I snell my hooks for flathead fishing and breaks offs are few and far between. If you do occur I wouldn’t blame the hook or the not as much as I would blame myself for not checking the leader and main line.

A nick in the line can occur from just about anything I don’t think the hook would be the issue unless it was laying in a way that it was positioned over that notched edge. In the same respect any other knot could rotate and get stuck in that position as well. Also, try flouro carbon for a leader, more abrasion resistant.

I rather keep the channel cats away rather than draw them in. Live baits are too valuable to have them killed by the other whiskered fish. Using cut baits, go for it. Try one of those bait cages that carp anglers use…

Dandies indeed! I like the one with the kid on the floor, awesome!

Congrats and thanks for sharing. Not many of us will ever have that kind of an experience and need to experience it vicarously through someone else. Nice release!

Wow what a monster! A little beat up but a beautiful fish anyway!

The fact that record class are being released is awesome! Congrats to these guys, watching a fish that big come up and then watching it go back down is awesome.

Great fish! This poor guy will more than likely be waiting a while to top that one. This flatheading thing is easy!

I too should have known better, perhaps a better choice of words for the title…

I looked at the spreadsheet that they made up and in my opinion it is asking for way to much information to make it very practicle to use. Keep it simple and the information is easier to collect.

If you are serious about this let me know and I will help you create something that is easy to use and could be turned in to the DNR so it is easy for them to use. This is my fifth year of keeping angler data and I can get it done faster than it is taking me to type up this post.

If you find out from the IDNR what information they are looking for I can make a spreadsheet that can tally all the information and summarize in real time so the IDNR doesn’t have to do any work other than decide what it all means.

All you need is someone who is willing to stay on top of it and tally it. Everyone who is involved sends information into one person who tallies it. As long as people don’t stock pile the information and get it to you whenever they go out it is very quick and easy. The information you get out of it is awesome if your a stats nerd like I am and the DNR loves it because it looks like they are being proactive even if you are the one doing it.

I reccomend you give it a shot. If nothing else it gives a realistic set of expectations and historical accounts as opposed to our cloudy memories.

Understood, not trying to accuse anyone of anything. I just know that we are all humans and we love to complain. In Illinois everyone is so critical of the DNR and is so envious of the WI and MN DNR and then up in your neck of the woods you are critical of those agencies that we hold in such high regard. As much as anything just an observation by an outsider.

I’m sure the DNR is trying, but sometimes they need some help collecting information for justification purposes. Do what you can and have some patience, we are after all trying to undo decades worth of misconceptions and attitudes. Remember it wasn’t too long ago where some of today’s die-hard catch and release guys were keeping all sorts of game fish for the table.

Keep documenting and staying the course, we are observing the beginning of good things to come. Thanks for the hard work for catfishing in the north woods!

Interesting how they show that the majority of anglers surveyed would like to have some regulation, but that only a small percentage of the agencies do any management at all. Makes you wonder why the discrepancy.

Its easy to be critical of the DNR, but if you don’t get out there and let them know you are interested and give them the information they need then why change something that has always been. We all want our special interest groups to be taken care of, but we forget that the IDNR is being pulled in many directions by many special interest groups. I applaud those who take the time to put in the work to push for change.

Monster indeed, awesome fish!

Never used it, but check out the D-gouger. I love it for J hooks, tricky with circles though.

Awesome fish! Did you notice how the adipose fin appears to be notched out in a small triangle shape? Is that something someone is doing to see if they recapture any or just something that happened to it. I know I have heard reports of anglers doing that kind of stuff before.

Blues are ridiculous! Imagine if we had access to those up north. I know a few of the Illinois cooling lakes have them, but don’t have the time to chase them, and I’m a river man.

Awesome fish!!!

That was an awesome video, thanks for posting.

I can’t imagine the zebra mussels feel that good on the way out though!

Real good flathead! It’s interesting how fascinated we are by the size and lenght, just knowing its huge isn’t good enough for us… Not criticizing, I’m the same way, just interesting.

So should we start making our own guesses !

That is awesome! I have been able to tag along on a few shocking trips here on the Fox and I have witnessed flatheads slightly larger than the one pictured puke up some pretty decent sized fish. Specifically I remember about a 14″ drum and a 16″ channel cat.

Maybe I’m using baits that are too small…

I know this is really late, but I finally saw the episode and kudos indeed! It’s nice to see them finally back off the whole frosty flathead thing (without admitting knowingly pushing the issues for years). Sure would love to see a closed season for flatheads…

Now that is a cute little bugger!

A beauty indeed!

I certainly wouldn’t call it a small one, but I get it. I dream of fish like that. Looks like a nice start to the season anyway.

At first I thought maybe someone cut out a bit of the lip to ID it in the future, but I suppose am injury from a set line is more likely.

I have found the same issue with the water heating up so I make sure to put in some colder water from the house and plenty of it. Don’t want to have it get too hot in there for them, we need our baits to be as comfortable as possible until they hit the water !

I think I have caught fish in both. High water, low water I think you can always catch fish, you just may have to do something a little different. Some spots I fish don’t get too affected by water levels either way where as others seem to be better with dropping water levels (especially when if gets real low) because of more current. Other times when it is rising I just anchor up closer to the current break as opposed to being right in the heart of what I’m fishing.

No reason to stop fishing either way, just change what your doing a bit. We need to change with the conditions.

It doesn’t have much to do with whether or not they catch fish because everything I have used does that, it has only to do with how hardy they are. In my observation they just don’t stay active as long and once they are hit they are done, some other baits you can keep on using and they seem to last longer even after being hit. Believe me I use them probably 90% of the time I would just like some more options at times, especially when I am getting low on bait and want something to stay alive a while.

The other thing I don’t like about using bluegill is that they are persued by other anglers for sport and food and I like using the larger ones that they target. I rather use something like a baby carp or even drum that is a juvenile as opposed to an adult reproducing bluegill. Just a little conervation minded bait concern.

What I don’t like about bullheads is at times they can lay down and not be as active as I would like. Occasionally you have to pop the rod a little bit to get them moving again.

Sorry about the longish post, I just really love talking baits!

Thanks, I will look into that possibility Pug.

For the most part around here the only reason we use bluegill is because they are the most readily available, but otherwise most of the guys I know rather use something else.

Yeah that is pretty pricey, be carefull not to cast them off.

Just curious as we do not have bullheads for sale down here, how much do they go for?