I have maybe a silly question for you pros:
Flathead fishing; I know live perch is the key, and a friend told me about trimming fin to make em swim. I assume 8-9/0 circles.

Santee cooper? or Carolina rig? Leader length?
Depth for summer, give or take? Don't need or want specifics, but less than 20' or more than 20' kinda stuff. Lake info only, not too interested in river stuff.
I know rocks, drop offs etc, but are they ever just around random timber?
Went to Cabelas and saw the 2 in the tank and that made up my mind. I gotta catch one on purpose. I've caught a small one on a minnow crappie fishing a few years ago. I have also hooked 2 huge ones on crappie jigs while fishing brush-piles. The only link I can seem to put together in my head is they must eat crappie like popcorn.
just looking for generalizations, not honey-holes.
Thanks in advance!
Joe

You bout got it figured out, 3 way or santee work, don't worry about trimming the fins. Nobody trims the fins on the ones the always eat, plus you might kill the bait. If you can find crappie suspended over brush drop a lively perch down to the brush, flats love crappie. With higher water temps everything is headed deeper. You will have to play around with leader length to see what works. For the record I'm no pro, so take my info as ideas not concrete advise.

If it was me. I would use mudcats rather than perch. As for location. Fish at night...drop off's will work for blues...but i wouldn't fish the drop off for a flathead...I would fish the shelf itself. and i would look for a spot...expecially in the summer time...where the depth goes from 18'+ to 5' or less...and stays 5' or less for a decent area.

Thanks Y'all! i have a spot in mind that fits the bill so to speak.