Flatheads or something else?

I was out this morning shore fishing with my cheap “hawg seeker” rod/reel using medium/large sucker minnows. I threw them out on a 6/0 circle hook using 30lb mono and kept snagging up each time. It seemed like a snag, but after pulling for a little while it would suddenly release with all my gear intact except the minnow of course! I am curious if that’s what a flathead feels like on the line. I went through 9 minnows in a 2 hour period and every time ended the same way regardless of moving up/down stream. Just a very light tap on the rod and after reeling in a bit,  it would just stop. It’s hard to believe that every single spot I set the bait was full of logs or rocks, but I am new to catfishing and have no idea what to expect.
Also, I saw a lot of very large fish breaching the surface almost like a whale would. Huge tail slaps and all, but wasn’t close enough to I.D. The fish. Any insight about any of this would be greatly appreciated. 

What size sinker weight? Is your hook bending or burring on the tip? Sounds like a rocky area. When a flathead bites, as soon as you set hook you will know 110% you have a fish on. Sometimes ill snag something on the bottom that feels like its moving slowly but its probably a big cable or some kind of snag. Big snapper? Maybe… Try downsizing the hook or hiding the hook better into the minnow. That might help a little bit. Or maybe use a circle hook and let the fish hook itself. Good luck I hope u figure it out. also if your fishing pool 2 and need company let me know.

Sorry just re read your post and saw your already using a circle hook. 6/0 is a good size too. Does your sinker show signs of rocks? Maybe the sinker is sliding In between rock crevases.

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It’s hard to believe that every single spot I set the bait was full of logs or rocks,..

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Its even less likely every spot was a flathead.

Are you saying they hit every time when reeling in? To me it sounds like you were snagging rocks or soft wood or more like your sucker was getting wedged in between rocks.

That’s not to say all of them were snags.

If you hooked into a flathead, its going to move. Normally it starts with a hard pop that can resonate as a bang if you are in a boat, but then it may very slowly start taking line from you as opposed to start screaming line off your spool.

Those are my thoughts anyway.

After a while you’ll kinda get used to the feel of a snag, or a hooked branch in the current..I get excited everytime I hook one thinking it’s a monster.
For me a light tap usually means carp, but if you saw what looked like a monster that may be your monster cat tapping your line.
My experience with cats is they usually tug 2 or 3 times before taking off..zingg.
Good Luck.

If you’re using a sucker minnow and have to question whether it was a bite or not its pretty safe to say it probably was something else. Keep on fishing the river and after you catch a few you’ll be able to tell the difference

Haven’t caught a flat yet myself, but know plenty about snags. I haven’t been to a spot on the river yet that was snag free. I usually find the logs with branches are the bait rippers BC they get in that lil gap and tear whatever you got on for bait right off, even plastic sometimes. And really got to watch out for the moving logs under the water that get caught up on your line that hit like a fish and when you set the hook it will actually feel like a fish with head shakes and everything only to realize it only goes downstream and all the nerves and rapid heart rate was all for a 10 pound stick running wild in the current.
But you never know it could have been a fish!! What helps is using a huge weight to keep that bait still and not moving around everywhere to get into snags.

Thanks all! Upon closer examination of my weights…. Yeah it was the rocks. I’ll keep looking for the monsters anyhow.

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I was out this morning shore fishing with my cheap “hawg seeker” rod/reel using medium/large sucker minnows. I threw them out on a 6/0 circle hook using 30lb mono and kept snagging up each time. It seemed like a snag, but after pulling for a little while it would suddenly release with all my gear intact except the minnow of course! I am curious if that’s what a flathead feels like on the line. I went through 9 minnows in a 2 hour period and every time ended the same way regardless of moving up/down stream. Just a very light tap on the rod and after reeling in a bit,  it would just stop. It’s hard to believe that every single spot I set the bait was full of logs or rocks, but I am new to catfishing and have no idea what to expect.
Also, I saw a lot of very large fish breaching the surface almost like a whale would. Huge tail slaps and all, but wasn’t close enough to I.D. The fish. Any insight about any of this would be greatly appreciated. 

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Sounds like Gar pulling your bait into snags to me.