Spring Transition Flatheads

Intercepting Spring Transition Flatheads

            With any form of flathead fishing, success depends on piecing together parts of the puzzle that is a successful pattern.  Considering all of the variables that play into fish location and movement, it can seem like a daunting task.  This is accentuated even more in large reservoirs, where fish can travel through a wide open expanse of water from one destination to the next.  Flathead fishing success in  reservoirs relies in large part on defining exactly what pieces of the puzzle are important when, and how to put the most pieces together at any given time to give yourself a shot at success.  In this post I’d like to take a look at the transition period from late winter to spring, and go over some of the variables or “puzzle pieces” that have proven successful in large reservoirs across the U.S.

            It is widely known that flathead catfish become relatively dormant when water temperatures fall below a certain level.  In the Midwest, most anglers experience greatly diminished success when surface temperatures drop below 45 degrees.  Up until this point, the more successful anglers have been locating feeding fish en-route to water in which they can spend the winter.  Once in a wintering area, flatheads seem to feed (with increasingly sluggish behavior) in that area until a point when they finally turn it off for the winter. Winter flathead fishing is possible, and in some circumstances (under the right conditions) I believe flatheads will take a bait.  More popular this time of year, though, is a controversial method of jigging large soft baits on heavy lead directly over suspected wintering holes. In order to avoid an ethical debate here, we will fast forward to  early spring.

            So, what’s the earliest you’ve landed a flathead during the spring? Better yet, what’s the earliest you’ve had success while actually targeting the species?  The general consensus across the board is that most flathead anglers in the Midwest begin to dust off their gear in late April and begin experiencing consistent success into May (subtract a month further into the south, give or take). But we’ve all seen it. Every year several flathead pictures make their way around the internet of large fish caught long before anyone’s thinking about fishing for them, by someone fishing for another species.  This is certainly no coincidence.

Piece #1: Timing

            The reservoir flathead has to be considered differently than flatheads in rivers.  They are normally not governed by current, and relate much more to certain solitary “home” areas than do river fish.  This also means that if a large flathead doesn't like something about a particular day (whether its temperature, barometric pressure, water influx, etc.) he can sit still on his happy butt and wait to move until conditions are more to his liking.  This brings us to the first spring time puzzle piece: Timing.  Over the years we’ve noticed that a flathead really can show up at any time, but good days (the days producing more than one fish) seem to be good days across the board.  With several large lakes in my home state exhibiting fishable flathead populations, we can compare reports across the state and take note of trends.  What we’ve come to realize is that a good portion of the time, if we have a good multiple fish trip, it’s not the only one in the area and normally one of several.  But what triggered this onslaught of feeding behavior?  Let’s think.  Early in the season, most anglers flock to their favorite lake or reservoir on the warmest, sunny days.  Spring warm up begins to lift water temperatures, and fish like saugeye, crappie, and largemouth bass begin to leave deep water in search of warmer habitat.  It comes as no surprise then that most early season, accidental flathead catches seem to occur on warm, sunny days.  Usually at the peak of the warmest part of the day, too.  Early in the season, this warm sunny weather is a flathead's alarm clock. Just like in the fall, they will feed sluggishly and probably not go far. But you better believe they’re hungry.  A mistake many anglers make is the belief that flathead are solely nocturnal predators.  During most of the season, this is the case.  We have outlined, however, that flathead catfish activity is largely governed by water temperature.  Anglers itching to target flathead in early spring would be wise to note warming trends, and to pick warm days that come after a string of other warm sunny days.  Fish in unfavorable conditions this early in the season and 9 times out of 10 you will find you’re just out for a boat ride.

Piece #2: Bait

Coming off of a fall bite where no piece of bait seemed too big for a hungry flathead to eat, many anglers make the mistake of offering these same baits to fish early in the year. When it comes down to it, flatheads are opportunistic and may take any bait like this presented in the right place.  What one must also keep in mind, though, is that flatheads are top predators and will weigh the energy cost of catching and consuming a bait against the nutritional gain they take from eating it.  When flathead are slow and sluggish, fighting a metabolism that’s been at a creeping pace all winter, they may be more likely to pass up a big, lively bait that could present a challenge to catch and kill.  Instead, try offering smaller live baits and even pieces of cut bait in areas where flatheads will likely be trying to shake off the dust and find an easy meal.  Cut shad can be deadly then, as winter kill settles to the bottom before it begins to bloat and float with the wind to shallow bays (the channel cat café).  Don’t be afraid to mix one or two large baits into your set, as it could pay off big time. Just keep in mind that on average, smaller baits or fresh cut bait are easier to catch and kill to a flathead moving in slow motion.  Remember the guy holding a 40lb bruiser with a saugeye jig stuck in its mouth, or the crappie fisherman who got spooled using minnows.

Piece #3: Location

So you’ve had several warm days in a row, and the forecast is calling for sunny skies and an afternoon temperature in the low 60’s.  Seems like as good a chance as any for an early spring fish.  Location is the next piece of the puzzle to put in place.  Flatheads will start to “wake up” with a string of warm weather and favorable pressure like this, but may not begin to migrate to traditional late spring water until this weather becomes more of a normal thing.  In the mean time, they’ll shake off the cobwebs and begin milling around near winter water.  The key here is to find transition points that offer a good chance at contacting fish waking up from their slumber.  In early spring, bays at the northern ends of large reservoirs typically warm first.  So run to the warmest bay you can find and give it hell? Not yet.  Fish like largemouth bass and crappie that have maintained an active metabolism all winter will begin to chase the warmest water very early on.  Flatheads seem to take their time.  Take a look at a good topographical map and locate what looks like a likely wintering area for flathead catfish in that lake.  Then, look for shallow water within reasonable distance to this wintering water that is likely to warm up first.  Typically bays or fingers of the lake that receive windblown water from the south and have creeks flowing into them will thaw and warm the fastest. Now, take a look at the path from point A (your winter area) to point B (your warm spring bay).  What is the most likely path of travel between these areas that a flathead may take as the water begins to warm?  In many cases, this may be a drop-off edge or creek channel.  Now look more closely.  What details of this structural feature make good areas for flatheads to lazily browse for food as their metabolism starts to ramp back up? A channel bend holding wood or other habitat? The confluence of another channel coming out of a bay to the main channel?  Stick close to likely winter water very early in the year, but begin to follow the path from point A to point B as the warming trend continues.  If you’re contacting fish then suddenly lose contact with them for several straight trips, move on down the line to the next interesting feature in their path. Find active fish on the right days and follow them as they begin to branch out further and further from winter water, and I bet they eventually lead you to prime time, late spring water. You’ll follow them to these areas right about the same time of year that everyone else is just dusting off their gear and thinking about giving it a shot.

During the wait for spring, now is a good time to clean and repair gear, sharpen hooks, stock up on the necessities, and get to studying those maps. Or in my case (or nutcase, if you will), wade around hip deep in the frozen steelhead rivers of the Great Lakes and look jealously at pictures of enormous cold water blue cats.

Until next time, tight lines guys.