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Post by dreadnaught on Apr 12, 2011 18:42:18 GMT -5
Yep, we had a great time at that one!!!!!
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Post by joeyfri13 on Apr 15, 2011 21:20:53 GMT -5
I think I am slowly beginning to understand that flathead in different waterways react to baits in different ways. This makes flathead fishing far more complex than fishing for other species. It does cause quite a bit of controversy ;D Minnesota boyz claim bullheads are the best bait. I have never had a run on a bullhead and I tried them off and on for 6 years. River fishermen report cut bait works well. I used to think that was because that was all some of them fished with and they were unwilling to go to all the trouble to use live bait. I now believe that flathead adapt to finding dead or cut up fish in river systems and even find security cover that has them facing into current to take advantage of baits comin to them. You will soon see that river flathead are more numerous and therefore must be more aggressive to survive. My proof will be that river flathead begin feeding in colder water temps than lake flathead. This means the river boyz will begin catching flats a week or 2 before lake flathead fishermen. Also you will learn that flathead may change bait preferences thoughout the season on your waters. This probably has more to do with available forage than what they prefer. But it will mean they may change locations to be close to the preyfish or key in on the part of the water column those prey prefer. It does seem that flathead like to prey on fish that are occupied spawning. They sometimes seem to concentrate on shad until they get a certain size. My conclusion is you could guess what a woman will do next before you can predict how a flathead will react. i fish for flats in rivers and i usually throw a cut and a live out at the same time and had many more runs on the cut could be like you said competition for food drives them to scavenge as much as hunt, also i think that when you study flatheads they dont like to fight any current if they can help it so they hang out in cover and slack waters and to the lee of rock piles, bridge pylons, etc so it is safe to say they like to conserve energy whenever possible so when they sense fresh cut bait it triggers "hey free luch" bell rather than tracking and hunting life bait whcih signals "good meal but you might have to work for it". most big animals you find in nature dont get that way from being picky, they make it to that size from being an opportunistic feeder. But thats just my opinion, these fish have a way of making people look foolish from time to time. |
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