Red Eared Sunfish

Sunfish

(Shell-Crackers) These types of sunfish grow very large for their species and are ranked at the very top as choice for flathead bait. They can be caught on a great variety of baits depending on where you are fishing. These guys kick hard and live for many hours on a hook.

Bluegill

Sunfish

The bluegill is arguably the #1 flathead bait of choice. Many other baits have been tried and used but in the end the anglers always come back to the bluegill. They are easy to catch, readily available and seem to eat just about anything. Big or small they come in many sizes. The draw backs are sometimes bluegills aren’t as hardy as other sunfish, especially if taken from stagnant ponds and small lakes.

Bullheads

Bullheads

Bullheads: Are great baits when available, just like with flatheads these fish are easiest to catch at night on just about whatever you want to throw at them. Worms, shrimp, stink baits, and cut baits will all work. Bullheads kick all night long on a hook and can be reused time and time again after moving from spot to spot. There is no need to cut the spins off the bullhead, unless you feel it just gives you that extra confidence. There are several species of bullheads including black,yellow,brown and spotted bullhead. They are often called pollywogs or butterball cats.

Golden Shiner

Minnows

Are a favorite bait for flatheads in the spring, they are cheap to buy and live for a long time. In the spring when flatheads are taking smaller baits Golden Shiners can be absolutely devastating on flatheads. Its best to bring at-least 100 large shiners when fishing for . Golden shiner’s can also be caught using small hooks in backwaters. Using shiners can be a great way to catch big numbers of flatheads.

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CTO

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Common Carp

Carps/Minnows

If monster flatheads are what you are searching for carp might be the bait for you. Carp can be baited up using corn then caught on light gear. Common Carp run heft, some guys report using carp as big as five pounds for flatheads with success.

Gizzard Shad

Herring

When available gizzard shad is excellent catfish bait. Very large flatheads are caught each year using nothing but gizzards as bait. Like with any cut bait intended to use for flatheads it’s always best used fresh and with the head section attached.

Thread-fin

Herring

For smaller flatheads and sheer numbers of fish using threadfin herring is a great choice. They can be caught in large numbers with nets and are a flathead favorite when fresh.

Redhorse Sucker

Carps/Minnows

Another big bait that’s sometimes readily available at bait shops is suckerfish. Suckers can also be caught using light tackle. They are fine baits for large flatheads but must be taken care of.

Elizabeth Nelson

CEO

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Jason Parker

Executive Director

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Robert Jackson

Software Engineer

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Maria Green

Software Engineer

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Robert Jackson

CTO

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Tilapia

Cichlids

Some anglers out west have started using tilapia with great success. They kick hard and can live in low oxygenated waters. They can be caught with cast nets or small baits. Check your local laws before using these since they are considered invasive and may be illegal to use on hook and line in some places.

Crappie

Panfish

Crappie are another favorite bait of trophy flathead hunters, especially on lakes and reservoirs, in rivers sometimes the current may be to much for the crappie. Big flatheads love crappie and if presented in the right location can be an almost guaranteed bait for a big flathead.

Chubs & Goldfish

Misc

We cant forget about the chubs and gold fish, these guys are another favorite among flathead fishermen. The chubs are pretty easy to catch with light line and a small larva on a tiny hook, you can find big ones around beaver dams. They average from 5-8 inches but foot long chubs are not rare. Drop one of these under a log jam and it won’t take long to get smashed by a big hungry flathead. Gold fish are another fine bait for flatheads where legal to use and easily raised or purchased.

Crayfish & Earth Worms

Misc

Crayfish and earth worms are great spring time bait after catfish emerge from their wintering holes, flatheads will be a bit sluggish and readily accept these baits. Small flatheads are easily caught all year on earth worms, crayfish work well when trash fish becomes a problem such as gar as they wont touch a crayfish. Crayfish work well under flooded conditions as well to, Catfish will leave the rivers and search the flooded woods for them.

Elizabeth Nelson

CEO

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Jason Parker

Executive Director

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Robert Jackson

Software Engineer

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Maria Green

Software Engineer

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Robert Jackson

CTO

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Juvenile Catfish

Catfish

Other catfish such as small blues and channels work well for flatheads. They will kick hard all night long and are fairly easily caught. In the fall a catfish 1 foot long will work for mega flatheads but on most cases a 5-8 in catfish will do just fine for all sizes of Flatheads.

Sunfish/panfish

Sunfishes

With so many species of sunfish including warmouths, rockbass, orange spotted sunfish, pumpkinseeds, greensun fish and so many more we aren’t going to list all of them but we will say each and every one has a place on your hook and will work very well.

Large Mouth Bass

Black Basses

A bait that’s hard to beat is a juvenile largemouth bass. Obviously you want to check your local and state laws first but where legal these guys kick hard drawing in the hungriest of flatheads.

Brackish Water baits

Misc

In tidal areas and along coastal states we have access to other baits that work well for flatheads, such as bull minnows and finger mullet both will catch flatheads. They will also live for a long time in fresh water. They are easily caught using castanets.

Elizabeth Nelson

CEO

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Jason Parker

Executive Director

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Robert Jackson

Software Engineer

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Maria Green

Software Engineer

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.

Robert Jackson

CTO

What you write here is totally up to you, there is no right or wrong way to complete your 'About Us' page. We advise making your language friendly and approachable, while being informative and professional.