Pylodictis olivaris

yellow cat, mud cat, shovelhead cat, johnnie cat, goujon, appaluchion, opelousas

fresh

A flattened head, tiny eyes, squarish tail and protruding lower jaw distinguish the flathead from other catfish and contribute to it being placed in a genus of its own. They are yellow-brown and usually mottled above, with a creamy-white or yellow belly. Small flatheads may be confused with yellow or brown bullheads.

Flatheads are found mainly in large rivers and their major tributaries. They prefer long, slow-flowing, moderately-turbid streams. Adult flatheads are solitary and spend most of their time in deep water near cover such as log jams or fallen trees.

Flatheads are predatory fish and will consume bass, bream, shad, crayfish and often feed on other catfish. The young rely more extensively on aquatic insects and crayfish than do the adults. Large flatheads sometime congregate where food is plentiful such as near tailraces of dams. They often feed at the surface or in shallow water at night, returning to their residence in a hole or brush pile to rest during the day. They rarely eat dead or decaying matter.

Although flatheads have been aged by biologists to 19 years, the species is probably capable — based on its maximum size of about 56 inches — of living much longer. They grow faster than any other catfish except blue.

Extremely strong fighters. Their solitary lifestyle, however, makes them more difficult to catch than other catfish. They bite best at night while in shallow water looking for food. To catch flatheads, anglers typically fish on the bottom using heavy tackle with live or freshly cut fish. Trotlines are effective in catching this species.

The species is highly regarded as a food fish when taken from clean water. The meat is white, firm, and flaky, with an excellent taste.