Stormy Flatheads

[Jason Essary]

Glad someone pointed it out, Id had never imagined they would worry bout it.

[Kayser]

Hmm. Didn't catch the "pole and line" part of the methods before. I guess I'm down to using longears if I don't want to worry about size. Oh well, there's more of them in the rivers anyway.

Thanks,

Rob

[bclift65706]

my grandfater says a 5lb flathead will choke itself to death trying to eat a 12 bluegill. Never tried any that big usually use 4 and 5 in gills may try suckers some this year never tried heard thy work good. I cought a 13in smallmouth 2 weeks ago on the osage fork had new indentions halfway up on boath sides of the fish looked like a possible flat attack.

[Trav]

sucker cut bait is good. But live bait is better.

[Jason Essary]

Would love to try some suckers as trotline bait, but where on earth do u get them??

[Trav]

They are stacked up like bricks in Bull Creek right now. Most guys I know will get them with a bow, but I bet a savvy fly guy could get them pretty easy. And have some some too. Most of them are in the 6 to 8 pound range. I will try to see if I could get one to bit on some crawler this afternoon.

[bclift65706]

6 to 8 pounds are big ones the onley problem useing them for bait that I can see is me keeping them out of the hot grease. I like to eat them about as well as anything if prepaird corectley.

[Jason Essary]

Id rather have the 6 to 10" ones, for live bait. suckers or anything else would be nice. I can throw net them or seine them but have never found a good productive area.

[bclift65706]

I dont do any good catching suckers on a rod an reel so I usually bluegill out of the pond and haull them to the river seems like when the flatheads are on the move they thin the pearch out of th river where i fish. It is at the bottom of a 24ft spillway about 15 miles upstream of lake of the ozarks and the end of the road for fish moving upstream and they just stack up like cord wood. I usually use bluegill 3 to 5 in like to use them about 8 in but I guess you cant do that anymore. Have done good on shad in the lake put them on live for flatheads as they die the blues dont mind. the neatest thing is when you are drifting with jugs and all your jugs disaper in about three seconds when a school af hybrid bass come thrugh.

[Trav]

I do alot of work for the 9 or 10 flatheads a year I catch here on Lower Taney but I have caught a couple Bass and even a brownie once off of drop lines.