It will come as no surprise to some that the first real entry on this page involves the pursuit of giant flathead catfish. Time of year and recent trips to blame, this has been the focus of my efforts as of late. I will preface this by saying that as with any of life’s great passions, their pursuit can be taken to the extreme. It has become an obsession.

In general, flathead catfish are little studied and little understood when compared to most other predator species in fresh water. Their habits and patterns are only vaguely outlined and for most, encountering large specimens is more a matter of happy coincidence than prudent effort. Consistently contacting mature specimens of this species throughout the year, however, is one of the greatest challenges in all of freshwater fishing. The current all tackle world record flathead catfish sits at a staggering 123 pounds, with even larger fish having been taken by commercial nets. They are the subject of legend, myth, and lore around the angling community, and almost everyone who’s engaged in a conversation regarding catfish near a body of water has heard the “diver and the dam” stories. However it is a rare few that make the choice to commit themselves to getting to the bottom of those stories, doing what is necessary to regularly encounter this little understood leviathan.

In the recent issue of In-Fisherman’s Catfish Insider (2017 edition), an article was published making the distinction between flathead catfish in reservoir habitats as opposed to river populations. “Flatwater flatheads” was the term used to describe fish that call our giant reservoirs home. This distinction is rightfully made, as habits and behavior seem to differ quite a bit between fish that thrive in lakes and those that persist in rivers. Reservoir fish are far less opportunistic, and prove to be more preferential in what and when they eat. This is not in any way an attempt to knock or discount river flathead fishing, as these fish are warriors and deserve the same respect. This is simply to say that their pursuit differs wildly in both method and madness.

Reservoir flatheads are elusive, territorial, and incredibly in tune with their static environment. Any small change to their surroundings is immediately detected, and their entire level of activity can be dictated by details we are even still struggling to define. Tracking studies have shown that during this post spawn mid-summer season, reservoir flatheads can lie totally still for up to two weeks at a time without leaving their chosen haunt to roam and feed. This factor alone considerably narrows the odds of setting up on a night when active fish will be intercepted by our baits. Let alone choosing the correct location where these seldom active creatures will stalk their prey and with any luck, whatever offerings we were able to collect and present to them. Cap this off with their generally low numbers as an apex predator species in any environment where they exist, and the odds of contacting a true giant are cut down even further. Enter, The Way.

Miyamoto Musashi is heralded as one of the deadliest swordsman to ever live, and died undefeated as a samurai in the 1600th century. In his book “The Book of Five Rings”, this “last samurai” describes in detail the art and logic of swordsmanship and the samauri way of life. He sums up this expansive amount of knowledge and training in one term, “The Way.” The Way encompasses all that must be done in order to become an effective and deadly samurai warrior. A full lifetime of training, experience, knowledge, and dedication summed up so simply. By following this path, an effective samurai warrior will spend his life preparing, but at the time of battle will act with the lethal instinct that is forever engrained in him through years of training. As my career as a reservoir flathead fisherman continues, I’ve come to adopt this term for the incredible birth of skill sets, knowledge, and experience that the most effective reservoir dogs rely on to consistently sway the odds in their favor.

As with any martial art, The Way demands dedication and steadfast persistence. Commitment to the goal and trust in your decisions and abilities. The Way varies throughout the season as environmental and biological factors drive these huge predators in different ways. But most importantly, The Way demands that an angler remains open minded, seeking every opportunity to continue learning. Just when we think we have all of the pieces of this puzzle together, we’re left casually defeated with streaks of fishless night after fishless night. To say that our sport is humbling does it no justice. The amount of work and effort that goes into making each trip possible, combined with sleep deprivation and little success is enough to drive anyone mad. But when everything comes together and an opportunity is successfully capitalized on, the feeling of accomplishment is second to none…

The dog days of summer present challenging yet predictable fishing for us. Keeping bait alive all night in hot water with the presence of a thermocline is a factor that must be weighed in heavily this time of year. Flathead are also more likely to remain sedentary now, becoming stubborn and feeding only when conditions are ideal. We accept these challenges, and continue our pursuit regardless. When this entry is published we will be in the midst of preparing for another full night of hunting, gathering bait, and traveling to whichever body of water is selected to present the best odds given the conditions on that particular night. Gear has been checked and re-checked, rigs prepared days in advance, and shelter and provisions prepared. When we go, we’re in for the duration come hell or high water. Mother Nature has her ways of sending us both at times. But whatever may come of this night, we will have gained another step in the right direction. Whether victory or defeat, we will have learned and added another note to the book. And with any luck, we’ll report back with a grip and grin photo with old Mr. Lowjaw himself before releasing him back into the murky depths from which he came. Until then, trust The Way.

 “Wisdom exists. Logic exists. The Way, exists. Mind is empty”
-Miyamoto Musashi