WI and MN State Record Flathead. What's taking so long?

So what’s the deal with this?

Minnesota’s state record flathead was caught 47 years ago. (70 lbs, St Croix river)
Wisconsin’s state record flathead was caught 16 years ago. (74.5 lbs, Mississippi River)

My question is, what’s it going to take to break these records? They’ve stood too long!

I know guys are trying – fishing them more than ever. Advanced gear, advanced knowledge, catch and release, forums like this to share knowledge, etc, yet no one can break the record!

I thought these big rivers were full of monster, and I mean MONSTER cats. Who of us haven’t heard the stories of Mississippi river lock and dam divers seeing 100 lb catfish? Is it all baloney?

Unbelievable to me that these records, especially the MN record, has stood so long.

The MN catch and release record was just broken last week. I wonder if most people are CPR’ing instead of bringing fish out of the waters for the official record.

The record wasn’t broken from what I read but instead tied by the same guy.

Yes Jake Robinson tied his own record.

I can speak of the WI record but my eye brow is raised over the info on the MN record of the 70’s. I’ll post a link later and let you draw your own conclusions.

We have a very short growing season in MN. I think for a (legit) 70+ pound fish to be caught we would need at least a couple long summers for a flat with the right genes and in the right place with easy and a lot of food coming by.

Seems like all species has a “wall” and the only way to get past that wall is to have a few longer growing seasons when the fish is young to allow it to grow faster and larger.

Former Record Flathead Cat (Pre-1970)

Info on MN State Record Flathead Catfish in 1970

Just click on the picture to go to the post.
Sorry, looks like the photos were lost.

Brian do you think from a habitat perspective, that the lock and dams on the Mississippi present the best opportunity for the super trophy fish that we’re talking about here?

Oh boy, I didn’t get past dissecting a night crawler in 7th grade biology.

I’m going to go with no.

The reason being that the dams change the flow and current movement of the water through out the pool. I would think if a fish that had the genes to grown large and an extended growing season the only variable left would be the abundance of food. If the above fish found a location where it didn’t have to move much to get it’s dinner all summer, it would put on more weight. Since the river is always changing, the flat will need to move and spend energy to find dinner. On top of that, the faster the flow the more energy a fish will need to use to move from one area to the next. If the dams were gone the river would stay at a more constant flow…although I’ve heard conflicting stories of how much water there would be and if there would be enough to support flatheads.

It’s already been proven by our folks at the DNR that a 10 year old flathead could be 15 pounds and another 10 year old could be much smaller or larger.

I feel it’s still the growing season that is the biggest barrier to busting the 70 pound class fish.

Now that I’ve stuck my neck out on my thoughts, I’ll see what someone that gets paid to understand fish thinks…

Further, there are reports from some good sticks that have pulled 60 somethings out of the MN River along with some pigs out of the St Croix. I believe those two rivers would have less flow on average.

Did I hear Minnesota has a new state record flathead? Last night on the St Croix, by Mark Mosby of St. Paul.

Anyone?

I’m not sure it’s confirmed as a state record. Certainly a LONG fish!

It was released so I’m sure it’s going to be the New MN Catch and Release Record which by the way is the only State record recognized by me.

52″ and a 32″ girth. Going by the King of Cats weight chart would put it one 3 pound walleye short of tying the MN State record of 70 pounds.

I’m sure the DNR will have a news release with the confirmed details in the next few days.

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What a fish! Just short of the record. I’d like to hear the story behind it. Hopefully some publication or news outlet will interview him. If you hear anything if you let us know that would be appreciated.

I really am amazed that no one has found a bigger Flathead since the record was set. The lock and dam system was built in the 30’s. The river had been configured that way for a long time when the current record fish was caught. The thing that has changed is the quality of the river ever since the clean water act was passed in the 70’s. Back then the Mississippi didn’t produce snow-plowable Mayfly hatches, there weren’t tons of Gizzard Shad, the river wasn’t full of Buffalo and Walleyes and Smallmouth. The MN state record fish came out for a river that was in bad shape. 47 years later the river is in much, much better condition and has to have significantly more food in it.

SR

mahtofire14 wrote:

The MN catch and release record was just broken last week. I wonder if most people are CPR’ing instead of bringing fish out of the waters for the official record.

Yes, that in fact they are. Sorry to take this off the catfish record topic question but to your point here is clearly and most obviously the state record muskie the was CPR’d on Mille Lacs in November 2015. No question this fish would have easily surpassed the current official state record, but not because he let it swim away.

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Wow i wanna go for some big cats now .that fish is incredible are there any giant flatheads in pool 5 ?

I’m sure there are many, many monster flatheads in pool 5. To me that area always looked really good.

The further South the larger the flats because of the extended growing season.

IL: 81.4 pounds
MO: 100 pounds and was 57-inches long
KS: 123 lbs and 61 inches