Would you risk a monsters life to prove a record?

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Well, this thread sure took a turn for the weird.

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What have you got against science Doug?

What kills me is on one hand we have MN that does a good job of protecting it’s flatheads (and channels for that matter) with size and number limits…but the fish has to be killed to become a record.

Then on the other hand, WI has a 25 fish limit with no size restriction. By following a few fairly easy guidelines the new record can be released.

It looks like we are talking out of both sides of our mouth.

If MN would allow releasing, I would have a plan in place to follow it’s rules to be credited for a record and release the fish. No Doubt In My Mind.

PS Unlike Pug, I kill every walleye that comes to my boat.

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PS Unlike Pug, I kill every walleye that comes to my boat.

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At least cut the gills and let them swim away dude.

For real, maybe there could be two records? A C&R and a kill record?

There is an unofficial c&r record for channels and flats … Not DNr sanctioned, but ya gotta start somewhere.

At least your record isn’t caught on a limb line. I think the channel record is as well. Not real enspiring.

When you have a good idea on how many, lets say catfish and eighter flatheads or record channels, what would I do. Its a good idea to know the fishery your fishing in and have a good idea on how many are in that system, of any size. If you know theres alot of really nice ones swimming and feeding everyday whos to say the supposed record you have caught really is the record in that system. How do you absolutely know its the biggest in that system, got proof? or is it just the biggest thats been weighed and verified as the present record.

Whos to say the biggest flathead in a givin system isn’t another 75 or 100 lbs bigger then anything thats ever been weighed. A person might have gotten lucky and caught the very biggest one in that system or any other system in that state but theres alot of doubt there, by my standards anyway.

If I caught a state record flathead and it even weighed 10 lbs. more then the previous record Id let the states DNR mount it for me for free, because theres probably one thats 50 or more pounds bigger then him. I would have no problem mounting a record flathead. Look at all the food hes leaving for the other flatheads around him, plus theres lots of other reasons too. Theres nothing wrong with mounting a record fish, if you don’t want to you don’t have too, in the catfish world anyway.

Just for curiousitys sake which state has the biggest flathead record, Minnesota or Wisconsin, Wisconsin with its more liberal limits or Minnesota with its more conservative limits, Just curious if its made a diffrence in the past 50 years. Is it within 10 lbs or less?

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In the words of a catfish farmer in South Caroline. “You gotta take those big ones home, cause they eat everything”.

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Right Mossy?

Records aren’t about the biggest existing fish. It is about the biggest fish caught.

I’ve seen evidence that in a system where theres alot of bigger catfish they do deleat certain populations of other species. Does it cycle every 20 or 30 years, I don’t know. I do know bigger fish eat bigger meals, perhaps 14lb. and 15lb. walleyes and 8 lb. smallies, it makes no diffrence to a 60 lb flathead what he eats when hes hungry.

I know there’s a hunting side to this also. Should we shoot that trophy deer, elk, bison, goat, sheep and whatever else walks past us, to expose our hunting areas? Do the genes leave the pool? Of course they do but they are still there. I say, take them as you see fit and are within the law.
Shawn
Shawn

Your right Pug, but is it really the record in that system, it has alot to do with a record to me and some of the guys I know. The biggest thats been caught, but is it really the biggest?

Lets play devils advocate here, what would the walleye guys say if it was proven that big flatheads eat 6lb. to 12. walleyes by the dozens every year, especially around flathead spawing time, what would they say about getting rid of 150 flatheads in that 20 mile section of river system. Think it might seem like a good idea to up the population of walleyes.

It’s been well documented that if a population of large fish are taken out of a system, they are replace with more smaller fish.

Wait, wth??

Where I’m coming from is it really doesn’t matter if you take a few that run between 25 and 50 lbs every year. They’ve already passed thier genes by the thousands and theres more coming and going to reach that same size. It doesn’t hurt a system to take a few just don’t rape the system, taking a few big ones isn’t rapeing the system by any means.

Thats where I’m coming from Brian, take a few 50 lber flatheads out and you have more 7 to 15lb. walleyes. How many 12″ crappies can a flathead eat in a days feeding and then for that month while thier putting blood on thier eggs, maybe 50 to 75 12″ crappies, I know for a fact because of stomach contents in channels they gorge themselves on young crappies. They will eat anything.

Heres more food for thought; how do you think it helps the crappie and bluegill populations by the commercial fishermen catching catfish to make a living. Think it saves a few thousand crappies and bluegills every year, maybe per 5 miles of river. What if there was twice the catfish in that givin 5 miles of river, think there would be less crappies and bluegills. Wait till you see a stomach full of 1″ crappies by the dozens in a 10 lb. channel

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Your right Pug, but is it really the record in that system, it has alot to do with a record to me and some of the guys I know. The biggest thats been caught, but is it really the biggest?

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Well the only way to find out is drain all the water I guess.

Back to the topic, for me I will be like the guy who drives a Prius or smart car and has solar panels on his roof. I will live with my self righteous self satisfaction of letting a record go.

But much like not being able to own a Prius, I’ll probably never have to make that decision.