Trout for Flatheads?

I assume if you catch them leagaly by rod & reel you can use them as bait ?
I heard of some guys using them and getting some nice sized flatsheads durring a tourney last year.
Anybdy ever use them ?
Thanks.
 

As long as you catch the trout by legal means and are legal go for it...Though I perfer creek chubs and suckers since they are easier to keep alive. Trout are awesome bait for big northerns and muskies!

i dnt know where your form jon but i think that story about the muskie comes from raccoon park.. and just ;like moutain said if you catch any fish by line and hook you can use them for bait... im from pittsburgh and there are about 4 creeks within 20min that stock trout and lead to the river...but i think you would just be better off useing chubs, suckers and "bluegill" if your searching for the big ones because you will only be able to hold 7 trout and you can have 50 bluegills..

I hook them in the tail and clip the tail fin.

it really all depends on what the fish want that nights. there have been times when i have fished live through the back and nothing.. smashed them and started pounding fish.. sometimes you just have to switch it up and see what they want at the time..kinda like steelhead fishing

Trout was also our bait of choice at Raystown and we caught Stripers, Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Channel Cats.

Can you have more than the legal limit if you can prove you bought them from a hatchery?  I like gills, suckers, and chubs too for live bait.  I have heard many experienced catmen say that trout does make a great cut bait for channels though. 

I've seen the striper guides with several dozen rainbows at once in their livewells...
 

If your into making your own doughbaits for channels, making trout into fish oil is another option stinks like hell but it works at times.

I believe the guides buy the trout from a hatchery. If you buy the pelletheads you can have as many as you want as long as you have the receipt proving you bought them. Although IMO all those **** pellets they stock should be used as bait. 

you can use any fish that is bought from a bait shop or hatchery long as you have the reciept and they have a license to sell in pa..this is why is you go to a bait shop and buy more than 4 dzn per bucket per person you need to make sure you have the reciept!! unless useing the trout for cutt bait or oils it would be a pain in the balls to keep them alive thus just use gills or big suckers and there is little to worry about..

i have not try trout yet but i plan on it this year, maybe some small one's for pre spawn. i always hook my live bait behind the dorsol fin. 

I,ve had very good results using trout that I,ve frozen for cutbait, when fishing for channels. I agree with everybody else,why try to keep them alive when theres so many other fish you can use for bait. I can fill my bait bucket a lot faster with gills,suckers,chubs-juxt about anything. Don,t overlook white bass in the spring,they make good livebait whole for flats or cut for channels.

I was fishing indian lake last year when a big flathead came up and mauled a trout in front of us.  the trout didn't stand a chance.  My fishing partner and I both looked at each other and wished we had a trout on our line since the catfish was a good 5lbs if not more.  Not bad for a small lake.  I've heard of bigger ones being pulled out of it, but it was one of the bigger ones that I've seen.

anyone having any luck yet??

Before the rivers warm up too much and while trout are still available in nearby streams trout are worth using and yes they do catch flatheads. By no means are they my preferred bait. Someone mentioned bullheads and I have used them with success however I do not clip the spines, for that matter I've never found the need to clip the fins or spines on bluegills, chubs suckers, rockbass, crappies, etc. I prefer free swimming baits attached to a leader followed by a slip sinker.
 
Just my two pennies