 10′ deep for flats. Often the flats are pushing fish up to the banks or snags when feeding, or they are waiting in the snag for food to accidently get too close. Its hard for a flat to resist a near by lively bait that is making all kinds of commotion, and cant get away.

Fishing cut banks, creek mouths, current seams, and significant log structures are the most popular locations. Dont be afraid to put your bait in the shallows near structure.

I myself have not had much luck with cut/dead bait for Flatheads. With that said some of the guys here have caught some big fish with that method.
I like using gills from 5-8inches. Mike C caught his first dandy cat at 20+lbs on a 9 inch crappie. The only thing I do not like about crappies, the die off quicker in the live tank or when tossed out on a hook.
If my gills are not kicking I change them out. I like my gills to be swimming circles on the end of the line

I would agree with these guys, go shallower if your fishing at night. I’ve had luck with flatheads on cutbait before, on the smaller minnesota river. Just in the past couple days I caught a flathead with cutbait on the Miss and so did my dad. Cutbait will catch channels too and who can complain with a 10+ pound channel! Often times with these “sumos” I’m thinking I’m catching a flathead anyways : P

I think there is no good reason to scale your bait. You want them lively and kicking. A cat will have no trouble getting them especially tied to a heavy weight with a 6-9 inch leader. My best fish have all come in less than 10 feet of water at night. Sounds like you are fishing resting areas when they are not at rest. Look for a nice flat near those areas and move after 20-30 minutes if you haven’t been bitten. Scout during the day for likely feeding areas close to deep water structure with current on it. My first year I went through the same things you are. Time on the water is very important to perfect your plan. They will travel a pretty good distance from their resting holes. Whatever it takes for them to find a meal. I caught one once that was several hundred yards from where the day haunt is. It just cruised along a weed edge in 5 feet of water.