I'm a flathead noob, live close to the lake and was wondering if anyone could offer any advice on catching some flatheads on EM? I have a boat and am wanting to take my kids out to run jugs with live perch. We'd love to keep a few eater size and throw back any trophies. Should I expect to catch them shallow? Or is the water too hot? Does anyone know what depth the thermocline is right now? I'd be fishing the southern end of the lake.

Thanks for your help.
Brady

Thermocline sits at about 22 feet, that will almost always be the depth of a thermocline on Texas lakes.

For any fish, flatheads included, you'll need to stay above the thermocline or in water depths shallower than 21-22 feet. Find them on your graph, there's no magic depth for flatheads. They're creatures of habitat and habit.

This is a horrible time of the year to run jugs. If you're going to do it you need to stay on the water with the jugs and check them often and even then you'll lose fish. The water is hot and deprived of oxygen and the fish will die quickly when left on a setline. There's unfortunately a LOT of juglines out there with dead fish on them right now because people can't seem to understand this. You'll lose bait just as quickly when fishing live bait.

Thank you

Brady, Even though I fish Lake Limestone mainly, Chad is pretty correct. At this time of the year, with the heat & thermocline, you basically have to stay right on your jugs, If not, either dead fish or dead bait.

With that said, I might suggest a shallow water trotline, or perhaps jugs too. Usually I set lines (trotlines) in water depth between 8 & 12 feet areas. Of course I also know the areas & paths of the Yellows, since I & two of my YellowCat & Catfish Calendar students have fished certain areas of the Running Branch fork in the No Wake Zone. You are looking for an area that has stumps and/or logs. Sadly though, due to that, there is no guarantee that the Yellows won't wrap up, or snag your line up. I like trotlines due to leverage. And the fact that you can fix its location. Even with a weight (fair size), a jug can travel with a 4 or 5 pound Cat two miles or so. But even then, you need to be sure that fish or bait is not dying on you.

One article I read quite a few years ago, was about catching big Blues during thermocline. The author explained he would go rod-n-reeling with goldfish for Blues at about mid-depth. So for 30 feet deep, it would be about 15 feet deep. He explained that the big Blues will suspend just above the thermocline level. For 40 feet depth that would be about 20 feet.

You could in a sense, set jugs with leaders from near surface to mid depth. But as Chad said, you still need to stay on them (meaning don't run off & leave them). A Blue or Channel will die in less than an hour. Between 1 to 2 hours, they will be covered in slime. And they may not be any good. Meaning they are too far gone. If the gills are white- then it generally is not edible.

Better luck would be, as to Yellows, ranging from mid-November thru May. Yellows usually hit better late at night, into the wee hours of the morning. One reason, is they don't really like to get up into the light. Unless it is by their choice.

Be sure & use my Catfish Calendar, as to the YC days & also my PYC listings. This will help in targeting them while in their roam-feed pattern.