From my understanding you have to get the fish weighed on an offical scale and then with that you are offical. That is the problem so basically you the fish will be out of the water for an extended amount of time thus the fish has little chance of making it. That really is too bad but to be offical that is what you have to do. I really beleive within the next couple of years there is going to be a state record caught and that fish is going to be lost because it is a state record. That is to bad but that is what you have to do.

Gar are just so prehistoric looking that it is fun to watch them. Once on the St. Croix we watched a two and half footer swim and investigate our bait basket. He just swam back and forth until we started to try and catch him and then he just swam away. They are a real interesting fish. I wonder if there has been any tracking studies to try and figure out their habits? Cyclone

I think that something has to be done just for the pure fact they really are trophy fish, especially flats. If someone saw somebody taking muskie like flatheads are taken, all hell would break loose. The problem that todays catfishermen are facing is the history of catfishing. Fishing them by trotline, juglines, limblines, ect, was so wide spread that populations are not what they used to be. In some parts of the country they are scratching their heads because there just aren’t that many fish anymore. It has to be becuase of the over exploitation due to the these very effective methods of catching cats. Just because certain ways of catching fish are effect doesn’t mean that they should be legal. If there was somebody setting a trotline for walleyes they would be hanged if caught. It just doesn’t make sense that it is ok for cats. But the problem is that history says that it is ok. Now I am off of my soapbox but I do agree that something has to change. Minnesota law is 5 catfish (channel or flathead)??? Things are just to lax right now. My two cents.

Hey give a call or pm if you don’t get to a computer before you get home. Other than that have a safe trip and talk to you later. Cyclone

Sweet why don’t you just stay in Mexico because you love it so much!!! Ya thats right. Really though, I would love to see this happen so I am in for whatever. Just keep me informed. Cyclone

I think that this would be a great idea. I am in forsure. Bigtime might have a good idea with the points system. I think that we should have a meeting just to figure out some of the details if possible. I think that it would be a fun way to incorporate some competition for the fun of it. Cyclone

This might be the most insane animal rights story that I have ever heard. Where is the human rights? What if that cat was rabid? People that think that a feral cat is more important than a human should be beaten with the metal bat that they are saying he used. I believe that animals should be treated with a certain respect but this is going way way over board. Aquaculture is a very intensive job and personally if I was to see a feral cat anywhere around my hatchery it would not be shoo away it would be shot away. I am willing to help in any way (letter/fund). We have to take a stand against these maniacs or hunting and then fishing will be gone soon. This is my two cents. Cyclone

I guess that next time that I want to hit up an all you can eat fish fry I better ask what I am eating. It really doesn’t matter though as long as it taste good it is fine to me.

I am going to listen to bigtimes crap. If you are looking to change baits every five minutes use chubs. But I beleive that bullheads are by far the better bait. I read that Insider and wonder at what time of day that guy is catching his fish. We have had good success a hour or so before the sun has set. I am sure that it is also that way after sunrise for a hour or so? I just fine it hard to beleive that this guy is catching them all day.?.. If he is great. I will give it a try.

An eelpout is a intersting fish. It is actually a burbot. The name eelpout is just the common name. Beleive it or not but the eelpout is a relative to the cod. Swany where were the resturants that you served eelpout?

Thanks fellas, I am going to check Northern and see what they have to offer. Thanks again.

Cyclone

I have a 40 gallon and have some bluegill and walleye that I got from the university. It is nice the bluegill are trained to feed on flake food and the walleyes are small enough that they can take small minnows. It is easy and you don’t need a tank heater. I use one for the fact that the fish are more active and fun to watch at the warmer temps. The best thing about a tank is that they are easy to keep up and interesting to watch the fish behaviors.

I think that I am going to try my hand at it again this year. I hunt down in Iowa and there is a good population this year. I hope that I get after one. Any tips that I should know of before I hit the woods? Your right turkey hunting is a good way to pass a weekend when fishing is a little slow.

Carp Chaser, Nothing real out of the ordinary. I got a nice eelpout up on red lake. I have a little story, I was fishing with a friend and his dad for crappies up there when I had a northern hit. It felt like a nice size one. I got it to the bottom of the ice and then it felt like it got off. The next thing we knew was the my buddy’s dad was reeling it up through his hole. It had his jig deep in it mouth. So the Northern must have swiped at his rig too. It was about a seven pounder. I fought it for about 15mins and my buddy’s dad caught it! Other than that I caught some cats through the ice and that his been about it.Cyclone

Ya I remeber hearing something about that 116 pounder but I think that there might be one record breaker fish that they are deciding to honor or not. Like you said. Thanks and I will keep looking to figure it out. Thanks again stillakid. Cyclone

For flatheads I have two st. croix classic cats. I will not trade them for another type of rod especially for flats. I team them up with 7000. I just think that is a good combo and it has enough backbone to bring the bigboys in. Now looking at channels I use bascially my muskie rods. I have a 7 foot St. croix med-heav with a 6500 that I use quite abit and then I have a Falcon 6 1/2 extra heav that I use up at the red river or a couple other spots that there is big channel potential. Those are the ones that I use the most for fishing cats. I hope that I have helped you out a little. Cyclone

I agree that the picture does look a little funny. It almost looks like it was superimposed. But if he is getting a mount then I would like to take a look at it. Something is a little werid about it though.

Kreading,

I hear ya there. I thought that we had a little of a pattern out on horseshoe. Just from the place that we were fishing them and how we were fishing them. We try it on another lake that kinda had the same demensions but those fish just wouldn’t bite for anything. We could see them on the vexilar and we knew that they were cats because we tried every other lure in our box to at least bring something up and we never did. We sat out there for hours and finally left because the frustration level was so high. I think that they are just so different in every body of water that they swim in that patterning them is too tough during the winter.

Jim I have a good idea where you are talking about. You guys are giving tons of spots thank you. I am going to have to try there. It is going to be much better than the spots on the Des Monies that I try.

I think that I am going to try all of these places. My semster is really light and I am looking for some other spots than the ones that I have been trying. Gianni it always seems that you are battling something down there if it is the power boats or something else. Both you and Jim have gave me more than a couple spots that I am going to have to try. Thanks for the info fellas

Thanks fellas I am going to have to try coralville in the spring. That might be a good catch. I wonder if there is even ice out there this year. I haven’t been down there since the middle of december and there was barely any ice. I would much rather fish cats up here but when you have to be down there Coralville just might be the best place. Thanks again for the info and if you guys are ever down in Iowa I am always looking for a fishing partner (until May). Cyclone

Gianni, I am a student at Iowa State and have tried my hand down there for flatheads. I just seemed that everywhere that I went there was a setline of some sort. There are some big fish in Iowa don’t get me wrong. I do some fishing on the Des Moines river and just get frustrated at times. I heard the Iowa river has some?

I think that every catfishermen has heard one of those stories. Flatheads are surprisingly huge fish to people that don’t see them to often. In most cases I believe that non-regulars that catch one are so impressed by their sheer size that these crazy claims come out about how much they weigh. I do believe that because of the Minnesota and Wis. management practices that there are 100 lb fish swimming in these waters. We don’t have the trot-line and jug-line, etc that take huge numbers of cats and take away from rod and reel catfishing in general. But please once that 100 lber is caught do me a favor, get a picture.

I think that would be a great idea. We are going to be out on the water anyway during the summer. Might as well have some competition while we are doing it. mavzer let me know what you are thinking of?

Cyclone

We pulled six up. They were on the vexilar all night but still kinda slow to bite. I think that it will only get better. Have fun in mexico.

You just have to tell everybody don’t you. We did well out on the red about 50 crappies. Also thrus night pulled six cats Alecia caught two of them. She is doing better than you.

I think that you just go under a different name to check your walleyes. Stay away from the candy blood boy. Talk to you later.

I talked to a few guys that said that they were getting flats down here on the Iowa River. Those were on sunfish, and of course bank poles. But they said that they got in to a few of them the biggest being 15 lb.

Hey big time and Catdad why don’t you two stop crying because at least you are out on the river. I am tired of football and we haven’t even had a game yet. Have you guys been out on pool 3? I hope that things start to pick up. Kev how did clipping the fins work? At least you are fishing, Cyclone

I would really like to say that I am coming but I have to but I have to go play football unless you want to go? Last night we hit the Minnesota and caught about a 40.