kill3ducks1deer
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River Flathead Setup
Sometime shortly I will be buying an Okuma Avenger Baitfeeder size 50 and a Ugly Stik Tiger 7' rod for flatheads in the river and putting 50 pound braid on it. Question is, after that is all down how do you rig your line for them? I will be using live bluegill or suckers for bait, but how should you rig them. Should I use a weight that slides or keep it stationary, hook sizes, and all that fun stuff.
Thanks
"Fishermen are born honest, but they get over it." Ed Zern
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Jefff
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/26 22:36:43
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i use a slider, then bead, then swivel, then 12-18" of 80lb flouro leader, then 8/0 - 10/0 renegade sickle hook. I run 65-80lb power pro on my shimano bait runners cut bait gills have been the ticket lately
post edited by Jefff - 2013/04/26 22:38:03
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Youghmon
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/26 22:39:24
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Jeff gave the best advice...only difference is I learned to love no roll sinkers.
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Eman89so
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/26 22:55:17
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kill, I prob have a extra 7' ugly stick tiger I can sell you, I have some 2, 3 , and 4 ounce no roll sinkers I can sell ya too lemme know
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Mags00
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/26 23:22:29
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I use 40 and 50lb cajun braid on my cabela's salt striker/king kat combos (best for the $$$ IMO) But I use a 1-2oz slip sinker and a bead then 12-18" of black coated leader wire and #3/0 Gamakatsu Octo Circle hooks, Now since you'll be using bluegill (i'd avoid suckers IMO) quite a few people I talk to say smaller 3-5" gills work the best. Gamakatsu sells big river bait hooks all the way up to 10/0. Only thing I'd suggest is cut the tail fin so the gill doesn't swim under any rocks or anything, by doing so it'll be in a panic and just swim in circles and frantically. I don't normally fish for Flatheads that way because my girlfriend can't bring her self to "butcher" a gill that way but that's how from my experience and what I've been told I would do.
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Chris Johnson
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/26 23:33:54
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  I use these. In my experience the in-line eggs roll with the current. I buy them ( sinker slides) on ebay for 50/9$, I think, and the Owner beads (#5) as shock absorbers. Usually 50# mono under the swivel, two >=5/0 circle hooks. >=65# braid on the reel. I am on the third season with an Avenger 50 (and 65) baitrunner and they are still running strong.
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Eman89so
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 01:54:06
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No need to spend extra money on fluro leaders imo, flatheads don't care what the line looks like they just want FOOD
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fishink
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 03:42:09
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A standard slip sinker rig will work. The braid should be fine, though I actually prefer mono in some applications. Weight will depend on the current, size of the bait, etc. Eman is right about line visibility, but fluro is still a good leader material because of its abrasion resistance. The same thing goes for your sinker. I wrote about it before: A few years ago, I read an article in In-Fisherman magazine in which the author (who, if I recall correctly, was current editor Doug Stange) claimed to be having a lot of success when fishing for channel catfish by letting a bell sinker slide all the way down the line to the hook.
Before reading the article, I had always used a stop, usually a swivel/bead combination, more out of habit and tradition than anything else. After all, this was the rig my father had shown me as a child. But I also wanted to keep the sinker and other rigging away from the bait, afraid it may scare away any fish that approached. The article wrote these sorts of fears off, pointing out that channel catfish at the bottom of a waterway would probably not be able to differentiate between lead egg sinkers and rocks. When I thought about it, this made a lot of sense.
I continued to use a stop for most applications, but I did try letting the sinker slide freely to the end of the line a few times when pursuing catfish. It didn’t seem to improve the fishing at all, but it certainly didn’t hurt either. That's from an entry on my site about double slip sinker rigs ( Use a double hook slip sinker rig to attract more catfish) which in my experience works very well whenever you can get away with using it.
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flyingmoles
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 06:03:25
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Double check the feeder drag on those Okumas. They are great reels, but on some of them, the feeder drag will not engage 1 out of 10 times. I had that problem last night. Just turn the handle and reset the feeder. I know a few other people who have had the same problem. It's not detrimental, unless you don't check to be sure it's working and you lose a rod.
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Jefff
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 06:58:49
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Eman89so
No need to spend extra money on fluro leaders imo, flatheads don't care what the line looks like they just want FOOD
i use flouro because of the stretch on big hook sets. def helps imo
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Mags00
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 08:43:04
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That's why I use the wire leader, it adds the ultimate abrasion resistance and it's a lot cheaper than buying fluorocarbon I bought the crops and tubes for $7-8 and about 30yrds of #70 wire for $3-4. All that was recommended to me by a guy who fishes for flatheads and blues.
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FishinGuy
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 08:46:41
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Lots of good info here. Sucker a do work well dead or alive, bigger is better. Use the biggest gills you can get. After an hour or two cut the live gill in half and throw it back out. Hook a live gill in the bottom of the meat if the tail. Hook suckers through the mouth and out the nose. Leaders 6-18" shorter leader casts easier and tangles less. I like a real short leader for fairly smooth bottom and cut bait. I don't cut live gills at all, the more they struggle the better. I use gamakatsu octopus and octopus circles. 5/0-10/0 depending on bait size. Sinker slides and no roll bank sinkers are the ticket. 2-6 oz should cover most situations.
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kill3ducks1deer
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 09:11:55
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If I go with a flouro leader, what brand should I use and how do I connect it? And am I putting the weights on the braid or flouro?
"Fishermen are born honest, but they get over it." Ed Zern
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FishinGuy
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 10:01:21
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Mono is cheaper, I'd go with that. I but ande leader spools. Check saltwater catalogs, or sections of websites. The sinker slide goes on the braid, sinker clips on to the slide. Tie the leader to a big heavy swivel that's tied onto your braid.
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FishinGuy
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 10:08:12
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kill3ducks1deer
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 10:37:45
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I have been looking around the site, didn't see that one yet, but I did see a few posts that I read, nice site
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Eman89so
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 10:49:27
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Got that little guy two night ago first of the season 
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kill3ducks1deer
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 10:58:03
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Ok another question here. Does it matter what color the braid is I am using? Any advantages or disadvantages to high vis or low vis?
"Fishermen are born honest, but they get over it." Ed Zern
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Eman89so
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 11:00:22
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Nope they care about the bait
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kill3ducks1deer
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 11:10:41
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Would the high vis be better so I can atleast see it then? if it doesn't factor into catching the fish it seams like that would be the better choice.
"Fishermen are born honest, but they get over it." Ed Zern
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Eman89so
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 11:12:12
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FishinGuy
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 11:26:19
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I've got yellow power pro on one of my rods, helps allot at night.
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Eman89so
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 11:28:32
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You been getting into any yet fishin? Water temps coming up fast
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FishinGuy
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 11:32:39
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Haven't even attempted yet. Waiting for 60deg
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fishink
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 13:49:12
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Jefff i use flouro because of the stretch on big hook sets. def helps imo
Another good reason for a different leader material than braid; though fluoro doesn't stretch as much as mono. The Ande mono suggested in another post is great stuff (with plenty of world records to back it up). I also use Berkley's Big Game line.
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Eman89so
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 14:15:18
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mr.crappie
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 14:56:26
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Nice fishes Ed. Cool picts. sam
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Chris Johnson
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 17:06:39
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Nice group of fish right there. Thanks for the pics. 
A gentleman is someone who can play the accordion, but doesn't. ~Tom Waits
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Eman89so
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 19:15:57
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mr.crappie
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Re:River Flathead Setup
2013/04/27 21:13:35
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Ed, If you don't take me for eyes this year I am going to tell everyone who outfished you 5 to 1 at Twin Lakes last week. btw it was not me. lol sam
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