# Monster Yellow River Flathead....



## jcoss15

Me, my uncle, and a buddy hit the river tonight looking for some flatheads. Only caught one but he was a good one, weighed him on two scales, one read 53.9 the other read 57lbs. So he was somewhere in between...caught him on a 8in. river shiner caught on a beetle spin, then put on a bush hook. He was caught up river around Milligan...:thumbsup:


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## Ultralite

Hoss!


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## curdogman

Wirelessly posted

good one, thats a bunch of nuggets right there


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## Yobenny

I want them belly flaps........


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## Kingfish514

That's a big cat right there, enjoy


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## CatCrusher

Damn good one there!!


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## bowfisher91

That is a slob! Can't wait to run some hooks


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## CatHunter

Nice damn fish, Ol yeller does it again. In the last few years March-April has been the month for Flatheads over 50lbs in NWF.


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## barefoot

What a pig...great job!


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## CatHunter

Escambia River Flathead March 30th...54lbs The spring Bite is turning on


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## skiff89_jr

Fish of a lifetime. I will get mine one of these days... or at least that's what I keep telling myself :whistling:


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## jcoss15

CatHunter said:


> Nice damn fish, Ol yeller does it again. In the last few years March-April has been the month for Flatheads over 50lbs in NWF.


Geez there's some tough critics on your fachbook page CH, I wouldn't have had a problem releasing him but the guys I was with would have crapped their pants...We have enough trouble catching a couple to eat, so this guy stocked us all up for awhile. Bush hooks are for dinner, R&R for fun and sport IMO...


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## CatCrusher

jcoss15 said:


> Geez there's some tough critics on your fachbook page CH, I wouldn't have had a problem releasing him but the guys I was with would have crapped their pants...We have enough trouble catching a couple to eat, so this guy stocked us all up for awhile. Bush hooks are for dinner, R&R for fun and sport IMO...


I would imagine the bream fisherman around there would rather you keep all of them!!


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## Yobenny

The problem with hand grabbing them is that them big yellow females are in that hole laying eggs so you not only kill her but about a gazillion new catfish too.
Ive done it both ways, these days we just wait and catch them on trot lines.


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## jcoss15

I'm all for catch and release, and I have released enough bass and bream on yellow river to feed an army, but this was my first experience with a flathead that size and all the local guys who flathead fish around that part of the river NEVER release anything so that was my one big to keep before someone else put him in the fryer. If I ever get lucky again like that I might release him. But no doubt there is no shortage of flatheads on Yellow river...


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## Yobenny

Tell ya this even though I think it may be illegal to do it, we used to seine up small bream and sunfish for bait on our trot lines and that is all you gotta do to fill a boat with flat heads, they love them, nothing even gets close.....


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## jcoss15

Yea it's illegal here on trotlines/bush hooks ok for R&R.


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## CatHunter

jcoss15 said:


> *Geez there's some tough critics on your fachbook* page CH, I wouldn't have had a problem releasing him but the guys I was with would have crapped their pants...We have enough trouble catching a couple to eat, so this guy stocked us all up for awhile. Bush hooks are for dinner, R&R for fun and sport IMO...


U got that right, some of them guys are the best of the best from all across America. They don't understand the relationship of Florida and Flatheads and why most people don't release fish in our State. 

I give them all the same quote " _Flatheads are invasive to Florida, they are encouraged to keep and kill by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Of course we here at Flathead Catfish Hunters preach CPR "Capture Photo Release". However each man/women purchases a license and can do as he or she pleases with their catch_."

I don't see anything wrong with keeping fish if you don't fish all the time. Or catch a fish of a life time as one would call it. However guys that fish 3-5 times a week, catfish guides and charters and commercial that really do work on the water I believe its their responsibility to Practice selective harvest on not just Flatheads but any fish that they target on a regular basis. 

You have to understand some of theses guys frustrations, they come from other parts of the country where war is being waged over these fish. From trappers and line runners, neters, hand fishing, pay-lakes buying trophy fish, vacationers taking boat loads, Kill Tournaments, Weekend warrior slaughter fest.

Thats a nice fish you got there, don't worry about them guys put him on the wall.:thumbsup:

There may have been a few critics but don't feel bad, the photo is at _*50 likes*_ and counting


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## CatCrusher

CatHunter said:


> U got that right, some of them guys are the best of the best from all across America. They don't understand the relationship of Florida and Flatheads and why most people don't release fish in our State.
> 
> I give them all the same quote " _Flatheads are invasive to Florida, they are encouraged to keep and kill by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Of course we here at Flathead Catfish Hunters preach CPR "Capture Photo Release". However each man/women purchases a license and can do as he or she pleases with their catch_."
> 
> I don't see anything wrong with keeping fish if you don't fish all the time. Or catch a fish of a life time as one would call it. However guys that fish 3-5 times a week, catfish guides and charters and commercial that really do work on the water I believe its their responsibility to Practice selective harvest on not just Flatheads but any fish that they target on a regular basis.
> 
> You have to understand some of theses guys frustrations, they come from other parts of the country where war is being waged over these fish. From trappers and line runners, neters, handing fishing, pay-lakes buying trophy fish, vacationers taking boat loads, Kill Tournaments, Weekend warrior slaughter fest.
> 
> Thats a nice fish you got there, don't worry about them guys put him on the wall.:thumbsup:


I use to deal with these people when I use to be a member of the Brotherhood of Catfisherman. They pretty much hate anbody that eats a fish!!!!!. All I would hear is Keep the small ones and throw back the big ones. Well if you eat all the small ones they can't grow to be big ones and so on and so on. FACT IS I've been catching these things for over 40 years and the population hasn't gone down any just gotten bigger. And trust me I have caught plenty. That's a great fish once again and alot of good eating.


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## jcoss15

CatHunter said:


> U got that right, some of them guys are the best of the best from all across America. They don't understand the relationship of Florida and Flatheads and why most people don't release fish in our State.
> 
> I give them all the same quote " _Flatheads are invasive to Florida, they are encouraged to keep and kill by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Of course we here at Flathead Catfish Hunters preach CPR "Capture Photo Release". However each man/women purchases a license and can do as he or she pleases with their catch_."
> 
> I don't see anything wrong with keeping fish if you don't fish all the time. Or catch a fish of a life time as one would call it. However guys that fish 3-5 times a week, catfish guides and charters and commercial that really do work on the water I believe its their responsibility to Practice selective harvest on not just Flatheads but any fish that they target on a regular basis.
> 
> You have to understand some of theses guys frustrations, they come from other parts of the country where war is being waged over these fish. From trappers and line runners, neters, hand fishing, pay-lakes buying trophy fish, vacationers taking boat loads, Kill Tournaments, Weekend warrior slaughter fest.
> 
> Thats a nice fish you got there, don't worry about them guys put him on the wall.:thumbsup:
> 
> There may have been a few critics but don't feel bad, the photo is at _*50 likes*_ and counting


Yeah I can understand wanting to preserve them and all, I do too. But I also love to eat them (my favorite fish to eat hands down) I really don't catch enough to put a hurting on the population, lord knows we go home empty handed more times than not...


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## tips n tails

Congrats Jcoss. Thats a nice catch, I bet that was a rush. A little late to the party here but what a fine catch, especially around Milligan, guess there's more to that shallow water than what meets the eye.


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