Dude, your poll needs to include a choice like “I pursue both with equal vigor!” or some such.
Hmmm the cat guys must not be awake yet.
I thought it would be closer.
Is it because it can be daylight fishing?
Easier to catch?
Better fight?
Prettier fish?
What?
Yep….what 
Flatheads have some sort of magic to them. Sturgies are right up there though being all prehistoric and such, but flatheads trump all that nonsense.
I have to say it is pretty cool being able to land a sturgeon by the tail too provided that they are the right size. That means they aren’t small with razor skutes or monstrous that they might get hurt if you just grab the tail.
I have to land a shovelnose one of these days. They might trump them all, because with me, size doesn’t matter.
How’s that for an open door?
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It is also pretty cool being able to land a sturgeon by the tail too…provided that they aren’t small with razor skutes.
Sturgeon are open-water fish, and if you have bait, and they’re present in the water, you’ll catch some.
Flatties have specific habitat that make “the hunt” more interesting. And I love the river in the middle of the night.
And yeah, those razor skutes suck. Although if you miss the membrane in a flattie’s mouth you get a very similar result!
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And yeah, those razor skutes suck. Although if you miss the membrane in a flattie’s mouth you get a very similar result!
I don’t mind flathead rash. A nice little reminder for a few weeks.
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How’s that for an open door?
Been there, done that. Have pictures.
You’re right there should have been a “like equally as well”.
I ‘spose with a flat we only get one “ooouuuhh aaahhhh” when it shows itself. Sturgeon get the double o/A when they go airborne and when they come too the boat.
The one negative I have with sturgeon is when they wrap up in the line or do death rows. I feel like I am fighting my sinker through a snag. Some sturgeon battles feel epic, while others feel anticlimactic.
However, even a 3# flathead puts up a pretty good fight consideing you are normally fighting it with a pool stick.
Just my humble opinion.
And I have to say that pound-for-pound, channels put up a better fight than flatheads. I’ve caught 7-8 pound channels that fought me harder than any of the last 6 flatheads I’ve caught, all of which were over 10#.
That said, there’s something about anchoring upstream of a logjam, picking your spot, picking out just the right bullhead, making the cast (hoping you don’t mess it up because That Would Be Bad), and then waiting to see what you’ll find. It’s about the hunt, knowing your fish and finding the spots.
Fishing for sturgeon is about driving to Lake of the Woods or hoping for some by-catch on Pool 4 while fishing for channels. The fight is fun, but you’re not hunting down the fish…
Sturgeon are “fun” in a bunch of bluegills on a spawning bed kind of way if you know what I’m saying. The technique and locations aren’t exactly rocket science, its just a bit of time on the water and you’ll hook a biggun!
I’ll use the word “rewarding” for flathead fishing as I think its more difficult with more skill involved. Success is nowhere near as high as sturgeon fishing, thus more rewarding when you are successful.
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