Sleeping Flatheads

Old Rat posted this question in another forum…so I thought I would drag him down here into the dark forum. Since I have very little daytime access to the computer, I thought some of you guys might help respond.

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are those catfish in some sort of winter coma? they weren’t finning or anything.. they were just “logs” of non- movement or livelessness.. and is that a common occurrence in winter?

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It happens every winter Rat. Our favorite fish leaves thier wintering area to travel up to 60 miles (on record) to spawn, the males raise the little guys and then come fall they head back to there wintering holes.

The video was taken in Feb of last year. I like to relate wintering flats to bear hibernation. They do move around some but they are pretty much dormant throughout the winter months.

While all the cats in that video wouldn’t flinch when I bounced a camera off there back…the guy below was swimming along the side of my camera. Don’t know what he was up to. He was the only one that I saw move in about 6 hours of looking around over two days.

If you look closely, most of the flats have silt on there backs. Personally, I’m not sure if this is river sediment or sand/silt stired up by other flats or maybe other fish in the area. Either way, it looks like they’ve been sitting there a while.

One other interesting note. The MN DNR “caught” three flats a few winters ago. The place transmitters in them, then move about a mile away from the wintering hole. All three cats swam back to the same area the were captured.

There is so much more to learn about these fish, but the bass and walleye programs take all the money. I guess that’s both good and bad.

My personal goal is to have a closed season in the winter months just like WI does on the Fox River. Unfortunately, our DNR’s feel that because it’s already against the law to snag fish, we don’t need a closed season. I was just told yesterday about a couple guys using dare devils. Each cat caught ended up in the cooler. Once they are in the boat…who’s to say they didn’t bite?

Alright, I’m off my soap box…someone else can have it.

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I was just told yesterday about a couple guys using dare devils. Each cat caught ended up in the cooler. Once they are in the boat…who’s to say they didn’t bite?

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Oh, I don’t know…..maybe the GAPING HOLES IN THEIR SIDES????

Kudos to you BK for bringing attention to this. I have not seen videos like yours anywhere else out there. And like you say, the “Prettier fish” tend to get all the study money.

I’ve had rivermen with much more experience than I say that a flathead will occasionally bite in the winter so I will not heat up this thread by arguing that point. However, what should be quite evident to everyone is that these fish are lethargic, very concentrated, and very vulnerable – particularly to those who would consider putting one in a cooler in the first place! Targeting flats in the winter is not for me and I am for any measure that will protect these creatures so they can make their sweet bait-clicker music on a beautiful June night. Just think, that sound can be heard in less than five short months! If more people could get out with someone like Brain to experience that, I would hope they would think twice before dropping a daredevil, or anything else with hooks on it into a group of wintering flatheads.

If we are going to close the catfish we might as well close walleye and sauger too! treat it as inland waters!

we should all join PETA!

already a member of people eating tasty animals

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we should all join PETA!

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I think most of us belong already!

PEOPLE
EATING
TASTY
ANIMALS

Oh this discussion again

They will bite but most will not. I have caught a couple and the bait is in their mouths so far I believe they did suck it in and it was not just drifted in. With that being said because of the liberal laws with keeping them one person could really hurt the fishery so I would be in favor of closing the season. Unfortunately one person could wipe out that wintering hole in just a short time and take away a lot of summer fun for so many. There are reasons for all the laws weather we like them or not but I think most laws have been a reaction instead of precaution.

Groups can have a good impact on our local laws and I really think that the video Brian took is unique.

Aaron

Brian-

did you include the video and it is just not working for me or did you just include the picture of the flat? I love watching your videos and this one seemed pretting interesting,

Ive been eating them tasty animals for some time now! As far as Brians idea to close the season! Well sure a few fish get snagged and kept! My thought on that is Oh well! People that are going to do that more than likely will do it if you close the season anyway!

I just hate seeing people pushing to close any opportunity we share as sportsmen! your push to save the catfish may lead to the loss of our winter walleye fun! Let them close the river to cats and then what will they do? I have nothing against trying to preserve you quarry brian but you got to look at the big picture!

To many people trying to take freedoms away the way it is! We dont need to do it to ourselves!

Anyway! Good winter Catting guys!

There you go Dan.

Gun, I hear what your saying. If walleyes stacked up in a very confined area like in the video, I think the DNR wouldn’t allow the season to be open in the winter months in the first place.

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Well sure a few fish get snagged and kept!

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If the pile of fish in the video were 5 to 10 pound walleyes…we wouldn’t even be talking about this. The reason? Because the DNR would be forced to have armed guards around them by Walleye’s Forever! (is there such a org?)

Now scratch the 6 fish limit and change it to the WI regs. TWENTY FIVE FISH without any length restrictions…none. We aren’t talking about a couple fish in a cooler…we are talking about one fish in each of 25 coolers!

The Musky guys successfully closed winter fishing for their favorite fish…even when pike are targeted the same way, the season didn’t close on them. Not even any talk about it that I’ve heard.

I’m just like any Musky or Walleye guy…just want a chance at a bigger cat.

By the way, thank you for your opposing views. They are welcome anytime!

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By the way, thank you for your opposing views. They are welcome anytime!

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Hey if we didnt have some different views and people willing to stand up and say what they feel! well it would be a lot like our government we have had for the past how many years! look where that has gotten us!

any way Brian you make some good points and some i cant argue with! for sure your videos are great to watch! would love to share the boat with you sometime to do that! maybe talk fishing politics! when it comes to closing seasons im a little gun shy and hate to give in to them!

one thing is for sure! With the new technologies we have today like your underwater camera and much more! most people in past years never new them cats bunched up like that and would have never thought to search them out! now days people know about it thanks to the cameras and sonars and have the ability to find them with little effort! in today’s world it maybe time for some changes to protect our resources but we need be careful doing so!

keep the videos coming! I love watching them! I almost had to fire up the smoker after that last one!

Thanks for pointing that out.

Education…that’s what it’s all about!

So you’re coming around. Closing the season would make it illegal to have a flat in the boat and one could just watch them along with the other 99 species of fish in the old ‘sippi.

Walleye are more prolific and growth rates can sustain the fishery. Not so sure on the cats. It takes many years for cats to reach mombo sizes. Last I heard, you cannot snag walleyes either.

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Last I heard, you cannot snag walleyes either.

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That is exactly my point Tuck. Your a river rat and know there are many more eyes snagged and kept than cats. Reason being that once any fish is in the boat it seems hard to release them…and no one will know the difference. With a closed season the chances of getting caught with one go up considerably. Less people will actually target them and the ones that do can’t claim it was legally caught.

If I recall the average life of an eye on the river is 2.5 years. Maybe twice that for a trophy? Cats trophy size are somewhere between 20 and 30 years old.

I’ll say it again, if those flatheads in the video were 10 pound eyes, there would be guards protecting them from snaggers. They are just that popular of a fish.

Did I mention WI has a 25 fish limit on cats?

At 20 pounds per fish for an average, that would be 500 pounds. But if I was so inclined and gave them all away, I could go back tomorrow for another 500 pounds.

I see catfishing growing more and more every year. Not just by the fella sitting on shore with a bucket under him (that is a fun way to fish!) but by anglers from many walks of life. Sturgeon and Flatheads are the King of our rivers and with just a little tweaking of the laws, I believe your kids will enjoy much better fishing than I ever will.

Time to get off the soap box again.

I can see both sides of this argument. We don’t need more laws put upon us law abiding citizens when in fact the people doing this are already breaking laws if they are snagging cats and keeping them.
On the other side of the coin, I know of no catfisherman that go out and target cats this time of year on the river. I have caught a few in the mouth this time of year and snagged a few accidently but they all went back and they were all smaller fish and mostly channel cats.
Is this whole issue really a problem or something that “might” happen. If it starts to happen then we all need to be aware and use the Tipline to protect our resource.

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If I recall the average life of an eye on the river is 2.5 years. Maybe twice that for a trophy?

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I don’t have the numbers in front of me right now but if I remember correctly it is more like 12-15 years in the Minnesota area for a walleye to reach 10 pounds.

Thanks for the video Brian.

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Our favorite fish leaves thier wintering area to travel up to 60 miles (on record) to spawn, the males raise the little guys and then come fall they head back to there wintering holes.

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I’m confused… What do Walleye’s and Crappie’s have to do with cat fishing sleeping?! SORRY I just realized I am on the wrong side of the tracks.

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If I recall the average life of an eye on the river is 2.5 years. Maybe twice that for a trophy?

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I don’t have the numbers in front of me right now but if I remember correctly it is more like 12-15 years in the Minnesota area for a walleye to reach 10 pounds.

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12-15 years is much closer to the literature on Walleye growth I’ve every read (Critical Concepts Walleye Series from In Fisherman), heck 2-3 years they are barely 12″ or so.

I’ll be the first to admit I know nothing about walleyes…although I do know they grow faster in the river than our inland lakes. But that’s a moot point.

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I know of no catfisherman that go out and target cats this time of year on the river.

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Neither do I Redneck! No one I know that would call themselves a catfisherman would! So why have a season? If no one fishes for them…why would it matter?

While I’m thinking of it…most walleye guys aren’t interested in catfish anyway…so what’s the difference to a walleye angler if the seasons open or not?

Just the principal of not having another law on the books?

With that thinking…I think we should open up fishing for eyes into the spawning season and areas. We should take the areas that are known walleye spawning grounds and open them up to fishing…Personally, I wouldn’t fish there, law or no law…I’m not interested in them. Oh.. there might be a few 12 pounders snagged that end up in coolers…but I don’t like so many laws on the books. My friends would fish close to those areas for cats…but since they don’t really care about scaly fish, most likely they wouldn’t call the tip line even if they did see someone snagging there.

Ok…there’s my tongue in cheek post. Slightly sarcastic…but hopefully it will help get my point across.

Did I mention WI has a 25 fish limit on cats?

If I am correct it is illegal to snag a catfish under the present law so closing the season on them will just make another law for them to break. Anyone snagging cats now is already outside the law so closing the season seems redundant. It’s almost a self imposed closed season since the critters aren’t going to bite till the water warms. I will guarantee you more pounds of walleye go home illegally snagged out of Pool 4 than cats every year. I think the answer is that we all need to be more diligent and use the Tipline if we suspect something isn’t right. If I saw someone pulling in cats this time of year I would be on the horn pretty quick and with todays cellphone and digital camera technology there might even be video to go with the tip

Redneck, that’s what the DNR says.

Again, once a snagged fish is in the boat, it’s hard to tell how it was caught.

I know you and the people you hang with would do the right thing…but you aren’t always there. Again, MOST people as it shows in this thread, don’t really care about cats and wouldn’t call the tip line.

Pretty broad statement right?

I have 12(separate) people that have told me they’ve seen cat’s being snagged and did nothing. In most cases these are great fisherman and sportsmen. They’ve been with clients or have had other reasons for not calling in at the time.

If you’re just worried about redundancy…let’s take the snagging law off the books and close the season.

I’m thinking the old walleye guys might not like that!

OK, now you are confusing me. It is illegal to snag catfish so anyone doing it is breaking the law. If they close the season and someone snags a catfish they will be breaking the law. That same group of people you refered to still wouldn’t report it so aren’t we back at square one? I think what we need is better education of the population concerning the snagging law. The vast majority of the people are honest so if we enlist them to protect the catfish aren’t we accomplishing the same thing without getting the government more involved in our business? You talk about the walleye spawn but what if the powers that be decide to really protect the catfish and keep the season closed until after they have spawned? A July 15th start date for the season –let’s say. You would be screaming that real catfishermen don’t hurt the population because they use selective harvest or total catch and release. It really boils down to the fact that the present laws are working and the river is a great trophy catfishery. There is potential for abuse of the fish so we must monitor illegal activity to ensure the fish is protected. Now can I have a hug

Part of the problems is that there are a lot of fisherman that never get past the page in the regulation book that lists open seasons (heck, there’s a good number that don’t even get that far). Lot’s of people that fish a lot don’t have a clue about many of the regulations–they go by what they’ve heard from others (which is why so many people still think it’s illegal to return a carp to the water).

It’s tough to prove that someone is snagging catfish unless you actually catch them in the act. Once the fish is in the boat, who’s to say it wasn’t caught legally? Sure, you could inspect it, but all one really has to do is take a hook and pop a hole in its mouth and it’d be impossible to prove otherwise. If they close the season, then it’s illegal to have one in the boat. Much easier crime to enforce.

Sure, MN has plenty of laws already, but I really don’t think enacting a catfish season would do any harm at all.

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Sure, MN has plenty of laws already, but I really don’t think enacting a catfish season would do any harm at all.

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Thank YOU!

And Thank you Redneck…good practice for answering the DNR’s questions!

You have solved the problem BK In your earlier post you said
“I know you and the people you hang with would do the right thing…but you aren’t always there. Again, MOST people as it shows in this thread, don’t really care about cats and wouldn’t call the tip line.”
All you have to do is come up with the cash to cover my salary and I will be on the river every day in the disguise of a walleye fisherman—complete with boat,rods,plastics and if you are paying the salary even BK Semi Crow blue lizards—and watch for illegal snagging.
By the way boss, can I get a raise or an advance on my check

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Part of the problems is that there are a lot of fisherman that never get past the page in the regulation book that lists open seasons (heck, there’s a good number that don’t even get that far). Lot’s of people that fish a lot don’t have a clue about many of the regulations–they go by what they’ve heard from others (which is why so many people still think it’s illegal to return a carp to the water).

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I would agree with you on this Ryan!

It is not impossible for the cats to bite in the winter it is just there are many snagged and it is easy to do. I think that with the WI limit at 25 it just makes it lawful to take these fish.(caught legally) It just makes sense to protect them.

Thank YOU Aaron!

There for a while I though it was just me against all the walleye guys in the world.

Thats a cool video BrianK…….I enjoyed it!