Flathead Catfish
Flathead catfish are a large, robust catfish species with a broad head that is somewhat compressed (hence the name). They are generally brown in overall coloration, with darker mottling over the entire body. They have a huge mouth in which the lower jaw's tip extends past that of the upper jaw. The upper lobe of the square tail is lighter in coloration than the rest.
About This Species
Extremely strong fighters. Their solitary lifestyle, however, makes them more difficult to catch than other catfish. They bite best at night while in shallow water looking for food. To catch flatheads, anglers typically fish on the bottom.
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Diet
Flatheads are predatory fish and will consume bass, bream, shad, crayfish and often feed on other catfish. The young rely more extensively on aquatic insects and crayfish than do the adults. Large flatheads sometime congregate where food is plentiful such as near tailraces of dams. They often feed at the surface or in shallow water at night, returning to their residence in a hole or brush pile to rest during the day. They rarely eat dead or decaying matter.