Flathead catfish eat other fish! I repeat the best bait for flathead catfish is lively baitfish. LIVE FISH COMPROMISE 98% OF THE DIET OF MATURE(20+lb) FLATHEAD DIET.

There are no magic baits for Flathead. Basically they will eat any live fish they can catch and get in their mouth. But experimentation and observation can reduce the piscatorial menu down to your favorite waters best bait.

If you harvest Flathead you can simply cut the stomach open and examine the contents. This will reveal what the fish has eaten which should equal his preferred meal. You can then offer that bait.

If you are like me and prefer to release the fish it becomes an experiment in trial and error. My partner and I baited with several different baits last year. When the first 5 fish we caught all chose the same bait our choice was simple. If however we had caught the Flathead on a varied assortment of baits we would have continued until a preference was established. We may have been in error by not offering an assortment of baits as the water warmed and feeding preferences changed.

4. Be prepared to catch a big Flathead!

If you are serious about catching large Flathead your tackle should be capable to handling them. Flatheads that spool bass fishermen when they hit a crankbait or break a bream fishermen's rod when they eat the caught fish are excusable. Any catman that fishes for Flathead and is not heavily enough equipped for the biggest Flathead in his waters will get no sympathy from me.

Equipment failures are not an excuse to miss fish! Most are preventable. If you lack experience and a 50 pound Flathead destroys your Zebco 202 then I say you are the fool. Flatheads are brute power fish that requires raw strength in tackle or expert handling on light tackle. If in doubt about your abilities go for the brute strength side. Have a net large enough to engulf a fish 24 inches wide and 45 inches long. This should handle 99% of the Flathead on our planet. Do not attempt to lift heavy fish with the handle. My friends and I have broken enough landing nets to recommend that you lift heavy Flathead by the hoop of the landing net. When you break a handle the big Flathead has an extra chance at escape and you get to buy a new net! Have confidence in your fishing spot. Ed Davis sat on a log jam with his buddy. They believed it held big Flathead and they would feed. They waited 9 hours. Then they caught 3 Flathead. Average sizes 70 pounds! Don Wise was learning to fish for big Flathead. He spent 52 nights fishing in prime spots. He listened to experienced catmen as they explained why all of the techniques were employed. He did not get a bite. It Rained on Don. He fished when frost formed on his boat. Mosquitoes tormented him. He studied the catmen and the areas they fished and the reasons they used big baits. For a whole summer he endured these and the ridicule of fellow workers who followed his quest for giant Flathead. Yet he did not catch a big Flathead. He did not get a bite! But the next Spring brought a change. A different lake. A change in the attitude of the Flathead. The same methods that had brought him disappointment the year before yielded results. Don caught Flathead. Don caught BIG Flathead. Don caught many big Flathead. This is the type of confidence and dedication that results in success. But during all this time Don was prepared to fight and land a huge Flathead. When he got the first bite he was prepared to hook, fight and land a wild mean fish with no thought of surrender. Even the first big Flathead----Don released.