So, being from SW KS born and raised I am not used to this amount of water and also not used to the fish here (my specialty and bulk experience is channels lol). I was always told/thought that flattys were most active in the spring...following the fish off thread there were some large ones caught lately and also I have been seeing some VERY large flatty heads on fence posts (don't get me started on why someone would keep fish that big but it happens). So my question is, is this late year activity abnormal like I think, or is it the norm and I have just been misinformed?

Intrested in what everyone has to say, i have always thought yella bite slows winter and picks up spring and fall. Maybe i have been misinformed as well...

I don't think there is any misinformation. I just think the fish caught lately were uncommon happenings.

Their metabolism will slow down. But they don't stop feeding imo.Don't hibernate around here either! Have caught them with fresh cutbait Nov,Dec,Jan,Feb just down size your bait's. Bite won't be as Hot like Spring or Fall but they will

The flat heads didn't get the memo. Baited 2 trotlines Thur afternoon. Had 11 blues and 3 flat heads Fri morning. Kept 2 flat heads, 12.8 and 19.75; threw back one flattie about 5lbs. Caught 10 flatheads last Dec-Jan putting out jug lines 5 times. All caught on fresh cut perch.

Sorry, been out of the loop lately due to some other research which I am still working on, as to my time, other than that mundane think we call work. Add bein' a little under the weather the past 3 weeks.

And then add the fiasco of falling out of the my sister's 12' Porta-Bote backwards Thanksgiving Day at lunch probably did not really help things. I now know one thing about a 12' Porta-Bote (<Portabote.com>), with only one person, they are just way too flexible to climb back in without turning it over or filling it up with water. Nothing like a good swim on Lake Limestone for 15 to 45 minutes. Thank goodness there are those families out there who answer prayers for a tad bit of an "assist". But when you find a family of heroes, that is a true treasure.

Oh yeah, back to Yellows, Ops, Flatheads, and the likes. They are uniquely very suspicious & cautious, very methodical creatures. Yes, very predictable. In fact, if you have ever experienced catching one from small to large on a trotline (due to the mainline being fixed on each end), and they are slightly riled up, they run a figure "8" pattern. So perfect, you can time their pattern to sweep in with the Net & bring it around as the Op runs right into the Net as you make sure timed swoop. Yet sometimes that caution goes out with wind on a whim. And if not riled up, or if they are tired (or perhaps taking time to think of how to get out of the predicament of getting hooked), they will do the "nod". They tend to curl their body back & forth & if you were to see their head, it looks as if they nod to the left, then the right, again & again. Then there are the "rodeo jumpers". Yes, indeed, they will come out of the water, running wild like a buckin' bronc.

But as to the initial question, Yellows are active all year round. Maybe for Rod-n-Reelers it seems slow from time to time. But Yellows are like giant vaccuum cleaners sucking down & scooping food. They are one big inhaler. Sometimes they wait, watch & inhale, instead of on the run for food. I remember someone telling me on the Trinity River, they watched a rabbit getting water as a big Yellow surprised it and swallowed it. I don't doubt that for one minute.

Especially if you run set lines, you need to watch for YC (YellowCat) days on my Catfish Calendar & key in on them. For instance, this weekend (2nd-4th) shows Fri (BFT=Buffet), Sat (YC), and Sun (YC). Friday was a hidden YC day, part of their 3 day Run. Look for my posting soon, as I post the December calendar shortly- the thread will be titled "Lynn's Catfish Calendar". Also I will paste the link for the 2010 thread which shares a little of the story behind how I discovered the patterns. I did not create it, I just learned to key in on it. I had 2 YellowCat teachers teach & share all of their knowledge with me, but the calendar is icing on the cake. One is still living & tickled pink that I discovered the patterns. We hope to some day get to go together so I can show him, but he does not doubt me one bit.

typically flatheads are caught regularly when water temps are above 50 and below about 85 degrees most of the time flats are more active during these water temps but they will shut down for the most part for part of the year have seen several videos in colder weather areas than we have here and bounce shad and perch right on em for what seems like forever and they never budge but you can tell they are breathing and alive

all fish must eat to stay alive although in the coldest months most fish conserve energy and are more opportunistic