150 lbs of flatheads today

Man did we hammer the flatheads late this afternoon. I’ll start at the beginning. Tim called me and said he just lost a flathead that went close to 50 pounds. I asked how and he said the bottom of the bridge net broke and back into the river below it went. One other guy on the bridge said he heard 1/2 dozen people on the bank sigh with disbeliefe when that happened.

I flew out the door to get bluegills and then got to the dam. I got to the dam and walked down the sidewalk and there was 7 flatheads laying there that the biggest was around 25 pounds. I baited up my pole and as I was doing that Tim got another hookup. Just after that Jeramiah hooked into one too and my bait had only been in the water for 15 minutes max. A few minutes later I hooked into one that went 18 lbs. I got 2 myself, Jeramiah 3 and Tim had the lucky hook tonight with the remainder of around 8 or so. They were hitting so good there was two doubles.

The big flathead went 44 pounds and was caught by the older guy in the pics. and he had to drag it off the bridge because he couldn’t lift it, he was fishing just to my left 15′ just inside the current about 4′, we were fishing next to the current in the slower water and right below the dam.

I told Tim and Jeramiah to lift the whole stringer off the ground so I could get a picture, I didn’t have the flash on and all I heard was are you going to take a picture, these fish are getting heavy, I got the rubbing for that one. We got 2 that were around 2 to 4 pounds and the rest were alot nicer ones. This afternoon was a good bite and I had the camera. All in all I figured we got around 150 lbs in just a few hours.

150lbs of flatheads 50lbs of eggs

Mossy is that you?

Maybe but they catch them like this every year, this areas loaded with nice fish like this and we catch them all summer. Everybody keeps them and its full hooks every year so theres no damage being done, not too worry.

No Brian, Im a little younger, I’m 59 in june knock on wood, this is the older boy who caught the 44 pounder that was next to me. I’m not that good lookin!!! Thats why the fish fear me, sometimes!

Channel and Flathead–continuous

Only one over 24″ and no more than 2 can be Flatheads

Thank you MNDNR

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Channel and Flathead–continuous

Only one over 24″ and no more than 2 can be Flatheads

Thank you MNDNR

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Thanks for the pics dan.

I think a lot more fish get taken home one at a time than in multiples. The mega bite happens a couple of days a year? And that’s 3 people’s fish. The limit would be 45. It’s a ridiculously high number.

I agree Josh, way more singles and doubles get taken many times over then a stringer like this one. This area is a very high fish developement area, a guys got too remember that this isn’t an area with a big population of fishermen so theres at most little to minimum pressure so theres a good hatch every year. We catch them all summer on lines but theres no time that produces more fish for numbers then when thier putting blood on their eggs in the spring right befor spawn takes place.

From now on for around 3 weeks is when its good every year like this. If it wasen’t for the dam the numbers wouldn’t be so high. They come from the holes and deeper water from way down river then are stopped by the dam, thats as far as they can go. Thats the only reason the catch rates are higher in this one perticular area because of the concentration. Then you have hundreds of miles of the rest of the river that isn’t damed.

I talked to a guy who lives down river from here and his grand dad has a garage thats got 20′ long walls and 9′ high sides. He says the whole side of the garage is of heads from flatheads that his grand dad has caught in his lifetime fishing for them,,,and none are under 40 pounds. This is a whole lifetime of fishing devoted to fishing for them. It may sound like alot of fish but if a guy thinks about it how many is that per year, maybe one too two, thats not alot of pressure.

Post deleted by Steve DeMars

Those are some eaters there. It kind of bums me out when you see a really big one harvested, but if its within the legal guidelines.

Thanks for sharing the story and pics. Nice fish!

sweet pics mossy, sounds like a fun day!

Thats alot of cats

I understand what your saying and why Larry but If its hurting the fishery here it isn’t showing. Big fish like the one the older boy caught are caught every year. Theres been around a 1/2 dozen that I heard about caught by diffrent people on diffrent days just this spring that were around this size and bigger. Theres alot of river down stream that holds alot of them and each spring they swim up river and are stopped by the dam. People fishing the dam area catch them every spring like this and the big ones are there again next year so I don’t think its hurting anything and if it was myself and others would be taking about it, a person just doesen’t hear any talk like that.

Theres a roller dam down river from this one about 2 miles and when it floods the flatheads swim over the dam and replenish the waters up river. Plus in that two miles stretch theres alot of deep water that doesen’t get much pressure at all. There isn’t a dam downriver that stops them all the way to the Mississippi. I can see the concern for repopulating and keeping the numbers good, but if its hurting the flathead fishery here it doesen’t show. If it did they wouldn’t get these numbers every spring like they do. Alot of big flatheads have been caught in this area and every year the big ones bite again. Theres enough good flathead fishermen here that if it did depleat them these fishermen would be talking about it.

People catch them throughout the summer in the dam area but in the spring is when they catch the most then after that the flatheads move back down river to their summer holes where theres very minimual pressure. We get enough smaller ones on ditty poles and trotlines to show us what the population is in that area of the river. We also get enough bent and broken hooks to show us that theres still alot of big ones around. One of the guys I fish with has been known to put back an occasional 30 lber. that had alot of eggs in it. I think the fishery is pretty safe here and not being over harvested.

Mossy, I have a problem with your flat photo’s too!!

Please, next time clean them off. Laying them out and cleaning the sand off would make that picture much better.

It’s nice of you to take the time to explain.

I’m really not trying to go after you Dan, so I apologize in advance if any offense is taken. I love to eat fish just as much as the next guy and will eat some cats every year, but to say that it’s not affecting them because they keep coming back is being a little naïve I think. Past history has shown that vulnerable fish species and populations can indeed be decimated by overharvest, contrary to popular belief at the time.

Think of it as sitting on top of a wintering hole and keeping every fish you catch, and then next year there are still a bunch of fish there. Well yeah, it’s a wintering hole.

Not only that, but you and your group might not be doing any harm whatsoever, but these pictures and reports are viewed by THOUSANDS of people from all over. Now they can line up on that dam and do the same thing. The effects are potentially exponential. Perhaps a simple fish pic without a stringer or rope attached to leave a little to the imagination might be just as effective to share your story.

It’s a tough deal. You put up some pics of a great time and great catches, then this random guy on the internet calls you out for eating them because he doesn’t see eye to eye with you, or he thinks he knows best. I’m not trying to make any enemies, but I just feel that I need to encourage selective harvest and not celebrate 100% catch/kill.

Good luck to you guys down there!

Here is some interesting reading material:
http://www.sdgfp.info/wildlife/fishing/Info/SelectiveHarvest.htm

Its probably dust on the lens BrianK, thanks for the heads up because my eyesights a little blurry.

Ya I understand what your saying DTro but if I get a catch like this which isn’t often, or anyone else is, I put the whole story up, whynot. I know your not calling me out and I know after even putting these pictures up on the web theres not going to be any great increase of pressure around here. I know if I go every night this week Its not going to be elbow to elbow fishermen standing on the dam, it just doesn’t happen like that around here. It doesn’t bother me at all what your saying so don’t worry about it or feel you have to clearify yourself, I can tell by how you say it your not, no fuses blown and I’ve learned to take things with a grain of salt so don’t worry about it.

Some of those fish appear to be pushing 15lbs +. Are they even tasty? Aren’t those the ones that have especially high mercury levels?

150lbs?! Me and 6 friends will be down there this week. I bet those big girls taste extra good.

Thats a heck of a mess of fish. Nice catch. You dont see photos like that to much anymore.

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I know if I go every night this week Its not going to be elbow to elbow fishermen standing on the dam, it just doesn’t happen like that around here.

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Of course it is not going to be elbow to elbow. It would be difficult to get the entire population of Iowa on the dam at the same time. After all, there’s farm’en to do.

those are GREAT pics!!! congrats

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I know if I go every night this week Its not going to be elbow to elbow fishermen standing on the dam, it just doesn’t happen like that around here.

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Of course it is not going to be elbow to elbow. It would be difficult to get the entire population of Iowa on the dam at the same time. After all, there’s farm’en to do.

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Nice response. I guess there is something wrong with the agrarian sector of America now. Nice. Why don’t you quit walking around with a silver spoon up your a**. I’m from Iowa and I don’t think I’ve ever insulted a Minnesotan. Thanks from Iowa.
P.S. Agrarian is Iowan for farm’en.

Bottom line is anytime you post a stringer of trophy (or above average) sized fish (I don’t care what species they are) in a chat room frequented by conservation minded anglers, you’ll get the types of comments you have here.

Hanson, I couln’t agree more. I throw back almost all of my fish, except for a few crappies and walleyes for the frying pan. But to simply imply that Iowa is somehow less refined or less conservational as Minnesota is absolutely rediculous. I seem to remember a world record 8 point buck poached in that fine state just last fall. I just don’t like it when shots go below the belt, that’s all. There are a lot of Iowans representing this website and I don’t think it’s in good taste to judge them as such.

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I don’t think I’ve ever insulted a Minnesotan.

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Steve…you aren’t counting the times you insulted me are you!

If you know Pug…you know that comment was tongue in arm pit as I’m have to assume yours is too. Pug loves everyone…don’t ask me how I know.

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Thats a heck of a mess of fish. Nice catch. You dont see photos like that to much anymore.

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Might be the crux of it, “You don’t see that much anymore”..many would associate them pictures with over harvesting.

I remember years back on Leech you couldn’t catch to many musky’s or walleyes for that matter, time proved that statement wrong.

For the catfishing in that area, I hope your right and the number will stay up.
Personally I doubt it, but your there and I’m not.

Are those large ones really good to eat???

Al

I was definitely testing mossydans grain of salt limits and just trying to lighten up the thread a little with some border harassment.

There’s that silver spoon I’ve been looking for! Thanks!

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There’s that silver spoon I’ve been looking for! Thanks!

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Don’t be using that freshly popped silver spoon to shovel your Cheerios tomorrow buddy…