2012 Flathead Catfish Photos

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BK, post some of your sleeping beauty videos???

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I would clicker if I thought it would change the minds of winter flathead catchers.

Seven years ago a fella said “anyone that calls themselves a cat fisherman does not fish for flats in the winter time”.

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So because I caught a flathead in January in a warm water retention pond for a power plant while fishing for channel cats. I am no longer a catfisherman? I didn’t do any snaging caught it on a cut sucker, I was as suprised as the the next guy. My cat was cpred so what is the big deal?

So, I guess that means all the videos you have just goes to show us that all of them in the video were full.

Yup! Full from eating lunch so they took a nap. So that means you just missed the feeding time and they were taking a nap?

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So because I caught a flathead in January in a warm water retention pond for a power plant while fishing for channel cats. I am no longer a catfisherman? I didn’t do any snaging caught it on a cut sucker, I was as suprised as the the next guy. My cat was cpred so what is the big deal?

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So what you are saying is the water was above normal temperatures when flathead turn lethargic at below 50 degree water temps?? So the ice you are standing on isn’t ice? and the water underneath it is above 50 degrees?

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So because I caught a flathead in January in a warm water retention pond for a power plant while fishing for channel cats. I am no longer a catfisherman? I didn’t do any snaging caught it on a cut sucker, I was as suprised as the the next guy. My cat was cpred so what is the big deal?

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So what you are saying is the water was above normal temperatures when flathead turn lethargic at below 50 degree water temps?? So the ice you are standing on isn’t ice? and the water underneath it is above 50 degrees?

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Different poster. See the grass on mine? Yes the water was in the 70s. My point is don’t slam me because I caught a flathead in the winter.

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Different poster. See the grass on mine? Yes the water was in the 70s. My point is don’t slam me because I caught a flathead in the winter.

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Everyone needs take a deep breath and ease up. The criticisms were aimed squarely at BenjamIncredible, not you

oh, whoopsie daisy, that wasn’t meant for you

. I especially like the blacked out face pictures you posted on the other site. Real class act man

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oh, whoopsie daisy, that wasn’t meant for you

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x2

I know of the waters you speak.

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So much for posting picks trying to get some street cred.

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Agreed. And people wonder why most guys don’t post pics or even reports anymore…Post mortem apologies from mods don’t help either. The high horses are out of the corral.

I was apologizing for the miss communication and not my post Mr curmudgeon.

Snagging of any fish is breaking the law on Lake Pepin. It’s possible that one fish might bite, but there is no way that many cats were legally caught through the ice.

CPR or not…it’s breaking the law and if pointing that fact out stops a person from posting, I’m ok with it…however my goal would be to have them stop breaking the law and leave them alone.

As I said… anyone that calls themselves a flathead fisherman does not fish for flats in winter (temp waters).

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So much for posting picks trying to get some street cred.

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Agreed. And people wonder why most guys don’t post pics or even reports anymore…Post mortem apologies from mods don’t help either. The high horses are out of the corral.

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I am a bit gullible, so are you mocking my sarcasm?

Considering the guy has only a dozen posts, I am guessing he couldn’t wait to get out there, “catch” some fish and post them as soon as possible on every Minnesota fishing site he could Google. Just my take.

Well said, Brian.

Try to imagine the hue and cry if those pics were 50″ muskies. Muskies Inc would be all over that. Us catfishermen do not have the clout of an organized group, so what can we do? I guess we try to shame the incident and hope it discourages the next “Sportsman” from chasing those big, beautiful trophy sized fish. If we watched this happen and didn’t say anything we are part of the problem.

If we need to get on our “Highhorses” to try to discourage pulling flatheads off their wintering beds than so be it. Those pictures will do more to harm the flathead population than most people realize. For every poster there are a ton of lurkers.

At the next Catfish Workgroup I think our next high priority issue needs to be a winter closed season on Flathead catfish. I would be glad to pitch that at the next “DNR Roundtable”. Maybe these pictures might be useful after all. They sure help make the point for how suceptible flatheads are on their wintering beds and how easy they are to snag under the cover of “fishing” for them.

Here’s my analogy.

It’s like baiting a pen and trapping hundreds of deer and then letting hunters come in and shoot them.

I don’t know how damaging it is to the fish (thanks goodness their eyes are on top of their head). But I certainly think it isn’t sporting and worse, snagging is illegal.

OK guys I hear ya, I can take my lumps too if I misspeak. One final question: Is there a reputable source that states that flathead catfish do not feed AT ALL during the winter months, not just that they are lethargic? That is just a question…please don’t make me duck.

There are way plenty studies and proof showing evidence that the bozo posting pics of the flatheads caught through the ice did not land on some one of a kind hot winter bite that lasted for days
I wished I could have been thee to witness this happening. I think the snaggers would have rather dealt with green peace

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There are way plenty studies and proof showing evidence that the bozo posting pics of the flatheads caught through the ice did not land on some one of a kind hot winter bite that lasted for days

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Ok. That was the kind of response I expected. I was asking a serious question and not asking for sweeping generalizations. I don’t have a dog in this show and was berated for challenging the criticism of this guy. I was not there. I did not see where these fish were hooked. Neither were any of the other responders. The dude came back and said they were not snagged and some folks said that they were.

I give up…you guys win…in your minds they were definitely snagged. The reasoning is “because I said so”. There is no reasonable conversation to be had here.

Hey Curmudgeon – Watch this video and come to your own conclusions.

Wintering Flatheads

Sorry, I was tied up until now.

I’ll see if I can find the study that was done using flats in a controled enviroment. The has flats in 50, 40 and 30 degree water. Placed flathead minnows in with them. As the temps went down, less and less of the minnows were eaten. At 30 degrees the minnows were safe from the flats.

But don’t take my word for it. I’ll find the study.

Flatheads are very unique in the way they live. I believe they are the only freshwater fish that goes “dormant” in the winter. I know we have a member here that actually scuba dived, picked up flatheads, took them to the surface to have them measured by the DNR and returned them to the bottom…all by hand. He’ll pop in here if he feels the need.

In the mean time… enjoy this video.

Watch for the big one towards the end of the video? Think he’s going to take the bait?

Now most flathead people will say after watching the above video that flats would rather eat live bait. For those people, I made this video.

You are correct, we have our minds made up.

…and thanks for asking the questions. I’m not sure how many people are viewing this thread but if it informs one more person…

I’m a happy cat guy!

Thanks for the videos Brian. They are very compelling and now I understand your point of view much better.

Well said gentlemen! I know not everyone knows the flatheads life cycle, but it irks me when people who don’t know insist they know better then people who make these fish their life’s pursuit.

Kinda funny how they only ‘bite’ on jigs en masse in winter too, eh? I may have to modify my tactics this summer.

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Easy guys the fish were NOT snagged, bit on fatheads and safely returned to the water.

Now it’s patience for the long awaited stream trout fishing opener

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I don’t get it. Flatheads through the ice? How? I thought that was unpossible.

Are you a wizard?

I thought there was aa picture posted by someone else here that was fishing near them. I think they were fishing on ice, but casting into open water?

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…and thanks for asking the questions. I’m not sure how many people are viewing this thread but if it informs one more person…

I’m a happy cat guy!

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BK consider your self a happy cat guy this Friday. As you have informed me. Thanks for posting the video’s they are very cool.

…and they say flatheads aren’t very smart! LOL!

Great picture!

This beast crushed a bluish-green back and yellow belly taildancer today. Caught a ton of channels but only the one flat…Started off fishing for walleyes but catching cats on the Rapalas is wicked.

Nice catch for below the tube, 20 too 30 lb. channels above in the reserviour. Fishing at night with shad with a couple poles near a spawning bed and your good to go. I usually prop my pole up on two cans, one ontop of the other and on freebail on about the second eye from the reel. When they hit I just let them run then set the hook, theres some really big channels cruiseing the shoreline at night at the reserviour…

33 pounds on the scale. We lost one other big one, and then lost another big one in town. The one in the picture was at the tube, it was a fun catch and a good release.