Flatheads in the river

[Gumbo Man]

All bases have been covered with good advice. OP please trust me when I tell you any live fin fish is great bait buuuuuuut….. you mentioned that you have an unlimited supply of mud cats. You are sitting on a gold mine for flat head bait. There’s nothing better than mud cats. They’re tough and can be refished if still alive after catching a flathead.

[Greenheadless]

Edit: I app”igize if it was covered above. I didn’t read thru every posting.

We would set drop lines up stream of big log jams, structure, etc. also would look for cut out banks as well.

Used mud cats more than perch as they stay alive a lot better.

Also, try to target rising water times.

[JWalker08]

I like tying to a big rock and dropping to the bottom on the down river side of some rapids and attach a large jug to the top(make it tight). The depth will depend on how many hooks. Live perch for bait and drop lines from trees in the same general area. Also cut banks and trees in bigger holes as stated above. Good luck!

[Texas Grown]

Big underwater rootballs on the sides of banks. And log jams, are good places to look in a river. They like get-n up under logjams. And hide-n out in root balls for ambushing and resting. Also, look at the down current side of bridge pilings. They also like get-n up right next to the corner of concrete structures on the bottom, as it's easier to fight the current on 2 sides of their body, rather than all three, if there's not anything else around to break the current.

[MadHatter]

Big underwater rootballs on the sides of banks. And log jams, are good places to look in a river. They like get-n up under logjams. And hide-n out in root balls for ambushing and resting. Also, look at the down current side of bridge pilings. They also like get-n up right next to the corner of concrete structures on the bottom, as it's easier to fight the current on 2 sides of their body, rather than all three, if there's not anything else around to break the current.

This if you're targeting Flats.
Treetops, and rootballs are my favorite, using a live bream about 6 inches under the water.

[HogHunter34]

Never tried in a river but growing up we put are hurt on flatheads in Catfish Creek on Gus Engeling WMA
We had drop lines around 4 ft deep 6 alt
Use live perch or mud cats
Fish bends and areas of less water flow rushing
Record catch was 34 lbs

[Jon B]

I know a guy....

[fulmer34]

Tagged

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[RiverRat1]

So when are we going? Room in the boat for one more?

JonB, you rested up yet?

[SaltwaterSlick]

I've caught a few...

This one went 86#





These 4 weighed 214#






Only caught one on this trip, but he filled up a 68 quart Igloo...

[Gumbo Man]

Those are some big ole polywogs Charlie. That number 77 guy looks familiar.

[zztex]

I know a guy....

Me too 😉👍

[RifleBowPistol]

This is interesting stuff. Wanted to try this for years, now we live about three miles down the road from the Guadalupe. I want to set out some lines, try to figure out how to catch fish that way, never done that.