I am batting 0-1 on the year. I had a really nice bite and run, but when I loaded up the rod, the bait popped out. I hooked my bully in the lips, which was unfortunate because the ollie was only lipping his back half. The bullhead came back a mess. Basically smashed from the spines back and his belly torn open. It reminded me why I love fishing for those things though.
Sounds like things may be starting to heat up. I had a smashed 8 inch crappie and smashed 7 inch gill last night without getting a good hook set 
The first hit came at 8:30pm and the second slam was at 9:15pm. I fished until 10:20pm before calling it quits. Both hits did get my heart pumping 
After having a tough 2006 for Flatheads (for me 
), I hope this isn’t a sign of my 2007 season 
You sound like my twin, although I think last year was tough on many of us. Coincidentally, my bite came at about 9:00-9:15 as well. Were you able to get a hook into them and it just pulled out or was it like mine where half the fish was smashed. We my have to give them a little extra time since the water is still cool (let them take the bait longer, not wait till later in the season
) ? Of course you do that and they wrap you around a log anyway. Even though I missed him, it was very exciting. Especially that feeling when you reel up and feel something solid on your line.
Hang in there mates.
I’m 0-2…. Was out on thurs. afternoon. Fishing with my boy and some crawlers. First hit I couldn’t get to the rod fast enough by the time I tried to set the hook…. Pop right out of the mouth.
Next time fiddling around with the grippers and my boy and got a heck of a hit. Went to sweep back didn’t feel that big till it took off. Drag torqued and (boink) line broke. 30lb pp.
Someone should be able to bag a Flatty this weekend.
Good luck to those that can get out.
The first fish dropped the bait after a fast slam and killing it. I did get lips one the second fish but it didn’t last long.
I always hate letting a fish run to long. I hate the gut hook 
With that said, how long is to long 
Normally at the strike I make sure things are in order for the dance in the boat then let the rod load up for the hook set. I always had myself under the impression, if it’s a big kitty there would be no problem inhaling the bait emmediatly.
I would like to know though if I’m doing it wrong!!!
Well I agree with everything you said. That’s the age old question. I have a love/hate relationship with the time when they first grab your bait until you go set the hook. It gets your heart pumping and when you decide it’s long enough, you close your eyes, hold your breath and hope you feel a solid set, as opposed to that popping feeling of the bait coming out of their jaws.
I’ll join the group at 0-1 for the season. Went out last night on pool 3 until 0100 and got one 4 lb Channel on cutbait in the afternoon but no Flats at night. Water was 59-60 degrees so that was fine but the current was too heavy in most areas even the back channel areas. Hopefully things pick up soon.
Pug, did you try out the clonk?
Bret, Pug,
Its a tough call, I find that it takes a few runs to start seeing a pattern. Last year for instance. When I would see my bait spazzing. I would pick up the rod, Wait for the bump or slam, Let them go for the intial short run usually about a foot, maybe. The fish would usually stop, At that point I would engage the reel turn of the clicker and wait for the fish to start moving again. Let it start to load up the rod and then go for the hook set.
One reminder thought. Is to watch your line. Some of the older cats will swim towards you…………. and you need to take up the slack until they turn, Otherwise you will be swinging and missing all day.
Thats my 2 cents lets here what you other do?
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Pug, did you try out the clonk?
If I tried the clonk from shore, you’d find me in the paper the next day…”Man Drowns While Clonking”. I am not going to wade out and get enough depth to clonk. The clonk stays home when fishing from shore. 
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The clonk stays home
Good idea…. 
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the ollie was only lipping his back half. The bullhead came back a mess. Basically smashed from the spines back and his belly torn open.
That’s a good sign of a punctatus.
I was afraid someone was going to burst my bubble. I he were a channel, he’d a been a bigg’en. Do channels generally crush their prey though? I know they’ll tear them with their teeth, but this guy was really compressed.
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The clonk stays home
Good idea….
Or maybe I did use it but I don’t want the word getting out? 
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Do channels generally crush their prey though?
That’s generally how I tell if it’s a flat or a channel. Stick your thumb in a 10 lbs channels mouth sometime…then tickle his belly. That will answer your question!
Channels are know to crush clams shells to eat the clams.
10 more degrees Pug…then we are going clonking! 
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10 more degrees Pug…then we are going clonking!
You 2, clonking in a boat together 
…….honey quick, get the camera or maybe not 
Brian, I can can tell you first hand (no pun intended) about how it feels to get 4 fingers stuck in a 10lb+ channel’s mouth! It gets even better when they start shaking while they are clamped on there!
I learned my lesson in fish identification!
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I was afraid someone was going to burst my bubble. I he were a channel, he’d a been a bigg’en. Do channels generally crush their prey though? I know they’ll tear them with their teeth, but this guy was really compressed.
I witnessed Mr. Special catch a channel cat last year that was a bit less than 6 pounds, and that was including the really fat bullhead that it swallowed. We still have not figured how the cat got that thing down!
I hear ya
Here’s the smallest Flatty I’ve caught. Notice the bully tail. The fish wasn’t much bigger than the bait.
I’m pretty convinced that when a Flatty commits, there’s no screwing around. Now you see it, now you don’t….down the gullet like a paper towel into a shop vac.
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…down the gullet like a paper towel into a shop vac.
Great analogy!!!
Whatever it was, I wish it had taken the bait head first like that little guy. The reason I hooked the bully in the lips is because A.) Not wanting to throw the bait and B.) After missing a cat last year that smashed the opposite end, I thought they might take the bait head first, especially a bullhead whose spines wouldn’t do them much good getting swallowed head first.
I have been wondering what would happen if you hooked a bully from under the mouth, out through the lips with the point of the hook pointing down. It seems like it would be similar to a quick strike rig. Bullies always go in head first.
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I have been wondering what would happen if you hooked a bully from under the mouth, out through the lips with the point of the hook pointing down. It seems like it would be similar to a quick strike rig. Bullies always go in head first.
I’ve seen IDA’er FlatheadWI hooks his bullies thru the mouth with kahle hooks and he says he hooks up better. Good point, but i bet it isn’t easy getting it thru the roof of the bully mouth.
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Good point, but i bet it isn’t easy getting it thru the roof of the bully mouth.
If you try to put the hook through both lips on a bully you might want to consider taking a cordless drill to pre-drill the hook hole if you have to bait much
I hook mine by the upper lip once in a while, hooking downward in the bottom jaw you are asking for a snag. Its easiest to rip the hook out of a bully thats hooked in the back.
I try finding the nostril to make it a little easier. I seems just that much harder too when you are using a circle hook. I think I am going back to hooking the upper tail. When you said it was that much harder to pull from a snag, I thought to myself, do I really want that much resistance? Especially with a circle hook where some of my loading up might go towards just popping out of the bullhead. And it fires out like a slingshot and bouces off the jaw? I think if I am using circles, I want the softest part of the bully between my hook and the ollie’s jaw.
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