Suspend Fishing a SHALLOW River for BIG Flathead Catfish

When you find a spot that continues to produce big fish the smart move is to keep going back! In this episode, I return to a hole that has consistently produced big catfish for me this year. This trip was no exception, and I was elated to land my second largest catfish of the season. Big catfish are always a thrill to catch, and especially on short lines in shallow water. This catfishing trip was as great as the others I have had on this location, and you can bet I will be back until the big catfish stop biting.
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[@johnseeley9316]

Great video. Lots of good info

[@fishstandard]

Appreciate the positive feedback. Thanks for watching!

[@chriscarroll3635]

Nice flattie. Those are so fun to catch. Especially in a kayak.

[@fishstandard]

100% agree.

[@isaiahportela4547]

Lost my phone and my glasses right after landing a huge fish such a bittersweet feeling😂

[@fishstandard]

Glad to not be the only one!

[@daniels4227]

So you just suspend the bait in open water near a brush pile and hope to get hit? I've never seen this, but I am impressed with the result. Well done!

[@fishstandard]

Pretty much. It’s a safe bet that fish will be holding in or around brush in comparatively deeper water. I get as close to the cover as I can. If there’s a fish there and I can get a bait close enough they will probably take it.

[@ChrisRedfield010]

What kayak is that?

[@fishstandard]

It’s a Sun Dolphin Journey. I don’t recommend it if you are in the market. It is uncomfortable to sit in for extended periods and is extremely unstable. For only a few hundred dollars extra you can get something much better. I only fish from this kayak because I received it for free. I’m looking to upgrade to something more stable and comfortable sometime soon.

[@ChrisRedfield010]

@@fishstandard I used to have the same one that’s why I asked lol you should look into the feel free moken 12.5v2 that’s what I went to and I love it the built in wheel in the keel is a lifesaver

[@user-wq2le3lt7y]

I love how you let those big beast go back into the water so i can catch em.

[@fishstandard]

Absolutely, good luck!

[@jaredgarza5624]

I've been fishing for about 20 years I'm 28 now but I've never caught a catfish over 26 inches it sucks cause I'll go kayaking and nothing idk what I'm doing that's wrong I've used every bait possible

[@fishstandard]

I suggest using some kind of cut or live fish (read your state’s regs to find out what species are legal). Pick a good bait and stick with it until you start to get a better feel for where to locate fish. After you start to figure out that piece of the puzzle then you might experiment with bait offerings. Learning what locations hold fish is key. Focus on location at first and keep everything else simple. I use a Carolina rig with cut or live fish almost 100% of the time. Good luck!!

[@gregwillett2363]

Nice job bro! Super cool shallow water technique! Keep creating content, your good at it! First video of yours I've watched and I subscribed

[@fishstandard]

Thanks for the positive feedback!

[@catfishkyle6734]

That’s a good fish!

[@gradycollins4782]

What time of year is this?

[@fishstandard]

This video was filmed in either June or July of last year. Thanks for watching!

[@daveallover]

Very nice

[@wstewart5532]

Man, you sure do get on some beast cats!

[@fishstandard]

Wish I got them on every trip. Unfortunately, the past couple weeks have been a struggle. Thanks for watching!

[@HooksandHammocks]

Thats an awesome flathead! New subscriber!

[@fishstandard]

Thank you!

[@Catfishbill66]

Nice flathead

[@texascatfishqueen362]

Gloves? Lol 🤣 Nice fish! 🤦‍♀️

[@fishstandard]

Don’t knock them til you try it! My fishing experience has been WAY better since I started using gloves to land fish. It’s not really a big deal with flatheads, but I catch a lot of channel cats that are very aggressive and tear my hands up! I’m not a big fan of fish grips, and I don’t carry a net for landing fish, so I use gloves. I would rather be comfortable than look tough with bleeding hands!

[@gradycollins4782]

Blue cats are even worse than channel

[@justhusqy5616]

Did he say mono was more abrasion resistant?

[@fishstandard]

Yes, mono tends to do better than braid in areas of dense cover. I like the braided mainline because I can get more strength in a smaller diameter and the heavy line helps me pull fish away from structure. I use a mono leader to help protect the area of my line that is closest to the fish and the cover from abrasion that can turn into lost fish. My leaders are lighter in strength than my mainline which also allows me to save a few sinkers when I snag and have to break off.

[@jamesross6372]

How do you speak casters open phase bait casters are the best what do you fish in one of the 22 ZIP Code

[@augiefishes]

thats awesome, what state if you mind?

[@fishstandard]

Kansas. Thanks for watching!

[@Vse_yob]

Never understood how any of you guys enjoy using baitcasters for catfish.

[@fishstandard]

They’ve worked pretty well for me. I don’t tend to branch out much, so when I find something I like I usually just stick with it. I can’t think of any reason why a spinning reel wouldn’t work just as well.

[@robertcraig9484]

I switched from spinning to bait cast so I had more line capacity and smoother drag a little less drag tension but they are a blast for strippers and cats but I still use spinning gear for channels in streams small rivers

[@Bottomfeedercustoms2024]

accuracy, distance, line capacity, line weight, castability, retrieval rate, and on and on.

[@austinhernandez2716]

I use both. Baitcasters are simply stronger because they reel straight in with a spinning spool. They can hold more line too, good for wide, deep lakes.

[@rickbeatty2766]

How shallow was u fishing

[@fishstandard]

I’d guess this hole was 5-6’. Average depth through that stretch is somewhere between 1-3’.

[@desmondjohnson6360]

Get a net dude!

[@ryanshoff-fr9fl]

Oklahoma?

[@fishstandard]

Kansas. Thanks for tuning in!

[@lamontgibson51]

What river are you fishing