I’m curious what other are doing when you get those pick-ups where the bait gets thumped, and the fish either stops or seems to just be sitting there (even after a few minutes).
Seems like the waiting thing hasn’t worked so well the last few times out.
Shawn
This is where a graphite rod with PowerPro excel.
I pick up the rod in free spool and with my thumb on the spool gently pull back until either I feel resistance or feel a bully thumping. If there’s a bit of resistance it calls for a hook set…if it’s the bullhead thump, I leave it sit.
There’s a reason I fish with St. Croix rods…and it’s not because of the price. 
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I pick up the rod in free spool and with my thumb on the spool gently pull back until either I feel resistance or feel a bully thumping. If there’s a bit of resistance it calls for a hook set…if it’s the bullhead thump, I leave it sit.
Thats exactly what I do as well
“Graphite is your messenger”
Yup that’s what I thought to Jake.
The best example I recall is when I thought I might have had a bite but it wasn’t much of anything…and nothing special happened after that. It wasn’t until my partner reeled in his 25 pounder and we found my bully and 10/0 gami in his mouth that I knew it was a bite.
Two people in the boat, line out alarms and THEN we notice the line moving so sneakly up stream next to the boat.
Flats are tricky little stinkers! 
Braided line will usually tell the tale of what goin on under the water.
When I get into a goofey situation like a fish moving at me or one that might be stoped with the bait in its mouth, I always reel down on the catfish with the Double action hook. Here is why…..Works on blues/channels/flatheads…..
1. You won’t yank your bait off or hurt your bait with the reeling down system.
2. If the cat is coming at you…you might set the hook and miss the fish if you didn’t catch up to them……kinda like a swing and a miss (WIFF)….If you reel down on um, it all happens in 1 motion and you can pick up lots of line very quickly to see if the cat is truly there.
Just my 2 cents
With braided superlines low stretch, I swear I can tell what is going on with the old fiberglass glowstick by tightening the line and holding rod in my hand. It’s like having a Bose tin cans on a rope system. It’s different than the ‘buzz’ I feel made by the current flowing across my line or even an active bullhead. Normally I can I feel the sinker dragging and/or bumping into something if the fish is moving. Or if the flatty sits still, normally I feel the thump, thump concussion of it smacking his jaws to subdue the bullhead or position it to be swallowed.
But you can’t be like BK if you want to use a white fiberglass rod.
and I said that with a smile on my face.
I feel lots of things with fiberglass…just can’t beat graphite….although boron gave it a run for it’s money.
But then again…I finesse fish.
My strategy is when the bobber goes down you hit them like a red haired step child.
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I always reel down on the catfish with the Double action hook.
Good point Jeff. The only time a person shouldn’t reel down is when the line is peeling of the reel!
At that time it’s FISH ON!! WOO WHOOOO!
Bobbers…new thread!
I know. I got a graphite too and you can’t beat it. I don’t care what new rod technology they come out with, I will always prefer graphite. Especially one piece and through the handle.
Pug? I didn’t know they made pink graphite rods. 
How many times do I have to tell you it is fuchsia!
~FUCHSIA~
Does that look pink to you?
I stand corrected…again. 
Not sold on the circles for flatheads yet, a major part of my problem last trip was how breezy it was. Guess I was too lazy to reanchor sideways to use the light current to further stabilize the boat, or at least move further away to minimize the effects of the boat sway. Even with two anchors, it was impossible to tightline.
I also could have broken out another float.. that rig worked well.
Shawn
Shawn, I hear you on the circles…as I would never recommend them for flats (although some do) until this last year when Team Catfish came out with the 8/0 double action hooks.
To date, I’m 2 for 2 in hookups using them. That does not make a book in my book, but by just looking at that a person with some experience would say they might work.
I started this year with one out of my four rods set up with the DA. Tonight I’m switching to 3 of the 4.
Everts and Moores stock them and they ship. Give them a try, so far I’ve been impressed….more to come.
Doesn’t Steve DeMars use circles on flats? I don’t remember him using anything but circles. I pretty much use circles exclusively, but I am mixing it up a little this year. It’ll depend on the situation. There was a night last year where I was 1 for 3 or 4 with circles and then next day got the J style hooks. For me, high water and strong current are the times I will opt for a J. I am pretty confident with the circles though. And I feel like I can’t walk it over snags easier, avoiding having to break off my rig.
On a side note. Up at the cabin I had a sucker under a bobber with a circle hook. I started dozing off with the bobber almost lost on the edge of the reflection of the sun. Then I noticed my line was slack with the bobber missing. As I reeled up, the fish jumped. I kept reeling at a moderate pace, because if I was wrapped around weeds I didn’t want it to tug the hook out of it’s mouth. Then the bobber came up but was still moving, so I knew it was on and I was close to having the line tight. He shot to the side and jumped again. I thought that was it. I finally got a straight line to apply pressure to the fish and I was amazed after all that, the fish was landed and the circle was in the corner of the mouth through the lip like it is supposed to be. So he ended up hooking himself through all of that, that was why he was jumping.
The problem I have with J style hooks is I fear damaging the fish. I’ve put one inch gashes in bass while Texas rigged worm fishing. That can’t be good for the fish.
Sorry for the long winded response. Too much coffee this morning.
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