But for success with flathead catfish, techniques must change. Flatheads are predatory and feed almost exclusively on live forage. They tend to be solitary in their choice of cover. As shown in the commission's electro-shock surveys, flatheads are widely distributed throughout the deeper waters of the lake.

Flatheads like to spend the day in heavy cover located in the deepest water. At Sutton Lake, Bay No. 3 at the northeastern corner of the lake has a hole that is about 30 feet deep. There are a couple of fish attractors, marked by buoys, that create flathead hiding places. There are also stumps, sunken trees and tree root systems in the hole.

Some very large flatheads have been caught from the hole as well as the deep channels along the dikes by anglers fishing with live baits. The best live baits are sunfish caught from the lake, with bluegill, shellcracker and redbreast sunfish available for the catching. The sunfish must be caught on hook and line and fished on hook and line to be legal for use as baitfish. The correct size sunfish is 4 to 8 inches long.

Sunfish can be kept alive in a livewell or in a perforated bait bucket tossed overboard to allow fresh water to enter. They can also be kept alive inside an ice chest with a bucket used to change out the water.

Flathead anglers fishing during the day try fishing the deep areas by fishing live baits on Carolina rigs. Hooks with wire weed guards or circle hooks with inward turned points decrease the chance of snagging submerged trees. Superbraid and monofilament lines of 50-pound-test and up are not oversized for defeating a big flathead.

The fish are extremely strong and fast during their initial run. Usually, the fish attacks the bait and heads toward heavy cover at a fast pace. The trick is turning the fish toward the surface before it can carry the line beneath a fallen tree.

Most anglers fish with a light drag and the warning clicker on. The fish is allowed to take just enough line to get the hook inside its mouth. With a circle hook, the drag is simply tightened as the fish runs, pulling the hook into the corner of its mouth. But with a standard hook, the hook is set hard once the angler feels the fish. Hooks from 6/0 and up are needed to catch trophy flatheads.

Some anglers prefer the odds of catching smaller flatheads. Buying a bucket of live shiners 4 to 6 inches long is the quick ticket to flatheads of up to 10 pounds in weight and also has the advantage of providing baits a channel cat will also pounce upon.

As the sky darkens, flatheads move from the deep holes to the shallower areas. They hunt in stumpy areas, beneath overhanging tree limbs and undercut banks. Float rigs are the key to catching big flatheads after dark.

Anglers can use a trolling motor to ease along, casting to the bank at intervals to cover as much water as possible. However, whether anchoring in deep water or float-rigging along the dikes, anglers must be aware that flatheads are spooky compared to other catfish.

It is a good idea to give a bait at least 30 minutes to entice a flathead after arriving in an area and making a cast. Multiple baits fished in all directions in a "shotgun" pattern around the boat give flatheads a better chance of finding the baits. Fishing both bottom rigs and float rigs at the same time allows the baits to cover the entire water column.