Hey BK – I saw your first flat. I’m right behind you except mine’s a little bigger. Caught at 1930 on 8 May (pretty early for me too). Measured out at 47″ X 30″. Beautiful night on the river, water temp was 64 degrees and the flow is a little slow considering how high the water is. Not sure what this week’s weather is going to do to the bite. At least I know one has made it this far up and the rest cannot be too far behind.
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That’s a beaut, Steve! 
Now there’s a lunker! I bet you didn’t expect that either! LOL!
Nice one Steve!
Nice! Can’t lie I’m a little anxious to spend some nights hunting the big kitties!
Great way to start the season Steve! I spent Fri and Sat fishing further upriver without a cat in the boat.
Can you catch big flatheads like that from shore?
Never caught a flathead but would love to hoist one of those in!
I live in Grand Forks and we get some big channel cats but nothing like a flathead. Would like to make a trip somewhere to catch some flats some time!
Are you catching these in traditional early season spots with the early start?
saweet fish steve
thats probably low 50s eh?
did u catch it on one of your new ziptie rigs?
Hi Phil – We hung it on my digital scale and it was flopping around and hard to read the scale but we measured it at 48 lbs. I got it on one of the regular Ultimate Bridle Rigs. I don’t stick a hook in a bait anymore but bridle rig everything. Near perfect hook up rate.
Haven’t heard from you in a while and I know some of the guys have been wondering where you’ve been. I figured you would show up about the time the bite turned on. Early spring this year and the flats on are on the move right not. Weather has them on and off but you can’t catch them if your hooks aren’t in the water. John K has been hammering flats on the Minnesota but this was my first for the year on the St Croix after a long string of skunks. Big one like this makes the effort worth it. I’m heading out in a few minutes – listen to the Twins lose another one and hope a big Flat swims by. Life is good!
See you on the river.
u deserve it bud.
i actually got out last Friday night. lost a nice fish to a log jam, just couldnt turn it around in time with the strong current and Lump lost a nice one half way to the boat. last season and this yr has just been super busy. between gymnastics, track and baseball plus regular family stuff fishing time is limited. in addition to that my company merged with 3 other companies so ive been traveling and wrking more then every.
saweet to know those bridle rigs are wrking good for you.
im also running C-Hooks and bridles on my live bait. now just gotta get a fish on them lol
see ya on the water bud
That’s a good way to start the season
Now that is a river monster!
WOW! And I thought my 27″x15.5″ Channel was a good start to the season! I gotta work up a bit more cash to drop on an Abu 7000 C3 before I start seriously targeting Flats this year. My 6500’s drag just isn’t what it used to be 
The flats are definitely hitting right now. The water is around 54-57 degrees from what I have been seeing (may 13-17th). My first cat of the year was a 40×24 flat on the Minnesota and had plenty of runs. Surprisingly the only runs we were getting were out of snags, didn’t think they would be sitting in the snags this early in the year. Took a couple friends out fishing that are newer into catfishing and brought a 35” flat in the boat out of Hastings along with plenty of healthy channels. Can’t wait to get back out there. With this high 70-80 degree days coming up hopefully the water warms up a bit to turn the feeding frenzy on.
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