Heres my Current Flathead setup, its a new Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6000 reel with a couple improvements I added from abassadeur reel parts I have laying around I changed out a spool bushing to a bearing, originally it had one spool bearing and one spool bushing now it has 2 spool bearings. I also changed out the original line guide with a titanium nitride coated line guide and changed the plastic reel handle cap with a all steel cap. its spooled with 20 lbs berkley big game low-vis green. its on a 7 foot shakespeare ugly stik lite pro medium action rod.

Nice set up. I use big spinning reels, actually a Quantum Blue Runner BR-60, attached to a 7' med-heavy rod. 20lbs mono(whatever is avail in bulk). I mostly shore fish and find the spinning reels help bring line in like no tommorrow, saves tackle. I've been using 3-4oz of lead w/4/0 -6/0 hooks either standard octopus or circle octopus. What do you use for a terminal set up HighDesertWolf?
Oh, and I'm fishing for strictly channel cats. They get big around here, avg weight goes around 15lbs, my biggest being 27lbs and change.... and was 37.5" long.
Where do you fish for flatheads in AZ, I have family down there in Tucson and would love to hook into a flathead on my next trip. I was told and if I remember correctly Roosevelt lake(or Resevoir) had the biggest in the state. Any tips on location and or strategy would be greatly appreciated. Is livebait legal, if so I'veread that flatheads prefer live and bluegill and other sunfish are tops for use?

most of the major resivoirs have flatheads but ive been stickin to the rivers, the salt river and verde river. back home in missouri thats about all i fished is rivers for flats so I tend to stick with whats comfortable for me.

Im not sure where in tucson to go but if you head west on I-10 towards pheonix you can get to the salt river, shoot on second thought the salt may actually run through tucson. im not sure though.

asfar as livebait goes it can get tricky with all the regs on livebait and in alot of the state its illegal to use live blue gil period. but to put it simply if you want to use live bait it has come from the water you are fishing. about the only live bait stores sell is night crawlers and meal worms.

In the rivers ive been having pretty good luck for channel cats and an occassional flathead on frozen anchovies which are hard to get in my town I had to have one of the grocery stores order it for me and I keep a good supply of it too I have about 8lbs in my freezer lol.

for terminal takle I use a surf rig with 1/0 khale hooks and a 1 to 3 oz river sinker for bank fishing at lakes. on rivers here because of mild currents I'll use a slip rig with a 3/4 to 1 1/2 oz egg sinker with about 2 feet of leader with a 1/0 to 2/0 khale hook depending on the size of bait. after i feel the sinker hit the bottom then Ill slack line it and let the current drift the bait if i notice the line get tight I'll let a little more line out if it gets toofar down stream ill reel it in a bit or if it feels like the baits gone Ill reel it in to check.

I don't fish for catfish but I catch alot by accident. This one was caught on 10 pound trilene on a Shimano Syncopate spinning reel. My lure White Rooster Tail.
C7

nice one there good table fare right there. God bless the good ol' roostertail caught many catfish on them while bass fishing.

Nice cat brother! Hey I see your rabbit cages. I had 50 Californians for years.

I don't have a way to get pictures on here, but I use a 7'6 Catmaxx pole with a baitcaster Catmaxx reel, a 8' Catmaxx pole with a Catmaxx Spinning Reel (EXCELLENT SETUP), and I also use a Shakespear Contender setup for some smaller cats.

All of these poles are rigged with braided line and heavy weights.

Nice cat brother! Hey I see your rabbit cages. I had 50 Californians for years.
Reb,
Thanks Reb..yeah we raised Californians for a while.Great meat rabbit. When my kids were being homeschooled we raised Holland Lops to show at the 4 H Club. We still have a few. They help produce some great red worms for fishing.I have a mist sprinkler system under the cages. Anytime I want to go fishing for bluegills I grab a hand full.
C7
This is Sparky

custom made rod with a shimano speedmaster spooled with 20 lb line but i catch saltwater catfish (cobia) right now later i will catch freshwater cats

Are you saying cobia is a saltwater catfish?