Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s latest survey on the flathead catfish population in Lake Palestine finds that these large fish are doing great. “We caught flatheads in our sampling all over the reservoir,” says Richard Ott, TPWD Management Supervisor for District 3C. “Most of the fish were collected from deep drop-offs in 8-10 feet of water.
The flathead cats were collected by electro-fishing. Fish are temporary stunned by an electric current in the water. They float to the top where fishery personnel scoop up the fish in nets, take their statistics, and then released back into the water. The largest flathead catfish collected was 75 lbs.
Check out the “Flathead Rodeo” video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_uZibWbltE&feature=youtu.be
Most of the flathead catfish in Palestine are caught by anglers baiting jug lines and trotlines.
If you don’t have a boat, can you hope to hook one of these big fish fishing from the bank with conventional rod and reel?
Yes you can, especially towards the end of May when the flatheads move shallow
“The fish have not yet moved into shallow water,” says Ott. “By the end of the month the flatheads move into the cavities found along the shoreline. Flathead catfish, like all the catfish, are cavity spawners.”
Cavities might be defined as a broken bulkhead or washouts under boat ramps, just any kind of snag the fish can back into. They back into these holes, lay their eggs, and then defend the mouth of that cavity against any kind of predators that try to get in there.
Ott recommends that probably one of the better places on Lake Palestine to fish from the bank is along the rip rap adjacent to the Villages Marina. “There’s a causeway there that gives you a lot of real good bank access, and we caught quite a few of the flatheads along that area. There will be channel and blue catfish in there as well.
Jim Beggerly (www.jimsfishinglakepalestine.com), a Lake Palestine fishing guide, recommends that anglers use large chunks of cut bait such as gizzard shad. “Live bluegills, 4-5 inch, might catch one. By using the larger baits, they will eliminate a channel cat taking the bait.” Anglers need to be fishing in water at least 4 ft. deep with a sandy bottom. He agrees with Ott in that with the nesting season approaching, it would be best along a rocky shoreline. Other areas such as where there is a lot of fallen wood, timber, and brush could hold some fish.
Photos courtesy of TPWD