Fishing Frenzy

Sports fishing has caught on in recent years, with one of the most popular being flathead catfishing. Many veteran anglers consider the flathead catfish to be a worthwhile foe, thanks to its aggressive behavior and voracious feeding habits. Despite the challenge, the effort pays off at the dinner table. People consider flatheads to be more delicious than the regular channel, especially if you happen to land a big one.

Be warned, though, that fishing for this particular species of catfish takes more work than the regular kind. Flatheads will offer stiff resistance, and reeling them in can be quite challenge for even the most experienced of sports fishers. As such, it pays to be armed with knowledge of this considerable foe.

Flathead catfishing becomes less of a challenge once you familiarize yourself with its eating habits and survival behavior. However, being the biggest of all catfish species, flatheads are never an easy catch.

Fish location
Flatheads are attracted to clear and running water but usually seeks out some kind of cover. Some of the good places to fish for flatheads include brush piles, lone rocks, submerged logs and trees with roots hanging over water edges. These water edges can sometimes have strong currents that you will need to cast net at the inside bends where there is less current. You can also spot flatheads in big reservoirs and lakes.

Flathead diet
Because of their vicious diet, flatheads can be detrimental to some species of sunfish. In small water formations, the entire populations of sunfish may be wiped out as flatheads commonly feed on them. These animals also eat bream and have perch as one of their favorite foods. Flatheads aren't picky and will grab any fish food that will come its way.

Vicious Feeding Diet
The flathead catfish is known for its voracious feeding habits. It particularly targets the sunfish species. In smaller water reservoirs, the sunfish populations are always put to danger as the flatheads nastily feed on them. Aside from the sunfish, the flatheads likewise devour bream and perch as their favorites. Not choosy at all, flatheads are sure to greedily consume whatever food they come across. Not afraid of the light, the flatheads satiate their hunger pangs day and night. They typically swim over to the riverbeds, so it's best to keep your baits at bay in these areas. As they like to munch through live baits, you may want to try the bluegills, minnows, and shad, among the small fish baits. You may put it hanging from the trot line, or embedded on a pole. Be sure to add frozen water when storing live fish bait in an insulated cooler.

Gear
Flathead catfishing doesn't require special or expensive gear, just the conventional rod or fishing pole. However, veteran catfish anglers utilize bank poles and jugs for better fishing, or cast throw-lines. In addition, the species' wider mouths are best baited by bigger hooks, so a size 7 or 8 would be ideal. Like any fishing secret, the best catfishing techniques are those proven with enough time and trophies. To get the most out of the sport, ask the veteran anglers in fishing forums for tips and tricks on landing the biggest flatheads.