# Smoking The Flatheads



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Like a light bulb fading back into existence the flatheads are coming alive. We fished an undisclosed location last night for flatheads and absolutely crushed them. We fished until 4 am with nonstop action until we left. The bite was good on every spot, many fish were lost in the snagy bottom but we still boated over 25 flatheads on rod n reel.

The annoying part was this fat man on this aluminum boat running the river all night with what he said 200 hooks that he had sat out. We came around the coroner at sunset as he was baiting one of his lines with a bass, WTF? He turns and starts screaming at us about how we had better not be pulling his lines, and how he’s got 200 lines out with cameras watching them, and how people won’t leave his lines alone. Dude, recognize the boat, we aint worried about your strings tied to bushes. 

All night long he ran up and down the river as fast as he could throwing wakes at us without a care in the world. Guys like this give cat-fishing a bad name.
Besides him the night was a great success.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Good uns! Can't wait to get started back up.


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## stc1993 (Nov 23, 2014)

Those are some good size, a lot of catfish nuggets.


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## simpleman (Oct 20, 2007)

thats a pretty one on the bottom. Most mine look almost jet-black.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Sweet kitty's!!! And thanks fer the foot pic to add to the thread!!!!


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Jason said:


> Sweet kitty's!!! And thanks fer the foot pic to add to the thread!!!!


Summer time flips flops on the river, it don't get any better than that


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

He obviously wasnt aware of who's river he was fishing!!!!


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

CatCrusher said:


> He obviously wasnt aware of who's river he was fishing!!!!


I think he was upset at the fact he thought he was going to have the river all to himself. We marked dozens of spots that we wanted to fish but didn't because he had several lines there. Out of respect and being the bigger man we avoided his lines the best we could. Ill be honest with you, I really hate bush-hooks. Its the most dangerous damn thing I worry about on the river when tying up or going under low hanging branches. The damn left behind hooks litter the river. 

Flatheads are becoming more popular in rivers like Black Water, Shoal and Perdido where tubers tub. These bush hookers are starting to run lines on these northern stretches leaving their lines behind. Its just a matter of time now before someone is impaled. 

Spending as much time on the river as I and some of my buddies do we have seen some nasty bush-hook situations of catfish hanging in the air, tangled up sturgeons, hung raccoon's, dead birds and mountains of left behind hooks that get lost or forgotten.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

They are fine in responsible hands and if you are responsible with them than hats off. With so many people doing it now they are just pilling up. Some logs looks like the worlds largest ball of twine


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

On Yellow River Friday night we saw dozens of bush hooks and only one other boat. His lines were blue so we knew which ones were his. Who knows who the others belong to. I was the only one who was doing it legally because I mark mine with my name attached. I have 25 tags and make sure I have 25 in the box when I leave. The FWC could write tickets all day if they would patrol the river.

It was the same way up the Shoal River from 90W the other night. Many hooks left hanging. We tie ours under bushes close to the bank. Most of these were way out from the bank and high so you assume they were left there when the river was up. I realize this makes us that do it right look bad.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

I know it sounds like I'm bitching a lot but damn I feel like I'm one of the few guys who actually cares about what happens to our rivers. Just last week on Escambia River I pull up one two different sandbars covered in beer cans, I mean really? I took my trash bags and cleaned that whole bar up.
It’s not just the bush hookers that bother me and like I said if you are legal than it’s not directed towards you, but our rivers are increasing in traffic like a country road that's been paved. With more people than ever patrolling these rivers like the wild Wild West every year it getting worse. The times are changing guys, a few are going to ruin it for all.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

We went kayaking down Coldwater today. The man that dropped us off said to bring some trash back along with ours. I picked up a lot of chip bags and beer cans. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be though.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

billyb said:


> We went kayaking down Coldwater today. The man that dropped us off said to bring some trash back along with ours. I picked up a lot of chip bags and beer cans. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be though.


I haven't seen a wild Life officer on the rivers in NW Florida in 5 years. Iv seen them at the landing but not on the rivers. If they don't have the money to spend on law enforcement give me the authority and I will be a volunteer Wild Life Officer who will work for free in my spare time to clean these rivers up. Its not about money its about seeing the waters I love preserved.


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## Hopin4aboat (Jul 5, 2009)

CatHunter said:


> I haven't seen a wild Life officer on the rivers in NW Florida in 5 years. Iv seen them at the landing but not on the rivers. If they don't have the money to spend on law enforcement give me the authority and I will be a volunteer Wild Life Officer who will work for free in my spare time to clean these rivers up. Its not about money its about seeing the waters I love preserved.


I guess you been on the wrong rivers at the wrong times, I only frequent escambia and perdido but I see officers regularly. Mostly on the lower ends but have seen an FWC officer on perdido up north of the pipes and escambia all the way up to bluff springs in the last 6 months. Could they do more yeah but don't say their not there at all.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

This thread sure turned lively with discusssions on brush hooks, trash, and no wildflife officers on patrol.


Over here on the Choctawhatchee we have the same problem with brush hooks being left behind. Often I will cut one if it's obvious it's been there a long time. I've found them with actually rusted hooks, still hanging.
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Trash seems to be a problem in areas where there is the most activity. The absolute worst is a mullet spot at Nancy's Cut in lower Mitchell River. People throw their trash on the shore by the bag fulls and ***** hang around for a free handout. It's awful. The shore is managed by the Nature Conservancy. About a year ago I got in touch with them about putting up a sign about littering. Told them I would put it up. The response is they would send me some, but to police the area I needed to be a approved volunteer. I waited and waited and about 3 months later I got forms to fill out to become a volunteer. By that time I had lost interest since I had stopped fishing at the mullet hole. Never did get the no littering signs. I guess if you are not an approved volunteer you can't put up a sign

I see a Wildlife Officer on the river once or twice a year. Not long ago one actually checked our ice chest but never asked for a license. We obviously look over 65. He runs a 15 ft G-3 with 30 Honda....all 2003 vintage. FWC is getting their money's worth out of that rig. 

I like the idea Glenn has on picking up trash. I have a small boat but room enough for a medium trash bag to be filled up. No reason not to lend a hand and help a little. I never throw trash in the river so it will be easy to go one more step and fill a bag with river trash now and then..


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Iv been on the river too much here lately, that's my rant for the weekend.


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## gastonfish (Mar 24, 2012)

If it ain't properly marked...cut it. Last time I bass fished there were hooks on every other limb and after hanging a few I saw there were dead bream on them. There are a pile of scaly wags on the rivers. Nice report cathunter! I assure you it wasn't me. I'm one of the few that will respect you enough to slow down enough not to throw a wake.


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

I cut them and get the lead, if they have been there awhile. I like using bush hooks from time to time but always pick mine up. By the time you up add up the swivel, good weight, good hook, and twine, I got too much money invested in them to just leave them hanging...


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Another thing that aggravates me is the people who tie a 6' price a flagging tape to a tree and just leave it. I mean how hard is it to pull the tape off when your done?


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## Buckchaser (Jan 28, 2014)

I fished a small tournament on quintette musta saw 50 abandoned bush hooks... It's disgusting trash. Not to mention how aggravating it is to fish around them. Lazy


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

My buddy fishes bush hooks and says a FWC officer stopped him at the ramp Saturday before he even launched the boat and threatened to damn near take him to jail if he did not tag his hooks.. They are patrolling the ramps on foot at-least.


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