What do you think of the possibility of going to a slot limit… for flathead’s on the miss??? I guess you could include channels as well….. any opinions ?? I think that there should be the same restrictions on the minnesota river….. I see way to many big cat’s bieng pulled out of these waters…..
Mavzer, Slots on flatheads would be a great thing on any body of water. I don’t normally fish em on the Miss. but I used to go after them two to three times a week on the cedar between Vinton and Waterloo here in Iowa. We rarely kept any cats and NEVER a flathead. I saw way too many 10 to 30lb flatheads taken out of the river however. I truly think the biggest reason most of these fish were kept was bragging rights, in this day of disposable cameras and more knowledge of how long it takes to grow a flathead that size, I don’t really see any reason to keep a flathead. I never learned to really like eating cats, but in my humble opinion if it’s too big to have spots it’s too big to taste good!!! I’ts encouraging to know that you locals on pool 4 are as concerned about your cats as you are your walleyes. Maybe I can come up from the lake some night this summer for a cat lesson from one of you guys? …………….B
well big b… I don’t know about a lesson…. but Ithink things will slowly change.,… I have just recently added a camera this past year to my “catbag” they are cheap enough now that I don’t have to worry about wrecking them….. hopefully the days of hanging them from the clothesline and truck bumpers are over…. and like you said it takes a LONG time for a cat to get really big….. I hold them in the same regards as many do there muskies……
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.
OK guys lets do something.Email your state rep.Contact the DNR.Lets get them to make some studies to see how to best manage a cat fishery.Lets get something going!.I fish cats for the love of catching cats.Fish of this size should be preseved.This IS a trophy fishery.just sport for a guy with a straw hat and a line tied to his toe.We need to preserve it.
I feel the same way for trophy carp (any under-appreciated fish actually). People don’t realize that if you eliminate big fish year after year it will affect the amount of big fish, yet they expect to keep catching big fish (whether it’s cats, walleye, or pike), well it doesn’t work that way. I am against people keeping flatheads for trophies or to show friends, that’s what cameras are for. Is it that hard to bring a little camera with you in case you catch a big fish? I always bring a camera and a scale whenever I go out, you never know what will happen.
Could some one tell me what to do if you think you have a new new state record but don’t want to kill it. Will the MN. DNR take a picture? Or does your new state record become a catch and release record?
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.
If you could rig up some sort of way to keep the fish in water while taking it to be weighed- even a small plastic swimming pool, or a tarp wrapped around the fish full of water, it would be worth trying rather than letting the fish die. Another advantage of keeping a fish wet is it won’t lose as much weight as it would out of water.
I have fished contests that include many miles of river where you may launch at different landings.The fish must be brought in alive to count so people use horse troughs,55 gallon drums.marine coolers and just about any large container.You do not have to kill a fish for it to becomes a record.Just do what you have to do to keep that fish alive and get it weghed.
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