Closing down the flathead season in WI

Quote

We took juveniles into the lab that MN DNR collected and sent to me (via the good folks at the aquarium in Mall of America). We could not use adults because of the size constraints in the lab. But we did document the temperature-feeding patterns and resting metabolism of the fish across a broad range of temperatures. The results are pretty solid evidence that winter fishing would predominantly be a snagging affair-as the fish stopped feeding altogether in the 40s and rarely ate in the 50s. I believe DNR has verified the snagging with their own ‘angling’ at the wintering concentrations.

I have attached another published write-up that documents the migration patterns of flatheads (adults) in Missouri. The bottom line is that the fisheries were connected by migrating individuals. Fish captured in the big rivers may well have been in a tributary earlier in the year, and vice versa. The drivers of the migrations seemed to be the position of overwintering and reproductive habitats.

Hope the attachments are helpful to you. Happy Holiday season!

Jason Vokoun

/Quote

Dear WIDNR

The biologist facts are here. There are videos to show it.

It’s time WI stops digging in it’s heels and starts to protect a valuable resource they and MN share on the Mississippi and St Croix Rivers!

Another expert on juveniles besides Brian?

Since they allow commercial fishing for them with trot lines and bank poles, I doubt they consider them a trophy angling sport fish worthy of a “season”.

Time to get out the blades

Quote:

---

I doubt they consider them a trophy angling sport fish worthy of a “season”.

---

Lumped in with channel cats. That is a problem.

Naw. Channel cats are smarter. There are more of them and channels are meaner. If there was a catfish season, there would be more people fishing for them on purpose and what the F would I do then…? You should come down to pools 8-10 and see if you can catch a flattie of any size. It is a true angling challenge to do so and there is a lot more water to cover.

I’m gonna start cutting them if they don’t stay off my jigs. There is an over abundance of flatheads on pool 3…..and pool 4… Don’t tell me they don’t bite in cold water that’s crap….

Quote:

---

You should come down to pools 8-10 and see if you can catch a flattie of any size.

---

All the more reason to protect what we have.

Denver, I see you found the right account. Do you need a link to the right forum?

Quote:

---

Don’t tell me they don’t bite in cold water that’s crap….

---

Dear walleye guys.

Could it be since we have a biologist study (given it was done in a lab) and 2 underwater videos, that have a bait moved over the nose of wintering flatheads…could it be something else that would make you think they are biting??

Could it possibly be a lure drifting down stream and lodging in a flats open mouth?

Photo below.

If not. If they actually bite why can’t a person catch one while anchored? Why does the lure always have to be moving to hook into a flat?

No one disagrees that flatheads go into a dormant state in the winter. Wouldn’t evolution promote dormant flats into eating a fresh dead bait if it was close enough? Less energy spent for the benefit of food?

I’m not prepared to say they don’t ever eat in less then 40 degree water because I can’t in good faith say “never” when it comes to the river, but I will say there is more proof they don’t eat then a few walleye guys snagging one in the mouth and think the “caught” it.