Although of the "big three" catfish the flathead is probably least often targeted, Virginia anglers do have a number of trophy flathead fisheries. Photo courtesy of Mark Fike.

Virginia has hundreds of thousands of square miles of fishable waters and the majority of that water is home to one of three common species of catfish -- blue, channel and flathead. With so many waters to fish for catfish, it can be tough trying to figure out where your best chances lie in hooking up with a bruiser or a stringer of eating-sized fish. We have done the homework for you here, breaking down the information by region to point you to the best locations in your area to have a successful trip.

TIDEWATER
The Tidewater region of Virginia is nationally famous for producing mammoth blue catfish and even trophy flathead catfish. The bulk of this action occurs on the Tidal James River, which is full of good forage year 'round in the form of shad. With so much food available, the blue catfish on the James grow big very fast. The state-record blue catfish came from the James River and tipped the scales at over 95 pounds.

There are large numbers of trophy blue cats in the river and it is not uncommon for a knowledgeable angler to take a half dozen citation-sized blue catfish (over 30 pounds) in a leisurely day of fishing. The best places to look for blue catfish and big flatheads is over structure along the banks, over channel ledges and drop­offs, and holes or secondary channels in mud flats.

We spoke with VDGIF fisheries biologist Bob Greenlee about the flathead population and where anglers might best locate them. Greenlee noted that flatheads are expanding their range.

"Flathead catfish are increasing in number in the upper sections of the Tidal James River from the fall line in Richmond downstream to Hopewell," he said.

I observed this action first hand on a guided trip with Captain Mike Ostrander, who took my father-in-law, Larry Stewart, and I out for a winter trip this year. The first big catfish that Stewart caught was a citation 28-pound flathead that took a cut hunk of fresh gizzard shad, which according to both Greenlee and Ostrander, tends to be a favorite on the catfish menu.

Captain Ostrander explains that he often encounters flatheads on the James and even specifically targets them when the water is warm. Live shad, herring or sunfish and very fresh cut bait will entice these chocolate-colored fish to bite.

The Tidal James not only has a reliable fishery for trophy catfish, but there is an abundance of blue catfish in general of all sizes. Greenlee says that since the blues were introduced in the mid-1970s, they have really taken off. The first 50-pound blue cat was caught in the late 1990s and then size has only increased since.

"Today catches of fish over 50 pounds are common, and anglers regularly report catches of fish in the 70-pound range, with occasional catches in the 80-pound range. Several anglers have recently reported catching fish in the lower 90-pound range, and it would not be surprising if this river produced a 100-pound blue cat in the near future," he said.