In the market for a new flathead rod

I’m new to flathead fishing. I generally have only targeted channels but would like to change that this year. I’ve been looking at the stores around the Lax area but can’t find a rod that fits what I want. I would like a rod with a moderate action. I want a decent flat to put a nice bend in the rod without feeling over matched. I feel like most flathead rods are too stiff for my liking. I want some play as I generally won’t be fishing where I need to horse them out of snags. Also, I’ll be fishing mostly from shore throwing about 3oz of lead plus probably 5 to 7 inch bait. I’d like a rod around 7 feet long but could probably get comfortable with up to 8’6″ . 7’6″ would probably be ideal but I think the Catfight is the only rod I’ve seen in that length. The rods I’ve seen that I think may fit my parameters (but can’t get my hands on to physically test)are the bottom dwellers catfight, ugly stik tiger and salmon\steelhead rods, Nightsticks,TWC extremes, and maybe the glowsticks too. If anyone can give me some information on these or any other cat rods, that would be great. I’m really unsure or what action I should go for. I know every rod is different so that makes it tough but I don’t want a noodle or a pool cue. Hopefully this dream rod of mine exists…and is under $100 lol.

I have a 7′ Ugly Stik Tiger ML salt water and could not be happier with it. I found it locally at a fishing clearance shop in Brooklyn Center.

They have a faster tip and plenty of backbone for hauling in the big ones. There are other guys in this forum that use them as well, so maybe they’ll chime in.

American Spirit’s new nite-stik pro (the camo one) is awesome!! Personally the ugly stik tiger has too fast of a tip for me … Running big baits and that thing loads up like it got smoked by a fish all night long. To each their own however … I know lots of guys who run them. The Team Catfish 1ton rods are also pretty dang sweet. My personal favorite flat rod is my Catfish Safari “river” rod. XXH action fast tip. Nothing that swims in MN will break it. Lol

I have had the ugly stick tigers and they’re a good rod but have switched to the Bottom Dwellers Catfight rods. They are my new flathead rods. The action and power are exactly what I wanted. I’ll also be using them for channel cats this spring. And the price at $59.00 is good too. They have stainless steel guides with no inserts to fall out and they feel good in your hands. I have three of them.

For bank fishing flats, I’d personally go with something in the 8-9′ range. With heavier baits, I prefer casting rods over spinning. Be careful with spinning rods when casting heavy baits, if the drag slips during the cast the line will cut a nice slice into your finger. I have a 9′ Nitestick pro that has held up well. It’s a good rod for the price, but nothing fancy. Salmon/steelhead rods might be a bit on the light side for flatheads and big baits in my opinion, but they are a lot of fun for channels and carp.

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Be careful with spinning rods when casting heavy baits, if the drag slips during the cast the line will cut a nice slice into your finger.

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How is the drag even engaged during the cast?

I’m trying to think and I cant even think of a way you could cut your finger while casting or reeling a spinning reel.

The drag on a spinning reel is usually located on the spool. If you don’t really crank it tight when casting heavy lead and bait, the force of the cast can cause the drag to slip mid cast and the line runs across your finger that is holding the line. This isn’t a clean cut, but more of a friction abrasion and stings like all heck. I found this out the hard way.

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Be careful with spinning rods when casting heavy baits, if the drag slips during the cast the line will cut a nice slice into your finger.

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How is the drag even engaged during the cast?

I’m trying to think and I cant even think of a way you could cut your finger while casting or reeling a spinning reel.

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You’ve never got your finger nicked while casting a spinning reel? If the bail closes unexpectedly, it can bite your finger pretty good.

Ouch. With braid I can see that happening. I’ve had it slip on the cast before, but I hold the line on the front pad of my finger so if it slips it slips off and doesn’t cut me. Downside is that its fairly easy for it to slip off your finger and make you look like a dumbass in public.

I was casting a 8″ bullhead with a 6 oz sinker and the 65 lb braid left a gash as wide as the line and down to the meat. I now prefer my abu 7000 when we’re fishing from the sand bars. In the past few seasons, I’ve really come to like longer 8-9′ rods for shore fishing, especially in late summer with lower water. On the Minnesota there are a lot of spots when you need to get past the 40 yds of sand flats that are 12-18″ deep.

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I have a 7′ Ugly Stik Tiger ML salt water and could not be happier with it. I found it locally at a fishing clearance shop in Brooklyn Center.

They have a faster tip and plenty of backbone for hauling in the big ones. There are other guys in this forum that use them as well, so maybe they’ll chime in.

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Same here 1 Spinning and 1 Bait Caster. I love them both. Work great for flat head and for sturgeon. I also have a Berkly glow stick. It works for flatheads but isn’t the best. I could see it break one of these days on a bigger fish. But it does work just have to have the drag set right.

Thanks for all the input everyone. I probably should have said in the beginning that I’m looking for a casting rod. It seems the more I look, the more ringing endorsements I find for the ugly stick tigers. How is the castability of these with heavy baits? Is medium heavy a good power for flats on this rod?

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Thanks for all the input everyone. I probably should have said in the beginning that I’m looking for a casting rod. It seems the more I look, the more ringing endorsements I find for the ugly stick tigers. How is the castability of these with heavy baits? Is medium heavy a good power for flats on this rod?

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How far do you want to cast? As others have said, these are more sensitive rods. You can still cast aways with the right technique, but you may want a stiffer and longer rod if you want to huck something.

Don’t know if you’ve ever been to the high bridge in st paul. But I can hit the first bridge embutment with my tekota from the shore.

A minimum length of 7′ to 8′ is what I would get and plenty of backbone. Those size of rods will bring in big ones in most conditions but you get a big flathead wraped around a log or he gets somewhere where you need to put as much pressure on him the get him to move you’ll wish you had a longer bigger rod.

Tim a friend of mine got into one two years ago and it came up river and went in back below the road deck in 6′ of water and he had everything he could do to drag it back out into open current. That flathead layed there for 1/2 and hour and wouldn’t come out then finially it did and took off down river in flood water current. He finially landed it and it filled a 3′ wide and 3′ long bridge hoop net, we estimated it at around 50 pounds, a little less or more.

When it comes to hooking into a (big) flathead you’ll need every bit of rod you can get. Some of the guys that fish off the dam here have rods up to 12′, ocean sized reels too then when they get into a nice one they’ve got what they need to try to land it. Wait and see how a mid sized 30lber runs and you’ll see why, its not only the winching power of a good reel its the size or the clutch discs in the drag.

Plus throwing 6 oz.’s of lead in swift current with a 1/2 pound bait and you need the rod to do that and make a throw to get that much weight where you want it. When the waters high here 4 oz.’s will bounce and drift all over and get you into a snag. It takes a good rod to throw that much weight and control the throw. You get into a nice big flathead and your fishing from shore and at times hes going to pull your rod straight anyway.

I’m tellin ya … The tigers are way to noodly of a tip if you want to run big live bait …. Your bullhead will be loading up your rod and pulling clicker all night. Run it in heavy current? Forget about it. Lots of backbone, but just not a rod I recommend for flathead.

I think most all folk that get into flats own 2-3 rods before they find one that fits them.

Team Catfish brought out a Carbon Fiber rod last year and I tried one, then two. This year I’m running all Carbon Fibers. They pleasantly surprised me on their ability for Channels, Flats AND Sturgeon. Something I was certain couldn’t be found in one rod.

As there are more sold, we’ll be hearing a lot more about these rods. Keep an eye open for this years Catfish Insider.

At $149.00 each, they won’t be for everyone but then they aren’t trying to capture everyone.

They’re available at Four Seasons in Red Wing and Everts Resort and on line of course.

I’d live to check one of those out. Heard good things about them … Are they designed for use with super lines? I’ve heard of graphite rods exploding during hookset while using super lines (witnessed it on a graphite ice rod two weeks ago in fact). I’d imagine the weave is a lot stronger than graphite.

I’m using 80 pound test braid and haven’t popped a stick yet using the I-Cats. But then I’ve been using St Croix’ for the last 5 or so years and broke one, but that was a second from St Croix and the fella was trying to lift a 50-52 pounder off the bottom below the boat. I can’t really count that one. It was a second and not a Premiere like I was using for flats.

I’m not sure what St Croixer had for a rod when he smoked his rod on a Sturgeon that I was lucky enough to witness.Pretty cool watching the white dust drift over the boat. LOL!

I checked the tc site (thanks for an easy click in your sig Brian) and like the warranty they offer. Perhaps ill have to save a few nickels and dimes and scoop one of these rods up. I was entertaining the idea of building a custom … But I’m pretty lazy, and pretty busy fishing … So maybe the high standard would be a good compromise lol.

Let me know if you want to try before you buy.

I have an extra one at my camper just for that reason.
It’s a lot of nickles if a person doesn’t like it.

Backbone, backbone, backbone, if your after the big ones and want to be prepaired. Big flatheads are going to go where they want and when they want to, and its up to you to try to turn them and get their heads pointed twards the boat or shore. After you get thier heads pointed twards you its in your favor, but don’t count on it. You can feel when things are going in your favor but befor then you need everything you can get to turn him and keep it that way.

Playing a fish the sportsman way,,,ha!,,, wait and see what a big one does, he’ll drag the anchor.

Mossy, you aren’t doing a thing for my cabin fever.

I’ve got it bad too Brian, and a couple clothes pins that need to be hung around a few logjams.

Probably 3 more weeks. Can’t wait

Well, I went the economical route and got an Ugly Stik Tiger Lite 7′ one piece Heavy action. I was pleasantly surprised by the lightweight feel of the rod. It’s got a stiffer tip than the regular tigers and takes a good amount of weight to load it up. It’s paired with an Ambassadeur 6500. I figure this is a good starter setup. I’ve got another 6500 and a Penn 310 that still need rods though. I’d like to stay on budget. Anybody have any info on the orange MeatHunters or the Nightstick rods?

Oh yeah, sorry for continually disregarding your ” try before you buy” advice, BK lol. I really do appreciate you reaching out and dropping some knowledge on me. I’ve just got the fever really bad at the moment and with no quality cat gear stores nearby, and very little free time, the inernet is how I’ve gotta go about curing it. Along with a healthy dose of more cowbell.

We all have the FEVER!

The only thing keeping me off the water channel fishing right now is knowing that if I don’t get my spring list done now, I’ll be doing it in the warmer weather.

I have 3 7000’s that are looking me in the face wondering when I’m going to spool them up, I’m poking the guy that’s reupholstering my boat seats telling him that spring is here along with moving….all the while the river is flowing steadily by calling my name.

I’m not sure about your Penn, but you’ll find your 6500 a little light in the clicker area. A 6″ bullhead or sucker will kick a few times and make that clicker sound in a short burst. You’ll have to tighten up the spool tension on the right side of the reel after casting or you’ll be jumping out of your seat every time that clicker goes off. LOL!

If Garcia would make an easy way to adjust the clicker tension, I would have less reels in my boat.

You know, starting out it really doesn’t matter what gear a person uses…just as long as they have something to get on the water with.

I wonder if it is possible to upgrade the clicker spring on the 6500 to a stronger spring? Hmm, I might investigate this…

Let me know Goat. I’m in if it’s possible.