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The fish i caught

Started by gary, July 19, 2009, 04:53:08 PM

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gary

I caught a 44 inch 35 pound flathead catfish. While night fishing for walleyes. I was using a light action rod with 6 pound line and a night crawler. I know this isn't a big fish for down south but it is big for here(state record is only 48 pounds 6ounces).
It took me about 20 minutes to get it up to the boat and another 10 minutes to get it into the boat.Some off that ten minutes was spent with my buddy and I each saying I'm not grabbing that, or are you crazy I'm not putting my hand in it's mouth.






DanG

Wow Gary, that's a big ol' glob of fish in anybody's water!!  You did mighty good to land him on that light tackle!
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

LeeB

Nice tabby Gary. I think they are the best eating catfish. Quite a catch on light tackle.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

fishpharmer

That's a flathead to be proud of, for sure.  Even in MS it would be a good fish.

That fish could very well be a line class record, check with PA fish folks.

Flatheads are some serious predators, top of the food chain (almost ;)).  They are fine eating. They seem to prefer live fish for food.  I have tried to raise them from fry.  They don't really accept artificial feed.  Once they get big enough to eat each other, their brothers and sisters start disappearing.  One reason why flatheads aren't raised for food fish like Channels.  They seem to like slow moving water and/or large bodies of water....it came from a place with a lot of food for sure, or it was about the only fish that was left.





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Norm

Whoa that's a nice flathead! On 6# test too, way to go.

Raider Bill

Who is that old guy holding it? ;D

That's a real nice catch! A lot of food there!
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

gary

I kept it over night in my minnow tank. Took a bunch of pics of it this morning. Then took it back to the lake and released it.I didn't think it would be good eating cause it was so big. I'll eat the next one I catch. We usually only keep catfish that are about 20 inches for eating.

LeeB

My now long gone uncle taught me how to catch cat fish on a trot line. Yellows were his favorite (mine too). He never kept anything under 5# and I don't remeber seeing him throw much back. Wish I had learned more of his secrets. The big ones are good eating too. I have a picture of one about that size at home. I wanted to show it to Lindy but she was at work so I put it in the bath tub and pulled the shower curtain closed on it so it would stay calm. Surely you know the first place wimmins go when they hit the house. The noise sent the thing to splashing. I heard a scream an here she come down the hall with undies around her ankles like a monster was after her. I can't bring live fish in the house any more.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Woodwalker

Quote from: LeeB on July 19, 2009, 07:39:33 PM
I heard a scream an here she come down the hall with undies around her ankles like a monster was after her. I can't bring live fish in the house any more.

If she finds this posted on here........... May be some more "can't's"

That's a nice fish Gary and 6# test makes it even more remarkable.
Just cause your head's pointed, don't mean you are sharp.

Tom

Gary, That's a great fish.

We go after biggun's down here too.  Here is a picture of some take from the Satilla River and posted in a thread called Catfish from the Satilla, in this same topic, outdoor activities.

It looks like your fish fits right in with these southern beauts.

We use mosquitoes for bait on a trot-line.  You catch some in the quarter pound size and thread them onto a 4/0 hook.  There's not a cat in the river that can resist it.  Honest.  :)

Norm

Several years ago I stopped at my local bait shop to grab a couple of dozen minnows. The young guy working there said want to see the cat we caught...heck yes! He pulls a 20#+ cat out of one of the minnow tanks to show me, puts it back and said yeah the owner is gonna be mad at me though. Apparently the flathead had dined on a few dozen of the big minnows while lounging in there.

Lee that's one funny story but you'll be in hot water if Lindy finds out you shared that with us. :D

Fla._Deadheader


That's why Lee works half way around the world.

  Gives Lindy a chance to calm down, before he returns home.  ;D :D :D
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

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LeeB

That was over 20 years ago, but you know how they remeber things you did wrong. :D :D
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Lanier_Lurker

The normal rules about good eating size for catfish don't usually apply to flatheads.  Some people even say the bigger the better.  Of course the quality of the water or food sources can affect their flavor.

I have never eaten any flathead of any size that was not delicious - even up to 30 pounds.

Another nice quality about flatheads is they don't have the dangerous fins that blues and channels have.


DanG

Quote from: gary on July 19, 2009, 04:53:08 PM
I caught a 44 inch 35 pound flathead catfish. While night fishing for walleyes. I was using a light action rod with 6 pound line and a night crawler. I know this isn't a big fish for down south but it is big for here(state record is only 48 pounds 6ounces).

Gary, I just looked it up and the Florida record flathead is almost exactly the same as the Pa. record...48.4 pounds.
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Larry

I've seen a lot of big flatheads caught and even caught a couple myself...but I have never seen one that big come in on such light line.  Me thinks you must have a huge amount of skill and maybe a twitch of good luck.

Congratulations on a great fish. :)
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

gary

Thank you all. The strange thing about this is I had been researching going to pay lakes to fish for large catfish most of last week. We were willing to drive for 4 hours to go catch fish like that one. Pay lakes are not necessary now. 

ARKANSAWYER

 



  That is a nice Yellow in any one's water.  In Arkansas the state record is 80lbs for a flat head, channel cat is 38lbs and blue cat is 116lbs-12oz.  I have caught several in the 60+lbs range over the years.  Oh and the fish you were after, state record and world record come from here at 22lbs-11oz.  That is a fish you do not want to stick your hand into.
  Big flatheads eat well.  One trick is to soak it in whole milk for an hour or two before cooking.
ARKANSAWYER

CLL

Now we know why Arky is behind on his orders!!!  ;D
Too much work-not enough pay.

ARKANSAWYER


  I fished a catfish tourny last weekend and had the two largest fish.  Problem was I noodled them and it was a rod and line tourny.   ;D  They just would not bite a hook.  What is a man to do?
ARKANSAWYER

Lanier_Lurker

Arky, that fish you is holding sure looks like a blue cat to me.

You said yellow?  ???

gary

Nice fish Arky. What is noodling?

LeeB

Some people call it grabbing. It is where you catch them by hand. Stick your hand up in a hole and let em latch on, then pull them out.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

beenthere

YouTube has some good (at least interesting  :) ) videos of noodling catfish.

Here is one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biL-QcviQGk
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

gary

I think I'll keep on using my rod and reel.

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