Flathead Focus - Tips from master angler Denny Halgren

 Fellowship of the Flathead

On a hot and sunny summer day, three companions set out on a quest for flatheads. The fearless leader for our adventure would be catfish guide Denny Halgren. We met Denny at the boat launch, ready for a relaxing afternoon of catfishing. Little did I know that the experience we shared that day would forever change the way I thought about big catfish behavior.

A few times throughout the afternoon, Denny would go over to one of the rods. He picks the rod up, and alertly waits- like a cat ready to pounce. Where we didn’t notice any “cues”, Denny knew a fish was there. It would be Peter's turn this time. Denny picked up on something with one of the baits, and Pete is waiting for Denny to hand him the rod to set the hook. Denny says , "I can't even feel the sinker on here…" He pulls in some line. "Still don't feel it…" Denny reels in a little more. Still feeling no tension, he starts reeling again. Then, stopping on a dime  he tells Peter "You've got a fish on here…" He hands Pete the rod. Pete takes it, and sets the hook on a nice flathead. That fish had carefully moved forward with the sinker and the bait- without being detected.

Like many anglers, I believed what I had been told - that little cats lightly tap at baits, but big cats grab it and run with it. Anyone who has fished for actively feeding channel cats has had fish that grabbed their baits and headed south in a hurry, reinforcing this myth. The truth is that while some big catfish will swiftly and aggressively move away with your bait, big catfish (especially flatheads) often perplex anglers with the gentleness and subtlety with which they handle the bait. In this article, we will examine the cues displayed by these "gentle giants", and how to interpret and react to them.

I’ve fished with Denny Halgren only a few times, but he’s certainly made an impression upon me and my fishing style. First of all, Denny has more experience fishing flatheads than anyone one else I know. Decades of time on the water. Having been at it for so long, he’s really been able to perfect his craft tailoring his approach and presentation based upon observations made over the years. His fishing style is well rooted in the basics: precisely place a lively offering in front of a flathead in his hang-out and wait for the fun to begin!

Gearing up   

Denny likes to use a 100% graphite heavy/medium-heavy bait-casting rod, because of the extra sensitivity that graphite rods provide. As he explained “the graphite provides a better signal you can feel in your hands, and that can allow you to detect bites that you are unable to detect with a glass rod.” Of course, many successful catfish anglers out there also use fiberglass or composite rods. If your set-up is comfortable and works for you, there’s no reason to run out and replace your existing rods with graphite ones. Denny prefers to use monofilament (20#) over braided "superlines", due to the additional abrasion resistance of the thicker mono. If you choose braided line, I recommended going with at least 80# which is the same diameter as 20# mono. Denny prefers a basic sliding sinker rig where the weight is held above the hook by a split-shot sinker. Less knots to tie or more importantly break. The split shot allows you to adjust leader length. You could also rig with a swivel in place of the split-shot, with a piece of plastic tubing or a sinker-bumper below the weight to protect the knot. Denny swears by Tru-Turn hooks, although many anglers use Kahle, wide-gap, and circle hooks too.

Clicker reels, anyone?

During one conversation, I asked Denny if he ever used a clicker. "Never." He responded. "The clicker told me absolutely nothing. I've got to know what that rod is telling me. Anything can make a clicker go off : a piece of wood, anything. The rod tip had to tell me, or the line had to tell me what was happening." Of course I knew that he didn't use a clicker, but I just had to ask. Most of my own reels have clickers or are bait-feeder type spinning reels, however I keep them “locked-in” the vast majority of the time also.

Baits

Like many of us, Denny typically uses 5-7" bluegill or sunfish for bait. You could just as easily use goldfish, bullheads, suckers, or other small fish. The key is to have healthy baits that are lively and active. Importantly, Denny does not advocate the use of jumbo sized baits. By using giant baits, you're limiting yourself from catching certain fish. This is because in order for a flathead to capture larger baits, they have to be eaten head first or tail first. However, smaller baits will still trigger an aggressive response when they enter a big flathead's domain. If the bait strays to within his strike zone, chances are great a flathead will still grab that bait. And that flathead is more likely to capture a smaller bait on the first try. Denny has learned he can get more action with the smaller baits, and still catch the biggest flatheads in the river.

Setting up on a spot

"Don't fish too close, you'll scare the fish" is a cliché we've all heard many times. When I talked with Denny about anchoring distance, he got right to the point "Being too close to the cover is not a problem. Don't worry about spooking the fish. At times, I could be right on top of a snag and it doesn't make much difference." Denny explained that there are definite advantages to being close-up to the fish; "When you have less line in the water, you're going to have a much faster reaction." When you have a shorter amount of line out, you get a better feel. There's less stretch, and when that fish hits you really feel it. Often, your reaction is quicker and more decisive because of these factors. It’s also easier to place baits more precisely at close range. Having said all that, there are instances where leaving a little more room to cast allows for a better spread of baits. Over time, you learn to “fish the spot” and tailor your approach to the situation.

We also discussed anchoring in general; Denny prefers to anchor in line with the current to fish out of the back of the boat. He does not like to anchor a boat sideways; if he needs to work a wider piece of cover or structure, he will reposition the boat. Just move over and re-anchor. Sure, if you’re trying to spread rods to cover a wider area, it helps to anchor a little further away. The real key, especially when targeting flatheads, is to be positioned so you can precisely place your bait in the specific area where you feel the fish are located. On the other hand, I will occasionally anchor sideways in light current. Especially on a breezy day, the current helps to minimize drifting.

Territoriality  

Denny is a firm believer in a theory about flathead behavior we’ll refer to as territorial aggression. Large flathead catfish typically relate to cover, especially large pieces of wood or rock in deeper water. Many years ago, Denny noticed an important trend based where the bait was in relation to the cover. "If I had the bait closer in to the wood, the fish were more aggressive", he recalls. "If the fish was semi-aggressive and came out of the wood to get the bait, that's when you got your light biting fish. The more I would put the bait closer to the wood, or go right inside of it, I eliminated all light bites." Denny attributes this to the fish defending its territory; trying to move the bait out. Before, he figured flatheads picked up the bait because they were feeding fish. As he continued, "Now I probably would assume just the opposite. That's why the hits were so light. The further they got away from their territory, the less aggressive they got to remove that intruder."  This becomes really key during daylight hours, since these are the times when you’re targeting the fish in their home space.

Flathead bite

I asked Denny when he first recognized the light biting tendencies of flathead catfish. As he explains, "Probably about 30 years ago, I started to notice how light flathead could tend to bite. In the beginning it was pretty general." Eventually, he began to notice that the light biting fish during the day were more apt to be bigger fish than little fish. These light biting fish can occasionally capture your bait, and sit there avoiding detection. As Denny explained once, "If you're sitting by the campfire eating a bucket of chicken, with your rod locked into a rod holder…you're gonna catch fish. But, you might not have caught the two fish that come up, sucked your bait in, and sat there…then spit it back out and swam off, because they were inactive. That's how subtle and inactive these fish can be." Another recurring theme with Denny is that there's no substitute for experience. Each day on the water and each time a fish picks up a bait, it’s a unique situation. Denny keeps a fresh perspective, without being "locked-in" to a set of canned responses. The way he reacts in a specific situation is based on instinct and experience.

If you're just starting to target flatheads, you can learn much by holding one of the rods in your hands. As Denny explains "Almost my entire life, I've fished hands-on with a fishing rod. If I was fishing two rods from the bank, one was in my hands at all times. That's just how intent I was to take that hit. Sometimes the hit would come in the rod that I was watching, sometimes it would come in the hand. If the rod was in my hand, then I didn't have to do anything but watch the other rod. If a bite came on the rod that wasn't in my hand, it was either the line itself, or the tip of the rod that told me the fish was there. If it was in my hand, it was just the feel. I never looked at the rod that was in my hand." According to Denny "The more you've got a rod in your hand, the better your chances are of catching fish. And catching more fish. Because, there are a lot of fish that will hit baits that will not go ahead and continue to eat them because of the resistance of the rod. If they turn and feel that resistance, they'll spit a bait. And you'll experience that with the rod in your hand." "If you don't get involved with the hands-on, and you just put your rod in a rod holder you're going to miss a lot of fish."

The primary way Denny detects bites is the rod tip. There's no substitute for experience here, so the best thing you can do is get out and fish. The classic aggressive flathead bite is a strong thump, followed by the fish steadily swimming away (at which point you experience a “holstered” rod loading up in the holder). But it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes you may just see a general lightening and then tightening of your line. You may feel a little "tick" like a walleye tick, and the rod tip not move. You might feel or see a light "pop", where the rod tip gently bounces. You could get this light pop, and the line could slightly tighten. If you're using a glass/composite rod, you might not notice a light pick-up initially. Or, you're holding the rod, and all of the sudden it just starts to load up a bit (without any pop.) Often, a more aggressive fish will pop the bait, and then start to load up the rod. These are a few of the cues that can tell you a flathead has picked up a bait. Essentially, you're noticing something that was not caused by the bait flutter or the current. "The bluegill, green sunfish, bullhead (whatever you're using for bait), cannot do what a flathead can do.", says Denny. Once this happens, you need to be prepared to take action.

The Load-Up

Aggressive hits where the fish pops the bait and the rod loads up are great. Once you know the fish has the bait and is swimming away you go for a hook-set. Often, I like to employ the same technique that guys fishing with circle hooks use… when the fish starts loading up the rod, I’ll let it go down pretty good. With the rod still in the holder, at that point I start burning the reel. When the fish is on solid, I take the rod and apply strong and steady pressure to ensure the hook point is buried. If you’re experiencing timing issues with the traditional hook-set, burning the reel in the holder is a great technique. One caveat – if you’re fishing tight to heavy cover a traditional sweep hook-set will help steer the fish away from cover and can avoid snags. Still, I use the above technique most of the time I'm catfishing.

Free Spooling

Once you've detected a less aggressive flathead bite, it's time assess the situation. You want to put your rod in a high position, to get the best feel of what's going on. Keeping very light tension, you let the fish move away and gently engage your spool while letting the rod tip follow him down. If the rod makes it down to horizontal, set the hook. This is a simplified explanation of what Denny does. The length of time from when you detect the bite to when you can set the hook can vary greatly. It could happen in one minute or ten, depending on the fish. Sometimes, it pays to put the rod back into the holder and wait for the next move.

To get the rod in a higher position, you do what Denny calls "free spooling" the rod up. This is an important step. It gives you a much clearer picture of what is happening at the other end of your line, and it also helps prevent the fish from detecting you. "If your rod is at a low position, you're not going to get as clear a signal as when your rod tip is up", according to Denny. He also relates, "A fish that can pull on an elevated rod isn't going to feel any resistance. A fish that's got a rod pointed at him- he's going to start stretching that line, because there is no give." To free-spool the rod up, you put your reel in free spool, and very gently raise the rod while the line is coming off. You want to keep a steady, but very light tension so that you don't lose your connection to the fish. In the high position, your rod should be between the ten or eleven o'clock position (45-60 degrees.) Denny doesn't always re-engage the spool at that time. "I want the fish to be able to move, if he'll move. He may not. But if he does move, I don't want him to feel any resistance whatsoever." he explains. "Now if he aggressively decides to move, and he starts, you can click that reel in and follow him down. As soon as the rod levels and you think the line is just starting to tighten you set the hook." Since flatheads will frequently drop or spit a bait based on feeling tension, if you've followed the fish down and your rod is parallel you're generally going to immediately hook-set. As Denny explains, "If you stop when you get that rod parallel to the water, where you're pointing right at the fish… that fish is pulling away from you in a direct line. He recognizes you a lot more than you recognize him." At the low position, you will have lost that sense of what the fish was doing. You've lost the feel.  

Hook-set mechanics

Denny advocates a powerful two handed hook-set straight up, going from horizontal to a twelve o'clock position in a long powerful sweep. Put your thumb on that spool to avoid slipping any drag. As far as the motion, Denny explains "You don't want to sweep sideways, and you don't want to sweep it 45 degrees. You want the rod pointed directly at the fish as you start, so that you set the hook with both arms coming straight at your body and up over your head." A full 90 degree sweep, where the rod stops right above your head means you've delivered a powerful hook-set. As you go past this point, your set won't be as strong. To avoid slippage, it’s good to thumb or palm the spool (depending on whether you’re using a baitcast or spinning reel). The sweep accomplishes two things, burying the hook point and steering the fish away from cover.

Timing Is of the Essence

As far as when to set the hook, Denny relies upon instinct. He explains, "It's a snap-judgement decision that has to be made right then and there." It becomes drawing upon your gut feeling based on "How aggressive was the hit? How did it come?  Where did it come? When did it come? If it's inside the wood, you're going to hit him a lot quicker. If it's outside the wood, and it's just a little "tick"…you just have to have experienced this so many times that subconsciously, if you're going to let him run, you're going to let him run a foot. If he stops, we'll click it in and pop him on the second time he starts to move. When he starts to really load that rod up, you know, immediately pop him. Each fish is different, there is no set pattern." It's important to keep your bait location in mind. If you're fishing a piece of structure that only one bait can cover, then your other rods are targeting perimeter type fish which may be less aggressive. In general, if the fish is more aggressive you don't have to allow as much time. Also, a flathead might not capture your bait the first time. As Denny relates "Sometimes, the rods will just start loading up. If the hit hasn't been picked up, and the rod just starts to load up the chances are this is a moving fish.

You've always got a baitfish that's trying to escape, no matter what. So, it's not always a sure thing that this bait is going to be captured even if this is a highly aggressive fish that's feeding. When he makes a stab at that bait, he may only get half of that bait and continue to load that rod up. You have to assess that situation as to whether the fish captured the bait, and how quick to react. A lot of times when these baits are caught, they’re not swallowed. They'll move off three, four, or five foot. And then stop. And then you'll get that hit. That hit will come in your hand, and all he's doing is swallowing that bait. When that tick comes after something like that, then you can go ahead and set the hook. Because you know you don't have to allow him to go again. You have to assume that the second time he was able to get the full swallow on him." It is also possible you could be on your way down and the fish may just stop. And nothing happens, although you feel he's still there. You may have to wait for the fish to move again. If you were only part of the way down, it is possible to "spool" back up to the higher position again. Just remember, once your rod gets level you're going to automatically set the hook. Otherwise, you're going to lose the feel of the fish. Without hesitation, set the hook once your rod gets flat: even if the fish is moving inches at a time.

Fighting Flatheads

While each battle is unique, it’s important to employ sound fundamental fish fighting techniques to ensure success. The drag on your reels should be set to allow a bit of slipping under heavy pressure to avoid break-offs. Keep the rod tip high and maintain consistent pressure on the fish. Steer the fish away from cover, your motor, the anchor. Many anglers will reel in the other rods when they get a big fish on to avoid getting tangled up. Once you have the fish next to the boat, you must make a judgement call as to when to grab the fish and bring them on-board. I’ll hold the rod in one hand and reach for the lower jaw with my other. Don’t grab the line, that’s a good way to get broken off by a big flathead. If the fish is too “green”, play it a bit more to ensure you can get a good grab. My strategy is to get the fish in the boat as soon as I can, so once I think I can get a good grip I’ll go for it. Watch for the hook and grab the fish by the lower jaw and don’t let go! Confidence is the key here. When it takes too long to get the fish into the boat, they’re likely to bolt and then you have to start the process all over. Once you’ve boated the fish, take pictures, get measurements, and release them as soon as you can to avoid stress. Many anglers will even splash a little water on the fish in the boat to keep them hydrated and comfortable while getting pictures and measurements.

 Editor’s notes:

  This article covers information from conversations I had  over the course of a few years with flathead master Denny Halgren. Much of this content was included in a few articles that appeared at Procats.com. Denny definitely has developed his own approach and techniques over the years. Most importantly, he sticks with what has worked for him, which is a good rule for all of us to follow.