Logjam ambush predator. Eats it live or not at all.
SIZE
15–30 in
MAX
50+ in
WEIGHT
Up to 80+ lbs
HABITAT
RiversLarge reservoirsTailwaters
Deep river holes, logjams, root wads & undercut banks.
DIET
Live prey only — sunfish, shad, crawfish. Snubs cut bait.
BEST BAITS
Live green sunfish · Live bluegill (where legal) · Live shad
SEASONAL PATTERN
🌱SPRING
BEST☀️SUMMER
🍂FALL
❄️WINTER
Summer: Spawn in logjams & cavities; heavy night feed.
ANGLER INTEL · RIGHT NOWHIGH CONFIDENCE
DEPTH
2–6 ft
shallow cover
TIMING
Any time today — steady bite
TOP LURE · LURE
Live green sunfish
reaction strikes on bed — aggressive
TACKLE
Heavy rod, 50–80 lb braid, circle hooks
TECHNIQUE · Slow presentation in shallow cover
ANGLER STATS
SPAWN 66–78°F TEMP MATCH
BITE
58
FIGHT
94
STEALTH
72
FUN FACT
Flatheads want dinner alive — they'll ignore the stinkbait channel and blue cats inhale. Lake Conway has produced giants for 60 years, and the Arkansas River once gave up a 139-pounder.
STATUS
Secure
Native · Ictaluridae
PFG SIGNAL · EST74°F · Arkansas River● GO 100
YOUR CARD · ACTIONSNOT YET COLLECTED
🪪 ID marks
Broad flat head
Jutting lower jaw (underbite)
Mottled brown-gold body
Square, barely-notched tail
💡 Tips
Set live bait tight to logjams after dark
Work deep holes next to cover
Trophy flatheads are loners — one good fish per spot
🌙 Lunar profile
MED-HIGH Lunar ImpactBest phases: Full Moon, New Moon
☀️ Daytime
Ambush spots near woody structure and undercut banks. Activity extends through dusk — Full Moon stretches feeding windows.
🌙 Nighttime
Most active nocturnal predator. Full Moon periods produce consistent trophy-class catches on live bait.
🔗 Source: Solunar theory (Knight 1936); AGFC Flathead Catfish management