Flathead catfishin

[avtomatkalashnikov47]

Been loading up with live panfish or cut shad and hitting a few spots trying to hook into a flathead. No luck this year so far.
Had some fresh cut shad down below overholser dam a few weeks back but didn't catch anything.
Tried a hidden spot I found down on the Oklahoma/Canadian river, current was real strong and to much brush and snags but I managed to get a good 3 lines in with live perch/bluegill, (what people call em around here) red ear sunfish is the correct term or brim bream.
Tried El Reno for the first time. Was fishing on the back northeast side of the lake casting straight out into the lake to the south (kinda back in the corner by the golf course)
Again, used live bluegill and no bites.


Someone told me eagle lake out in Midwest city / del city had a bunch of flatheads like it was infested with em but I also heard it was a private lake.

Fished thunderbird last week and got a few channels but wasn't prepared or had the equipment for flats so really haven't got to fish there for flats yet. Was thinking the south damn at thunderbird looked like a good spot where all the rocks is.

I also have heard and seen that Hefner's pretty decent along the side that has all the rocks for a good mile or two.

Just wondering where if anybody is willing to share where I might have some luck. I'v been trying to catch a flat head for a couple of years haven't had luck. there for a while I was catching a flathead every weekend but I even seen one in a few years.

 

[Okie4570]

Live blue gill at night about 3' from the bank is where I've always done the best. That's on rivers, I've not lake fished for them. They feed shallow and on the edges at night.

 

[swampratt]

I do not catch many flatheads but I do not go after them much either.
I caught 3 last time I went to Gore OK.
Caught dozens of blues between me a 2 buddies in the same time frame.

Now I had a buddy that wanted big fish years ago and I knew Draper had some.
At the end of the dam going towards the spillway you have a couple spots you can park.
There is a sandy spot that joins where the rocks start.
Near there is a great spot.

Catch plenty of sunfish there during the day and set poles out with sunfish at night.
We waited all night and at 1-2 am buddy got one on.
He could not turn it.

I laid on the rocks watching and he was hollering HELP!
Whatcha want me to do hold your pole for ya.
Get em in man.

He took all my buddies line and broke it at the knot.
That was the only bite all night though.
That lake has a lot of big cats in it.

Night time fishing with rod and reel for flatheads was the norm.
Daytime you get to go swimming and reach into holes and under big rocks with your hands and get them.

 

[skyhawk1]

Used to fish for flathead years ago when my dad was alive. Caught a lot too. In fact last couple years he was alive we caught so many he started throwing them back. This was on the Kiamichi River just outside Clayton where he lived. One thing is I believe flathead will always take live bait over anything dead, that's why my dad love to fish for them. Channel cats love dead food like sewage! Never had much luck on flats in lakes, I know people catch them. We always fished rivers at night and up close to the shoreline. Good luck!

 

[wolfkpr]

Only place on the canadian/ okie river ive seen flats is right below the dam ( at Eastern ave), but ive seen blues/ channel there too.. Eagle lake in del is city owned, last i was there it had a little envelope drop box where you could pay ( del city) by the day to fish. ( we got sunfish, small bass, channel). Thunderbird has Channels, Blues, flatheads- and while i was present when someone got a 20lb flat, i think all the cats we’ve caught there were channel or blues..

 

[okhunter]

I catch most of mine close to structure like log jams or rock formations. Live bait is always better. I caught two last week that were 18 and 25 pounds near a rock ledge off the main channel where the river comes into ft Gibson lake. The amount I catch is always a lot less than the number of blues I get, but they are usually bigger. Good luck.

 

[avtomatkalashnikov47]

Only place on the canadian/ okie river ive seen flats is right below the dam ( at Eastern ave), but ive seen blues/ channel there too.. Eagle lake in del is city owned, last i was there it had a little envelope drop box where you could pay ( del city) by the day to fish. ( we got sunfish, small bass, channel). Thunderbird has Channels, Blues, flatheads- and while i was present when someone got a 20lb flat, i think all the cats we’ve caught there were channel or blues..

Id be interested in eagle lake just to check it out. It was years ago someone even told me the place. I don't mind paying to get in. Anymore a lot of the public lakes sadly you got to pay admission. Arcadia & thunderbird are now like that.

Anybody know an address for this lake? Wouldn't mind even doing just a bit of daytime bass fishing if they do not allow night time fishing. Although I'd like to do flathead fishing Oklahoma's kinda small it'd be nice to do any kinda fishing tbh somewhere new.

Haven't fished further down the river there by eastern. Been interested in what it's like....

I tried fishing by stinchcomb under that bridge on 66th/39th kinda where the kayakers are always at flathead fishing years ago, never caught anything there. Tried fishing on overholser lake itself never really caught flatheads there on the actual lake itself either but i did get a big bite the one time though.

I have caught quite a few actually down below overholser dam. Like I said good 30-40# flathead cats

 

[avtomatkalashnikov47]

Well, i can tell you one thing for certain, down there off eastern definitely has channels. was my first time fishing in there and the only "live bait" i was able to get was minnows. i too agree in my experience it would seem the flatheads prefer the alive and kickin baits. bigger the bait the better.

ill probably revisit with some large bait when i have more time, but not a bad spot for my first time there by the looks of it.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

Ah yes the elusive flathead… I have a buddy who targets them and fishes fairly often, he sometimes still only catches a few per year. They seem to be tricky for sure

I’ll be honest, I’ve only ever caught 2 of them (I don’t target them specifically) and both were at canton lake. Late at night, in shallow cover. One was on a jug line baited with a 3” live green sunfish, other time one hit my 3” curly tail on a 1/8iz jig while I was targeting walleye and crappie. It took me about 20 mins to land it with 6lb line and was a hell of a fight! I was using a nice shimano reel with a smooth drag, that helped.

I’m no flathead expert but I’d recommend you try canton lake. If you don’t have a boat you can use the jettys off the damn and toss live perch along the rip rap.

I’ve caught 2 there and I’ve seen other people catch them there as well

 

[bushmaster06]

Id be interested in eagle lake just to check it out. It was years ago someone even told me the place. I don't mind paying to get in. Anymore a lot of the public lakes sadly you got to pay admission. Arcadia & thunderbird are now like that.

Anybody know an address for this lake? Wouldn't mind even doing just a bit of daytime bass fishing if they do not allow night time fishing. Although I'd like to do flathead fishing Oklahoma's kinda small it'd be nice to do any kinda fishing tbh somewhere new.

Haven't fished further down the river there by eastern. Been interested in what it's like....

I tried fishing by stinchcomb under that bridge on 66th/39th kinda where the kayakers are always at flathead fishing years ago, never caught anything there. Tried fishing on overholser lake itself never really caught flatheads there on the actual lake itself either but i did get a big bite the one time though.

I have caught quite a few actually down below overholser dam. Like I said good 30-40# flathead cats

3405 E Reno Ave, Del City, OK 73115