there is a big flathead in a pond that i have been trying to catch forever. my dad put it in ten years ago. it was 26 pounds then. a few years back, a boy told me him and his family caught it. he said they could hold it up to their chest and the tail would rub the ground. ive tried to catch this fish for two years. i even set a trotline in the pond to catch it. i put goldfish on the hooks and i came back the next day. all the baits were gone and a hook was broken off. they told me they put the fish back. and ive tried everything i know to catch it..anything you can tell me would be great.

Well, this flathead is smarter than most. Living in a pond for that long has allowed the fish to grow more. As to the weight that is something that will have to be checked when you catch it. It does need to have a healthy food supply to sustain the weight to live. Since you know the flathead is still in the pond, you are going to need to use the right hook and bait as well as the right test line to catch it. You will also need to try fishing it when the time is right. It does sound as if this is going to be a big catch when it happens. What I would do is plan a nighttime adventure. I do not know how big the pond is, but if you can fish it comfortably from shore, throw in a large fish head with a durable circle hook. If you have to use two circle hooks, that may be the answer. The test line I am guessing should be at least 40 pound. The fish is big and is a fighter. You need to have a good reel with a little play to win the fight. That would be the only suggestion I have for you. I think the fish is probably hungry if the bait and hooks you used were gone the next day. It is a matter of being there to control the fight. Let me know if you catch it and send a picture of your catch.