muddy wrote:Boogieman1 wrote:muddy wrote:He must be related to the volkswagon sized mudcats below the dam rollers
Ha! I take it that story is popular on every lake. I remember a while back you posted a pic holding 2 biggens. I believe u said you worked for some fish agency but I’m not positive. I’ve always been curious of what are the best conditions for a flathead to reach its full potential? I only ask cause for whatever reason they get way bigger here than in other neighboring lakes. Blue cat to. But other species like bass, Crappie etc.... seem to grow bigger in the neighboring lakes. Just always been curious to the why
I worked for Iowa department of natural resources, primarily in the fisheries section.
Big cats need big water and big food to become true giants. Lack of fishing pressure ultimately puts the giant fishery into the one that produces the pole and hand breakers. A well implemented catch/ size limit would be ideal to produce "trophy cat fisheries " but most places don't consider cats in the trophy realm. I used to joke with bass and walleye fishermen that if they didn't release their trophy game fish my baby cats wouldn't have nuttin to eat. Always a great ice breaker at the boat ramp.
I remember we shocked up a nice sized flathead, maybe 25 pounds, that night he yacked up a 14" largemouth in the holding tank. I laughed my but off.
Really what makes a fishery into a big cat place are the fishermen and how willing they are to release those 40-50 pounders on hopes they catch them down the road when they're monsters
That’s good stuff Muddy, thank you for your time. I first gotta ask how was the job for Dept of natural resources? Just is one of my dream jobs but sometimes what appears sweet isn’t all roses.
I agree as an angler on a lot that u said. I also disagree or atleast have questions about other aspects that are just opinion based.
Had a guy ask me not to long ago why I just don’t target a big flathead with reel an rod. My answer matches exactly what u said about spitting up that giant bass. A giant catfish eats big fish, subsequently it causes them not to feed often. In my area, a 50+ pound flathead is truly a once in a life time of hard fishing type trophy with traditional tackle. Yet in a single summer with a partner or 2 if we really got after it it. We got get 50 or 60 that size or bigger noodling.
My lake isn’t all that big and certainly isn’t very deep. The deepest part is 35’. It’s basically a mudd hole with creek channels dumping in from every direction. I assume most rod anglers do nothing to affect the population and most noodlers let the biggens free. I don’t know how bait fish play into the equation. But will say if there’s a noodling tournament going on. Which is normally a 3 state deal spread out over a weekend. I will bet on my home town mudd hole every time. Believe the lake record (and I didn’t look so don’t quote me) is around 115lb. The neighboring lakes are like in the 50s and get less pressure. Crazy ordeal and certainly don’t complain about it. But something is going on here.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-