Catching West Texas Catfish for the Bragging and the Eating
Day 4: Catch Flathead Catfish on Trotlines at Lake Meredith, Lake Amistad, Falcon Lake and Lake Buchanan in Texas
Editor’s Note: Because of the long growing season, the abundance of food and the low human population numbers, west Texas may very well home some of the best fishing for catfish in the nation. "Due to the long growing season, this section of Texas can produce more and bigger catfish quicker than most areas of Texas and anywhere else in the country," says Bobby Farquhar, regional program director for west Texas for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
  Although a few people catch flatheads on rods and reels, primarily anglers take these cats on trotlines, fishing with live bait. For the best success with big flatheads, you have to bait with live bait and make sure your bait stays alive the entire time it's on the trotline, which often requires running the line more frequently than you will if you're fishing for either channels or blues. That's why Farquhar suggests that fewer anglers fish specifically for flatheads than other types of cats. "But if flatheads are your dream catfish, then Lake Meredith near Fritch and north of Amarillo up in the Panhandle may be your number-one choice. Although that lake has a good population of flatheads, not-many anglers are fishing for them. "If your target area is southwest Texas, Falcon and Amistad still have to be high on your list for flatheads. And, 22,000-acre Lake Buchanan, about 60-miles northwest of Austin near Burnet on the Colorado River, is on the border of Llano and Burnet counties and also homes quite a number of flathead catfish. The entire Colorado River is known for its large number of flathead cats.
  "The flatheads like more of a river habitat than a lake habitat, and Buchanan has quite a bit of river habitat in it. Fifty to 60-pound flatheads aren't uncommon on this lake. This lake receives quite a bit of fishing pressure, more so than Amistad or Falcon, but your chances of catching a big flathead are really good. And, live bait is a must." A predator, the flathead catfish primarily attacks live bait. Channels and blues also will eat live bait, which means you'll have to work somewhat harder if you go to Buchanan Lake and fish exclusively for flatheads than you will if you fish for all three species there. Most of the Buchanan anglers will fish for all three catfish species rather than just targeting flatheads. Although Buchanan has considerable catfish pressure, not-many anglers fish specifically for flatheads. "Don't forget," Farquhar emphasizes, "that flatheads demonstrate many of the characteristics of both channels and blues. But the flathead is more nocturnal than either of the other two. Fishermen targeting flathead cats usually will set their lines out just at dark and fish their lines all night."
 To learn more about how to catch catfish, go to www.amazon.com", or go to http://www.amazon.com/kindle-ebooks" http://www.amazon.com/kindle-ebooksand type in the name of the book, “Catfish Like a Pro” to buy it. Too, you can download a Kindle app for free and buy the book from Amazon to read it on your iPad, Smartphone or computer.
To contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department call (800) 792-1112; or, go to the website www.tpwd.state.tx.us. You also can go to www.YahooTravel.com, type in Texas and the lake's name you're interested in learning more about and find many websites for chambers of commerce, marinas and fishing guides on the lakes.
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