Medium Rivers

We fish two different types of rivers.This first one we will talk about is where i do most of my flathead fishing.This river would be classified as a Medium size river.This river consists of many features like mud ,sand, silt and gravel bottoms depending on location and depth.Most holes average probably 8-10 feet deep with some around 20-25 feet deep. After lots of scouting and searching areas i found a hole that is about 25 feet deep, has a big high bank area and wash out hole.The deepest part of this hole is were the main river channel cuts through the center.This hole collects lots of timber that flows down stream in high water floods.The first few years i fished this hole i learned very fast about the strength and power of a flathead.Those first few years i mostly used cut bait for cats because i could catch both channels and flatheads on it.I also learned how smart the cats were in that they knew right where to go to break you off.I tried many types of tackle from starting out with spinning gear and switching to a Abu Garcia 6500 C3 spooled with 20lb test Mono. and long surf rod.Lost lots of good fish those first few years. I have finally refined my skiils after 9-10 years of fishing this area.I have went from using freshly killed baitfish(redhorse suckers,shad, bluegills)To using those same baits live.The first time i went into my spot with live suckers size 4-7 inches i got my butt kicked.I lost a lot of fish to timber and got poor hook ups because i was running Mastad big gun hooks 5/0, but i still landed about 14 flatheads 15-25lbs.that first night. I went to Gamakatsu hooks and moved up to Mason braided Dacron/Polyester line.I armed my self with a St. Croix classic cat(8 ft. 1 pc. rated up to 60lb. test and 8 oz.)A Berkley #4 E-cat rod(rated up to 40lb. test and 5 oz.). I spooled up my Abu 6500 C4 with 36lb braided and my Abu 7000 C3 with 50lb. braided.I stepped up to 8/0 Gamakatsu hooks and this seemed to be a great set up.That is until one year in fall, my rod took off screaming, i picked it up and set the hook, but only got a half swing, this was a big fish.I tried all i could to stop this fish, but couldnt even begin to turn it.After that i had about one per year that i couldnt turn.Two seasons ago i had enough and went even bigger.I bought two Shimano Calcutta 700 reels, which i run 50lb. braided line.I got a Quantum Iron 430CX, which i run 80lb. braided in fall.I picked up two Ugly stik boat rods that are also 8 foot 1 piece and are rated up to 80lb. test and 12 oz.I also stepped up to Gamakatsu 10/0 4X-strong hooks.This has been my best set up for true tug-a-war matches with flatheads. We usually run a basic slip-rig of 2-4oz. bank sinker(depending on current and bait size).We most of the time just let the sinker slide all the way up to the hook with no leader length.In timber leaders sometimes lets the bait get you snagged up on limbs on the bottom trying to hide from a flathead and breaking 50lb. braided is no fun.Also sometimes its hard enough keeping a 1 lb. bait from pulling you around with a 4-5oz. sinker, a leader would just give him more running room that we dont want.A big lively bait will call in a big flathead no matter what length of line he has to swim freely on! My bait of choice now is live suckers(redhorse & northern hognose 5-13 inches long)But will not pass up a green ear sunfish, hybrid bluegill or a nice 12 in. largemouth bass!I DONT use store bought bait like goldfish or sucker chubs for Flatheads, only WILD bait for me.I spend enough money on this hobby i dont need to burn anymore than i have to.Also the money i save by catching my own bait funds new fishing tackle! I average 50-75 flatheads per year that go 17-35lb. I catch plenty of smaller 1-15lb. flatheads,but only count them as fun fish since those are mostly caught during the day while channel cat fishing with cut bait. You have to understand in an open water lakes or bigger rivers, lighter tackle is all you need, but in a river that is wide enough to cast accross and is full of timber you will need heavy tackle.How big do these fish get in this river? Well have read articles of lots of 50 lb flats per year with some fish reaching 70lbs.I know the monsters are there and i have come a long way in just a few years of "true" flathead hunting, i will land a 50lb. flat out of this river, but only time will decide when! How i catch my bait, keep my bait and how i transport it will be on another page we will set up.

Large Rivers

The second type of river we fish would be classified as a large river, 3rd largest in the nation. We fish the Ohio River on the eastern border of Ohio . I started fishing with my fishing partner Dave about 8-9 years ago.We mostly fished here in Columbus, but he soon told me of the big river and about all the great fishing it had to offer.I had never fished the Ohio River before even though i have heard about the"myths" of cats as big as cars.He grew up on the river and has a brother that lives about 4 miles from the dam we were going to be fishing, so staying at his brothers house was a perfect set up. My first 3 trips to the Ohio i watched them catch fish and i caught turtles and gar(i hate both species).When i met Daves nephew Jake he was about 16 years old.I still remember When i asked them about flatheads, he said"we dont catch many flatheads around here!". Well he was soon going find out we would catch flatheads and in good numbers in the coming seasons.They mostly used "store bought" minnows and did catch some nice channel cats.They also did sometimes use cut bait like drum, whitebass, skipjack herring and other fish they would cut up for bait. They had never seen someone use a cast net back in those day either and was amazed to see the bait fish like shad that i could catch.This proved to be a big turning point in all of our fishing below that dam. That season i put a few flatheads on the bank around 10-15lbs. which is not bad for my first year fishing that big of a river and in an area where"we dont catch many flatheads".Right after seeing my cast net catches, Jake sent out for one and hasnt looked back.He stumbled onto the 1/4" mesh net that is nylon instead of 3/8" mono like my nets.He started catching tons of Emerald shinners that fish like SMALLMOUTH, WHITE BASS and SKIPJACK HERRING went crazy over.After that i bought a 1/4" mesh net too.That season Dave and Jake took 2nd in a tourny. using bait caught in the cast net.I think they were true believers of bait and its importants after that. Ok now on to fishing the big river.The Ohio river is a lot wider and a lot more open and big heavy gear is not needed, atleast not to the extreme that i use in my local med. river. We use long surf rods from 9-12 feet long spinning and casting reels.I prefer A St.Croix surf rod for casting distance and a large capacity reels.I have an 11ft. Ben Doerr Elite casting rod rated up to 50lb. test and 12oz. that i run an Abu Garcia 6500 C4 and it casts a mile.I also have an 11ft. Euro spinning rod thats from the UK that i have a Shimano baitrunner longcast also from the UK that holds 600 yrds. of 12lb. test.Jake runs a 9ft.Fenwick HMG surf rod and a Shimano classic baitrunner 3500 and a 10.5ft. Ben Doerr surf system rod with a Browning baitrunner from the UK also. We have a lot of different rods and reels that we enterchange to suit the conditions and the fishing.We mostly use baitrunner style reels because of the casting ability and the great free-spool like a baitcaster. Our rigs mostly are a special "Skulich" 3-way set up using 1/0-6/0 hooks for channels and daytime flatheads.At night we might only step up a little bigger depending on the bait size.Snagging up is a very big problem so we stay away from expensive hooks like Gamakatsu that we use in Columbus. We also tie our own snell hooks with 30lb. Berkley Big-Game mono for those toothy critters that like our cut bait too.Sinkers are mostly 3-6oz. bank style sinkers that we pour ourselfs, the size we use depends on current and bait size or how far we need to get out in the tailwaters.In heavy current we run a short 6-12in. leader, but in calm conditions maybe as much as 2-3 ft.Again depending on current, bait size and snags. Our line test is mostly 12lb. for day-time fishing going up to 20-30lb. test at night, but again no need for super heavy lines in current or you will never hold out in the white water of the dam.Some of my biggest flatheads have been caught while channel cat fishing during the day on 12lb. mono and fresh cut skipjack herring...32.11 lbs. So you never know when those big cats will hit on the Ohio River so ALWAYS be prepared with the right set-up.

Dam picture

This is a picture of a Dam discharge area that my buddy Duane Hook took on one of our trips there this summer. One of the best pictures of it in heavy fog that i have seen , thanks Duane.