For anglers who don't pursue them regularly, flathead catfish often have a reputation as lazy bottom feeders. The truth is anything but that. These fish are aggressive predators who will chase and eat just about anything if they are hungry enough. Most people may prefer to fish for catfish with cut bait or even live bait, but they will eat an artificial lure in the right circumstances. Such is the case with this latest video from YouTuber Ty PigPatrol. He's using a rather unusual setup for this day's fishing in Nebraska. He's got a crappie rod rigged up with 30-pound braid and a crankbait. He only needs to make a few casts near a shallow spot on this river before he hooks into a giant flathead.
Because he's using such a light rod, Ty is in for the fight of his life on this one. This fish is so large, he has no choice other than to hold on and hope he can keep the fish off the rocky bottom without breaking the line. It's an intense fight that leaves him shaking when he finally gets the 40- or 50-pound fish, his new personal best, out of the water.
One of the more exciting things about using ultralight equipment is how it extends the fight. One simply cannot horse a fish like this into shore on tackle like that. He needed to be patient and let the fish wear itself out. It took longer than it probably would with a heavy reel, but Ty pulled it off to perfection here. That catfish didn't just take a swipe at that crankbait, it inhaled it. There was no way this one was throwing the hook. The only way it was getting free was if it broke the line, not an easy task with braid.
It just goes to show flathead catfish are an apex predator. While they are usually caught using slower forms of fishing, an artificial lure will do the trick in the right circumstances if the fish is angry and hungry enough. Congrats on the awesome catch Ty, as usual. We look forward to seeing how you will top that catch your next time out.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Instagram For original videos, check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
