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River Giants of North Florida
By Dan Dobbins, FWC

Anglers heading to the Gulf of Mexico to catch big fish now may only have to go as far as their closest river to get their lines stretched. Thanks to the actions of man, an increasing number of north Florida rivers are home to a whiskered behemoth more typically associated with Midwestern rivers and streams.

Appaloosa Cat, shovelhead catfish, goujon, Mississippi cat or Johnny cat; whatever name you call it, the flathead catfish is a nasty brute and quite possibly one of the ugliest fish in North America. Second in size only to the blue cat, the flathead is capable of tipping the scales at 120 pounds and has an appetite that matches its appearance.

The flathead first appeared in Florida in the Apalachicola River during the early 1980’s. Since then, it has established reproducing populations in every river from the Ochlockonee west to the Alabama state line.

While unpopular with some anglers due to its potential impact on several native fish species, the flathead does have some redeeming qualities. Its combination of size, fight and table fare puts it in a small select group of freshwater fish. Most importantly, from an angling standpoint, the flathead is a fish of the common man. There are no mysteries or complexities involved in catching one, only basics and luck. The better you master the former, the less you have to rely on the latter.

So what are the basics of successful flathead fishing? Talk to enough good flathead fishermen and you will hear a few thoughts repeated over and over. These basics, although derived from experiences on the Apalachicola, apply to any Florida river.

When going after flatheads, leave the ultra light tackle behind. There is little finesse in flathead fishing. Big fish typically require big tackle and the flathead is no exception. The first place a big flathead heads for when hooked is a structure, the heavier the better, at least for him. In order to be successful, your tackle will have to be heavy enough to either stop him from getting there or fight him out after he does.

Fishing for flathead catfish is similar to bottom fishing for grouper and the tackle used by successful flathead anglers is generally the same as that employed by their saltwater brethren. Large, open-faced spinning reels, conventional saltwater or level winds spooled with 40 – 50 pound test line are typical. A fairly stiff rod with good backbone and hook-setting power completes the setup.

By far the most commonly used terminal setup for flathead fishing is a simple Carolina rig. Typically, an 18 to 24-inch length of monofilament leader is attached to a barrel swivel with a 2 to 8-ounce egg sinker sliding freely along the line above the swivel. Water depth, current speed and line diameter determine the amount of weight necessary to keep bait on the bottom, which is where it needs to be. A round glass bead placed between the hook knot and sinker, especially when using heavier weights, reduces abrasion and weakening of the knot by the sinker.

Recent years have seen the switch by some anglers from the traditional egg or barrel sinkers to flat sinkers. The idea is that the flat shape is more resistant to being moved around by the current, thus allowing the angler more control in keeping the bait were he wants it. Whatever shape weight you use, make sure you have plenty on hand. Flathead fishing means fishing in or near structures. It is not a question of whether or not you will lose terminal tackle, but rather how much you will lose.

Unlike our native catfish, the flathead is a predator, feeding almost exclusively on live prey. Normal catfish baits such as “stink baits” - chicken gizzards, dough balls, etc. - don’t work on flatheads, so leave them at home. Successful flathead fishing requires the use of live or fresh dead bait with emphasis on “the fresher the better.”

Bream (bluegill, shellcracker, warmouth, etc.) are the most commonly used flathead bait. Redbreast sunfish (river bream) and warmouth are particularly favored by many serious flathead anglers. When taken from a public water body, bream used for bait must be caught in a legal manner. In addition to bream, golden shiners, small catfish, eels and crayfish can also be successfully used for bait.

Live bait fishing for flatheads typically requires the use of fairly large hooks in the 3/0 to 6/0 size range. Some popular styles are the O’Shaughnessy, beak, kahle and circle hook. The latter two styles have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their high hookup efficiency and their tendency to hook fish in the corner of the mouth. When using circle or kahle hooks, resist the urge to “set” the hook when a flathead grabs the bait. More often than not, you will simply jerk the bait out of its mouth. Just hold the rod steady and the hook should set itself.

Properly hooking flathead bait is an example of a simple act becoming a highly complex issue. Accomplished anglers, who generally agree on most aspects of flathead fishing, scatter in every direction on this one. Whether it be upper jaw, lower jaw, through the nostrils, in front of the dorsal fin, behind the anal fin, etc., virtually every portion of a baitfish’s body has its own passionate champions. The best advice here is to experiment until you find a site where you feel comfortable.

Flathead anglers generally split into two camps when it comes to the best time to go fishing. Some fish exclusively at night, while others prefer to be on the water during daylight hours. The flathead itself is not terribly particular about when it feeds, so the matter of when to go basically boils down to the angler’s personal preference, not the flathead’s.

Anglers fishing at night face circumstances not encountered during daylight hours. Safety, always an important issue, becomes especially critical at night. Darkness greatly affects the ability of anglers to assess and react to events happening around them, as well as their ability to be seen by others.

While some light is necessary to see what is going on, too much can be a problem. Bright light from a spotlight or strong flashlight can spook a large flathead right at the boat, a critical point in the fight, and cause a break-off or hook pullout. Minimizing the amount of light shining directly into the water can avoid this. The new lightweight LED headlamps are popular light sources for night fishing.

During daylight hours, larger flatheads will generally be found in deeper, swifter portions of a river, especially where there is cover such as snags, ledges or undercut banks. The outside of a river bend is often a good spot to find big flatheads as are natural holes or depressions in the river bottom. These areas allow the flathead to avoid the worst of the current and act as ambush sites. From these sites a flathead can rush out to snap up any prey that might swim by or simply lie in wait until prey seeking shelter from the current comes to the flathead.

When surveying potential flathead habitat, don’t necessarily look for the deepest water you can find. Often times big flatheads can be found at the very upper end of a hole or run where the bottom starts to drop. A change in depth of only a couple of feet in this “transition zone” can be an ideal spot for a lurking flathead. The backside of a sandbar where the bottom begins to fall off can also be promising.

Once a likely flathead spot is identified, anchor just upstream and place baits at progressively deeper depths with the first bait at the initial drop or transition zone. Placing baits at multiple depths greatly increases the angler’s chance of locating where flatheads are holding. Once fish are located, the angler can adjust bait placement accordingly.

After dark, many flatheads will abandon their daylight lairs and forage actively in shallower water. The edges of holes or drop-offs can become hot spots at this time. Mouths of creeks and sloughs and the backside of sandbars are also good bets. Reduced current flow in these areas means the use of smaller sinkers. Some anglers use floats to suspend bait off the bottom or simply free line a bait without any bait.

Although gaining in popularity, flathead fishing in north Florida is still relatively new and unknown to many freshwater anglers. The information provided here is intended to serve as a starting point for those anglers wishing to try their hand at this unique fishing experience. While necessarily general in its scope, it represents the basic knowledge accumulated by some of north Florida’s best flatheaders. Hopefully it will be of benefit to those just starting out.

The blue cat is the largest catfish in North America, capable of attaining weights over 150 pounds and like the flathead, is not native to Florida. Though briefly mentioning the distribution and status of the blue catfish in north Florida, this publication does not attempt to address angling for this species. Blue catfish populations are increasing in the Apalachicola and Escambia Rivers and more will be caught in the future. Currently, however, no established recreational fishery exists for this species.

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