# A Flathead Story Of Hard Work



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Here is a friends story from another forum of his new personal best Flathead he just caught after years of hard work he finally got his big one 47lbs:thumbup:

*We arrived on the Skuke a little before 7PM. The sun was shining bright so I decided not to use my prime baits but went with a 4 inch creek chubb. Since cut bait has been the key for Chris and Romo, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and go with cut. They also have been doing well fishing current so I again jumped on the bandwagon and casted my setup in the middle of the river where there was current. I haven't been doing so well in the 2012 Flathead year and decided to quit being so hard-headed and use Romo and Chris's unorthodox style of flathead fishing.

The game plan was to fish local, assess the weather, and move upstream. After casting I took a seat on my chair preparing to wait for a bite. I must have casted the bait on top of a fish's head because the clicker went off. Using a circle hook and let the fish hook itself. Minutes before Chris had just landed a 5lber and I thought this bite was just another juvenile punk flathead. I felt the initial weight of the fish but though nothing because it was coming in pretty easy. As the fish approached 5 ft of water towards the bank, I saw a wake! Only something big could make a wake it 5 ft of water. 

As the fish hit shallow water, I said to Chris, "I don't think this fish knows it's hooked!" As soon as I said that, there was a tail huge swirl in the water. The fish went berzerk and decided to go back home in the middle of the river. It took DRAG! I played tug of war until she was subdued. I dragged to shore and Chris put the clamps on her and banked her.

Haven't caught a nice fish in 2 years and just thought it was a mid 30s fish. Chris put her on the scale and it skipped 30 and went straight into the 40. I was in shock and Chris was going nuts! We measure it and it measured a whopping 47 inches! The girth was 28 inched. We got her back in the water and she swam away. 

We finally did it! After years and years and thousands of hours it finally happened. Special thanks for my right and left hand men Romo and Chris. Could not have done it without you guys sticking with it and with me for all these years. All those long treks, all those heavy-ass bait buckets, all those 7 minute itch, and all those hours spent sitting there all paid off.*


----------



## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

That's a pretty good story. I'm still waiting on that 30lber :whistling:


----------



## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

Good read.


----------



## tjwareusmc (Jul 10, 2008)

Wow. Huge fish!


----------



## oysterman (Jan 23, 2012)

Wirelessly posted

Sum beach... thats a big fatty, congrats!


----------



## TURTLE (May 22, 2008)

*Rivermonster?*


----------



## Seatmech86 (Mar 8, 2011)

Wow and somehow it looks bigger then that 80 pounder posted up a while back?!?!:whistling:


----------



## Seatmech86 (Mar 8, 2011)

Just want to say sorry I know my post is going to cause hate and malcontent if read by that poster. I still aint going to delete it though.:no:


----------



## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

Seatmech86 said:


> Just want to say sorry I know my post is going to cause hate and malcontent if read by that poster. I still aint going to delete it though.:no:


Funny you said that. That's the only post that guy ever made on here.


----------



## jstblsd (Jul 6, 2010)

Nice!!


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

47lbs is a nice fish on any river


----------



## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

CatHunter said:


> 47lbs is a nice fish on any river


Was 47 lbs a guess or did he actually weigh that. He actually looks a little bigger. But then again the guy holding him is kinda small. Its a real nice fish either way. 

Me and River Roach gonna be on the river tomorrow. Will post results tomorrow night.


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

sbarrow said:


> *Was 47 lbs a guess or did he actually weigh that.* He actually looks a little bigger. But then again the guy holding him is kinda small. Its a real nice fish either way.
> 
> Me and River Roach gonna be on the river tomorrow. Will post results tomorrow night.



He weighed the fish, its gonna be pretty cold 56 for the low tomorrow, maybe you guys will do better then me Im having trouble catching any thing with size to it this year I cant seem to get over 20lbs.


----------



## Donald811 (May 17, 2011)

Where is that River?


----------



## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Those big flatties eat just as good as the little ones, but good for him releasing her.


----------



## Seatmech86 (Mar 8, 2011)

*Public Question for Cathunter*

Last week I caught my first Jack Crevalle, 17lbs. With it being my first I didn't know much about them BUT, shoot first and ask question later. I took him home and fillet'ed him. NOT what I expected. Lots of research told me they made good bait. (link to Jack)

http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f29/fishing-before-work-caught-jack-115363/

Rewind about a month, out on Yellow River with FishnBud and we got alive and kickin brim(bream, whatever) on rod and reel and bush hooks and came out empty handed.

Back to the question, the Jack was a bloody, dark meat, strong scented and tasting fish (yes, I tried it), do you think that'd make good cut/blood bait for the ol' Flatheads?


----------



## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

Seatmech86 said:


> Last week I caught my first Jack Crevalle, 17lbs. With it being my first I didn't know much about them BUT, shoot first and ask question later. I took him home and fillet'ed him. NOT what I expected. Lots of research told me they made good bait. (link to Jack)
> 
> http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f29/fishing-before-work-caught-jack-115363/
> 
> ...


----------



## Seatmech86 (Mar 8, 2011)

It will work but don't use it? I'm not being a wise a$$ or anything but, please explain.


----------



## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

Seatmech86 said:


> It will work but don't use it? I'm not being a wise a$$ or anything but, please explain.


A flathead primarily eats live bait, some will eat cut bait if its thrown in their face. I think when one takes cut bait it's most likely moving in some current and appears alive. Just saying if you are truly fishing for Flatheads use live bait.


----------



## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

We always bait with bream about hand-size on our bush hooks, a bit smaller on rod and reel, but I've read on here that sunfish on bush hooks are illegal in Florida.

Have caught some monsta's in the Alabama River on bush hooks and especially on jugs (also illegal in Florida I think. Man "the man" has ruined the fun in FLA!)

Here's a jug fishing story and kinda a how-to.
http://outdoorsusa.com/index.php/articles/80-fishing/69-monsters-of-the-midway


----------



## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

hjorgan said:


> We always bait with bream about hand-size on our bush hooks, a bit smaller on rod and reel, but I've read on here that sunfish on bush hooks are illegal in Florida.
> 
> Have caught some monsta's in the Alabama River on bush hooks and especially on jugs (also illegal in Florida I think. Man "the man" has ruined the fun in FLA!)
> 
> ...


You fish on Gantt or Point A much?


----------



## slabhunter (Jan 21, 2012)

CatHunter said:


> He weighed the fish, its gonna be pretty cold 56 for the low tomorrow, maybe you guys will do better then me Im having trouble catching any thing with size to it this year I cant seem to get over 20lbs.


You a fellow member of the USCA/BOC???

Blacky caught him a good one he did!


----------



## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

hjorgan said:


> We always bait with bream about hand-size on our bush hooks, a bit smaller on rod and reel, but I've read on here that sunfish on bush hooks are illegal in Florida.
> 
> Have caught some monsta's in the Alabama River on bush hooks and especially on jugs (also illegal in Florida I think. Man "the man" has ruined the fun in FLA!)
> 
> ...


 That article makes one important point for fishing the Alabama River (If the water aint moving don't fish.) When they are pulling water don't matter day or night it will get em biting.


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

slabhunter said:


> You a fellow member of the USCA/BOC???
> 
> Blacky caught him a good one he did!



I sure am:thumbsup: I have been to alabama river many times and if the Claiborne dam is shut you might as well go home


----------

