# Question about flatheads



## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I was reading an article last night that listed the top baits for flatheads. It stated that live bait, such as bream or bullheads, were their favorite. Second was crawfish. It did say that crawfish will only catch flatheads 20# and less. For some reason big fish don't bite them. Hey, I would love to catch some small flatheads under 20#. Live crawfish are sold locally so it won't be a problem to get some. I have never used them for bait. For all of the flathead guys, will they work?


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

I have caught bass and bream on small crawfish and always heard the flatheads love them, also was told to cut the pinchers off the big ones before you put him on a line, makes him more vulnerable and easy to eat.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

You will be much better off with fresh cut bait. I mean fresh as in, Alive until you put it on the hook. Gizzard shad, crappie, Bream, Bass, all will work and work well. Bream and crappie heads also. I always scaled them too.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I got a freind who bream fishes a lot. He saves his heads for me. I can't use them all so I have to freeze some.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

Jcoss did you catch any flatheads Saturday night?


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Nope, gar that's it!


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

I'd love to have a buyable live bait option, too bad avalon b&t doesn't sell crawfish!


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

jlw1972 said:


> You will be much better off with fresh cut bait. I mean fresh as in, Alive until you put it on the hook. Gizzard shad, crappie, Bream, Bass, all will work and work well. Bream and crappie heads also. I always scaled them too.


Just an FYI, using crappie and bass for bait is illegal in AL. Bream is ok.


Oddly enough, we have only caught flatheads on chicken liver. Cut bait always ends up landing us channel cats or nothing at all. Never tried crawfish. I know when I clean Blues, channels, and flatheads, their bellies are always full of mussels. I'm up in central AL, so it may be different down that way.


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

I have never used crawfish while fishing for flatheads . I have always used some sort of live fish. I think crawfish should work though ,perhaps not as well as live fish , but I think that they will catch fish.


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## Blue Falcon (Apr 16, 2012)

I caught two flatheads last year about 30 lbs each and they were full of crawfish. Both just spewed half digested crawfish all over my boat floor. This was near Wewa.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

We used to bait with crawfish but have switched to shad because it's easier for me to catch. Raking crawfish is a hot and dangerous job. I never thought about buying any


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

NoMoSurf said:


> Just an FYI, using crappie and bass for bait is illegal in AL. Bream is ok.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Mussels - in the shells - right?


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Try'n Hard said:


> Mussels - in the shells - right?


Yep, shells and all. Some of them larger than a quarter. Not sure how they poop em out, but out of a tiny fish butt, that has to be quite an experience! :001_huh:


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

There is a seafood market in town that sells crawfish. For $5 you can get enough to fish all night.


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## gastonfish (Mar 24, 2012)

You can get them for $2.50 lb in valp


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## firespan1 (Sep 7, 2011)

Crawfish work well for catching drum.Cant keep them beat off a live mudbug. Live bream is without a doubt the best flathead bait.I mostly fish the alabama and escambia,try this sometime when flathead fishing with a bream,you get hung up often, but when the bite is slow it usually puts a few in the boat.Cast to a likely spot and slowly bounce the bait back to the boat,just like fishing a plastic worm for bass.It causes a reaction strike when that bream comes bouncing by their hideout!


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

We have a bait selection for flatheads that might interest you.
http://www.flatheads.us/baits


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

billyb said:


> I was reading an article last night that listed the top baits for flatheads. It stated that live bait, such as bream or bullheads, were their favorite. Second was crawfish. It did say that crawfish will only catch flatheads 20# and less. For some reason big fish don't bite them. Hey, I would love to catch some small flatheads under 20#. Live crawfish are sold locally so it won't be a problem to get some. I have never used them for bait. For all of the flathead guys, will they work?


I had a report a couple of weeks ago that an 18 and 25 pounder were caught on a trotline using big crawfish for bait. This was in a running water lake off the Choctawhatchee River. Don't know if they were blues or flatheads.


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