# Monster flathead alert



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

I Boated 18 flatheads before midnight on this trip last night. After some years of hunting the Florida state record Flathead last night I thought I sealed the deal. I’ve been on the river every other night trying to get this fish before they go into full spawn and shut down. 

Sacrificing sleep and family time to pay the river dues last night I landed a fish that missed the record by .03. The Current Florida state record flathead is 55.05 pounds the fish I landed weighed in at 55.02. 
Being so close to the record I knew if I were to put this fish in the live well, hold on to her for many hours until daylight to find state officials this fish would have lost a substantial amount of weight. 

During those long hours possibly even dropping the overall weight into the upper 54s, flatheads regurgitate and lose weight due to stress when kept for extended periods of time. I didn’t think it was worth risking the fish on a hopeless wish that just maybe my scales were off.

My scales have been tested at Steve’s Farm side by side certified produce scales and are accurate to the tenth. I have full faith in these scales, when hunting a record a good set of scales is a must. Without them who knows what I would have had to do to that fish just to find out how close I was.
She’s now on her way to being a guaranteed record.


----------



## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

When do they spawn? When the bream start biting good I bet...


----------



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

WOW....well, now you know where the record lives and that's a big plus. Knowing how they react after being caught you made the right decision. Congratulations


----------



## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

Nice.

Too bad you did not have a tracking device to install on her.
That way next year, you would know where she is, in order to get that record


----------



## OHenry (Apr 28, 2011)

Very nice. Hope you see her again next year!


----------



## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

hoss!


----------



## bowfisher91 (Feb 19, 2008)

Would those scrapes indicate she was recently in a hole on eggs?

Awesome fish.


----------



## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Nice one Glenn !


----------



## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

what time was she caught?


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong or need glasses or don't know my numbers but.... that looks like 55.82 pounds to me. Decimal point indicates that's not pounds and ounces but total pounds


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

In either case I think you had the record 55.82 pounds easily beats 55.05 pounds
and 55 pounds .82 ounces converts to 55.05125 pounds which also beats 55.05 pounds. My apologies if I'm reading or interpreting the numbers wrong. The Florida record is 55.05 pounds


----------



## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Record or not, that's one fine flathead. My money is on you to eventually get a 60 pounder. If sicfish doesn't beat you to it.


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

The alabama record is 80 pounds and was caught on my section of river. I cannot imagine trying to get a fish like that in the boat!


----------



## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

Bodupp said:


> Record or not, that's one fine flathead. My money is on you to eventually get a 60 pounder. If sicfish doesn't beat you to it.


I'm still working on bait!


----------



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Try'n Hard said:


> In either case I think you had the record 55.82 pounds easily beats 55.05 pounds
> and 55 pounds .82 ounces converts to 55.05125 pounds which also beats 55.05 pounds. My apologies if I'm reading or interpreting the numbers wrong. The Florida record is 55.05 pounds


I looked at it again and it looks like a state record to me and it was let go. Looks like 55.82 to me.


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

The camera just made the 0 look like an 8. I weighed it twice, the first time it weighed 55.01 and the second time it weighed 55.02.


----------



## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

Sure would like to catch one like that on one of my bush hooks.


----------



## graceman9 (Oct 8, 2013)

*What kind of scales do u use*

Mine only go to 30


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

graceman9 said:


> Mine only go to 30




Mine will go to 50 - what I need is one of those cameras that can make 50 look like 60!!


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

billyb said:


> Sure would like to catch one like that on one of my bush hooks.


Its easier on rod n reel.


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

CatHunter said:


> Its easier on rod n reel.




How so?


----------



## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

Most of the rod/reel guys have expensive electronics and after they locate the fish they drop a bait down in front of their nose.


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

I haven't caught a flathead on a trot line or bush hook in over a year. Blue cats or gars get there first I guess. I am gonna try the R&R thing but I really don't like fishing in the dark. Lotsa boogers in the woods and on the water that seem to target me!


----------



## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Night time is the right time!!

You don't have to deal with all the pesky humans.


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

billyb said:


> Most of the rod/reel guys have expensive electronics and after they locate the fish they drop a bait down in front of their nose.




Yes. I would rather be able to skillfully read the river like our ancestors did and catch just a few fish than use all of today's electronics and fill the boat every time and having to toss injured fish back.


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Try'n Hard said:


> Yes. I would rather be able to skillfully read the river like our ancestors did and catch just a few fish than use all of today's electronics and fill the boat every time and having to toss injured fish back.



Wow - that sounded incredibly stupid even for me. I just can't get away with spewing all that BS the way some can! Bring on the fish!


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

I don't use my sonar at all for flatheads, only for marking locations. Rod and reels just gives you the ability to place strategic baits in travel points and allows you to be right there when the strike happens. Like JLW said night time is the right time. Humans are the worst creatures on the river


----------



## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I see more people on the river at night than I do during the day. The last time me and my daughter went she asked me why so many boats were out at 1 in the morning. Some of them were probably checking my lines.


----------

