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Fishing Big Catfish Baits

Learning how to fish big baits can help you catch massive catfish. (Photo courtesy of Brook Martin)
Learning how to fish big baits can help you catch massive catfish. (Photo courtesy of Brook Martin)

Big cats, especially flatheads, often ­prefer big meals. Offering big catfish baits may tempt the largest fish around and eliminate bites from smaller cats. Presenting live baitfish weighing a pound or more, though, presents problems. More physical demands are on put on tackle, and saltwater rigging techniques usually are required.

When to Fish Big Baits

When targeting flatheads, I usually fish one magnum bait weighing a pound or more. Realistically, though, a bait this size doesn’t get much action. Anglers are allowed two rods on the St. Croix River between Minnesota and Wisconsin, where I do most of my flathead fishing. I tip my second line with a smaller livebait or a fresh piece of cutbait. Even when fishing with a partner, we generally only deploy one large bait.

The Prespawn Period is the only time I fish as many big baits as the law allows. Flathead metabolism is near peak levels, and the fish often feed around the clock. I’m usually on a sandbar on an inside bend, adjacent to a big snag. I’ll catch a few baitfish in shallow water, then deploy the largest baits and wait for sunset when the biggest fish usually prowl. From midsummer to early fall, I sometimes fish two big baits from first light till the sun hits the horizon.

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