I work on the mighty mississippi and i can catch monster channel cat on a regular basis. The problem is i don't care for the taste compared to flatheads. I use a honey chicken bait from the local chinese lunch dump. It works like crazy for the big channel cats.  

Is cut bait the only way to get the big flatheads? When the river came up, I caught fish 51 lbs, 43, 38, 35, 31, 25, 23, 22, and a couple 20s in only 5 days on 2 lines. I gave them all away!!!

Don't get me wrong, it was fun pulling in these big fish I just want the tasty ones.

If flatheads are the same as yellow cats (yeller if you're from the South ), this might help. When I was a kid some of the dads in the neighborhood set out lines baited with live bream or goldfish (not small either)...

                                    As Ever,

                                     skillet

Flatheads are predators and feed on baitfish...primarily. I don't target flatheads much so I can't give you a lot of advice. However, there are several guides that specialize in this type of fishing. I would spend $200 and you will learn all you need to know.

I have been fishing Greers Ferry for over 20 years and I am getting a guide to learn how to consistently catch walleye. The right guide will teach you everything you need to know in one morning. You can then learn the rest on your own.

Great fish.... Btw

I would use live sunfish or bullheads. They have worked real well for friends of mine who go after flatheads.

Bluegill or green sunfish are the only bait I use for flatties. That's part of why I like hunting flatties, I get to have a blast catching the bait. The ones I choose are usually between 4"-8". I use them on a basic Carolina rig with 3-5oz no-roll sinker and 8/0 gammi circle hook. This is what I caught my PB 42# on last year(which I caught in a kayak). I usually cast it out and troll very slow around the structure. You need a pretty stout rig for flatties, no channel cat tackle here. My main rig is a Catfish Safari Flathead baitcasting rod(8' MH 2-8oz 20-50#) and an Abu Garcia 7000iC3. When a flathead takes off, it's like a freight train especially if it is a big one. Also be aware that Flatties do not use the same habitat that channels and blues do, they are also not found schooling together. Flatties usually prefer habitat much like a largemouth bass; brush, logs, log jams, downed tree stumps, etc. They are rarely found in the tailraces of dams or super deep water like channels and blues. These guys are one of the ultimate freshwater predators.

Oh yeah, I understand about the flavor of Flatties, but please only harvest what you will eat. Flatheads are usually not as plentiful as channels and blues. These guys are starting to become the favorite quarry of big cat hunters and we always C&R the big'uns. I only keep those in the 10-20# range and usually only one or two.