Getting bait

[Seanstone]

How long do you spend on average getting bait for a trip? I spent 3.5 hours yesterday driving around the lake throwing a cast net for shad just to get 12 of them. 12 is what I felt we meedwd for three people. I was pretty exhausted but I had a good feeling about fishing last night....I was wrong. Now, I know gills tend to be easier to get but they are a pain in the butt to keep alive in a yak.

Anyway as I was driving home last night after another horrible trip.... I kept telling myself, "your stupid....your stupid. why do you spend 3 hours to get bait and sit out night after night without bites let alone a fish. I can grab my bass rods and be on and off the water in 5 hours and catch a dozen or so fish....and not lose sleep"

I honestly probably just need to vent, but after a dozen or so trips in the kayak for cats and ive only landed 2. I am begining to question my fishing prefrence. I may just have to start my own forum....panfishfreaks.....lmao;D

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[Smoothkip]

I seen a picture the other day saying "if your not flathead fishing your getting bait" I feel your pain Sean! Lol Chuck and Jonous said when they came over they couldnt believe the shit we go through for a night of flathead fishing. We flathead guys are a rare breed.

[Skyline1506]

YeaI have to agree getting bait sucks. flathead fishing is usually a 2 day event. bait, fish, recover lol. i still love it though.

your pb is 32 or 36 i believe right? when you catch a 30+ lb bass let me know.lol

that is why we all do it bro. we are fishing for the biggest fish in our waters. i would take 1 40lb flathead over 1000 fish of any other species anyday.

could be we are all retarded tough too. its a real possibility

[Skyline1506]

catching or not i am out every chance i get. its the hunt that I enjoy.

getting skunked sucks but its part of the hunt.

[Catfishrollo]

Catching good bait can be more of a hassle than cat fishing for sure. I know what your saying Sean! Especially, getting live bait for Flathead Fishing! It isn't easy. Sometimes it is... We catch most of our bait on rod and reel, and have several options just from years of having to do so. But, if your limited to bait areas that aren't fished out already it's a scouting game for bait as much as you spend time scouting spots for fish! Once you find some good bait spots , keep looking for more! And, when you find two or three good spots.. Keep them to yourself! I still have a few "Go To" spots, that I know always produce. I don't over fish them, and use some of them for not an every weekend trip! Gotta find and have opinions!! rollo

[Chuck]

Wow! Best thread in awhile! Kip is right. I could not believe you guys spends hours and hours driving around all over hell and back looking for bait. I told him if I had to do that, I wouldn't flathead fish. I will hand it to you guys over there, you are hardcore! Sean, I have thought the same thing time and time again. Spending all night and half the morning to not even get a run. This year I have been fishing the tiny little river in the town I live in. I have only caught a handful of cats. Just caught my first flathead here in town last weekend. After spending countless nights fishing, I finally got one. I spent several nights last year doing the same thing. Why? Good question. I can pack up the truck and be home in less than 5 minutes. But, before last year I had never even seen a catfish in the river up here. Never even heard of one being caught. Then one of my buddies caught a flathead. Then one night last summer, another buddy caught six big flatheads in one night. One looked to be high 30's-low 40's. After that, it was on! But the problem is, that night must have been a total freak of a night. All the planets must have been aligned, and the water level just right and a hundred other things. Cause I have fished that spot at least 30 times since then and not caught a flathead. My buddy has only scratched out a few more since then, fishing waaay more than me. Seems to be an extremely low density population of flatheads. Last Friday we did pretty good, I got the biggest channel I've ever seen out of this river, and a little flathead, and my buddy got a few fish. Then Saturday spent about 12 hours and not even a bump. Nothing, nada. I could have went last night, and tonight, but decided to take some time off. I'm getting too frustrated trying to get a decent flathead. As for bait. An hour at the river down the street from the house, two five gallon buckets full of bait. Almost every single time. I have at least 10 spots I can go within a hour of the house and catch 100 in a couple hours. But other guys struggle. I just learned how and where to go, depending on conditions to catch my bait. Now it's almost automatic. Sometimes when the water is way up it's tough, but otherwise, it's cake. I think the nail was hit squarely on the head drove in with one hit when Jordan said... "could be we are all retarded tough too. its a real possibility" I totally concur. And just in case anyone wonders, yes I have been hitting the Jim Beam tonight. Probably flathead related drinking... Or should that be LACK of flathead related drinking..LOL!

[Seanstone]

Jordan it was 35lbs in a net so we subtracted 2lbs and gave me a little room to improve. 33lbs is my pb.

Ive been (seriously) catfishing for 7 or 8 years now. Each year I learn a little more and do a little better. This year has been very frustrating to say the least. I know what it takes to get bait, I know where fish should be, I know the best times to look for each specie, I know some of the best spots to fish, etc. And it wasnt until thia year when I began to doubt all of that.....maybe I dont know so much after all. Maybe I need some of what chucks sipping on. Lol

I just need a good night of cats to cheer me up thats all. I also wanted to check and make sure I wasnt doing something wrong. It seems the concensus is that getting bait sucks.....I agree.;D

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[ducky]

To be honest I love catching bait. Flipping little crappie tubes for rockbass and green sunfish is a blast with a ultra light. This year I have been using bullhead a lot and the wife loves fishin for them because they are so easy to catch and fast pace. But one thing for sure, Jordan hit the nail on its the hunt for that one big fish that keeps us goin, at least for me it is. I can see over the years that trophy bow hunters seem to do better, or should I say last longer in this flathead game.

[chuckd67]

I Get Very Pumped Up When Catching Bait On Rod And Reel And They Are Biting As Fast As You Can Catch Them. From My Experience When The Bait Is Biting Good. The Cats Are Biting Good. But Also I've Been Surprised When Going Out With A Half Dozen Gills And They Get Used Up In An Hour. That Can Cut Trip Short. Gotta Go Catch Now, See Ya!

[katfish]

All flathead fishermen experience the frustration at some time.

I normally tell guys that trophy catfishing should only be attempted
after you have masterred the other fish. That way you are at least able to get bait

I look at things in a different light. When I catch bait it helps soothe
the sting of nights of skunks waiting on big flathead. It helps my confidence
that I can still catch fish even if they are not 50 pounds.

If you want the ultimate pain try catching bait in October.
We have found that flathead are biting yet we struggle to get
enough baits up to fish each night.

[Blackhorse]

Sorry guys but I gotta laugh a little. I walk out my door and in 30 seconds, no more than 45, I'm at the pond catching gills. Usually in 20 to 30 min. I have 3 to 4 dozen blue gills. The biggest problem I have is catching small enough bait to use. In Missouri you can't use gills over 5" for bait. Now if I want chubs or Bullhead, it takes a little longer, then it may take an hour total by the time I drive a 1/4 mile to the creek. Now if they would allow me to use the 8 and 9 " gills, I wouldn't have to waist so much time getting bait either! We stocked the pond for bait a few years ago with this in mind, the biggest problem I have is here we can't use bass for bait and I have shit tons of small bass also, in the 10" range.

[Skyline1506]

Yep I agree 100% Brock.

Flathead fishing is more like trophy white tail hunting than it is like fishing.

I usually find myself in the stand thinking out my flathead stratagies for the next season and how I did things the past season. And plan whitetail hunts while flathead fishing

Trophy white tail bow hunting and Flathead angling are nearly neck to neck for me. Flathead fishing definitely gets the edge, but I am not sure that there is a rush in the world like a trophy buck coming in when compound bow hunting. Fishing is still number 1 though.

Both teach you a ton of patience and appreciation for the moment when everything finally comes together

[rustyfish]

Save yourself time a buy some spinnerbaits for channels.

I love catching bait but I dont use shad that often. Tossing a cast net for 3 hours does suck. Its flathead season now and the scioto and ohio are shaping up. I think we could have a good second half.

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[Seanstone]

I have the bass tournament this weekend....after that I will set my bass rods aside and target cats. I always do better in the fall.

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[CatfishHunter]

Just grab a tub of livers and catch some channels while you wait on the big ones.