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possum

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Posts posted by possum

    Possum, HillbillyKat & Jason Flatheadin

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted

    Yes they do fight and pull like a horse. Jason knew it was a decent fish but didn't realize the power of them, that 25 was his personal best any kind of fish and he's primarlly a walleye and bass fisherman. I had net in hand right after the hook set. Jason told me I don't think we'll need the net. I told him wait till he see the light from my head lamp. About that time he was getting close to the surface and saw the light. That Bass Type Pole actually bent double, I was sure it was going to snap in two.

    Congrats on your 43.4, exellent fish!!! I have yet to ever catch one over 29lbs. but will continue to go after them in my quest for 40lber.

    To each his own but to me BIG starts at 40lbs. So we have caught some decent ones this year but no BIG one yet!!!

    We went out again last night but got blanked. But we are not discouraged as we well know you'll have nights llike that. Better a night blanked on the river than siting at home. :D

    Possum, HillbillyKat & Jason Flatheadin

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted

    Went out last night again to hit The Mighty West Fork River.

    This time with my buddy HillbillyKat and his buddy Jason.

    Thunder N Lightning did not deter us in our quest for the 40lber.

    We set up on a log jam and proceeded to fish for the ALL MIGHTY FLATHEAD CATFISH! Oh Yes!!!! :D

    Wasn't long till I had a nice run but I m m mmmm missed it! Oh well first one I had missed in a long time. :D:D:D

    About 9:30pm HBK (HillbillyKat) gets a run and crosses his eyes and soon a battle ensued.

    After a hard battle HBK gets him to the surface and I swoop him up in the net!

    Turns out to be a nice one 32lbs. 41" long.

    We weighed him on my old spring type scale and on HBK's Quailty Digital Scale. Mine read 32lbs. even and HBK's 32.0lbs.

    Wasn't too long Jasons getting a run it now 10:10pm. But I have serious concerns about his rig a med/light bass type rig but spooled with Fire Line. Soon he crooses his eyes and what a battle ensued. The poles tip was actually bend below the handle and I was in fear that the pole would snap, it was touch and go for awhile. He would gain some then Mr. Flathead would go on a drag smoking run and again. But Jason finally prevailed and I swopp him up in the net.

    Turns out to be 25lbs. even but we failed to measure him. Both fish were released.

    That was all the fish caught last night, we had a total of 4 runs, 2 caught 2 missed. I missed one and Jason Missed one, can't win'm all! :D

    Hero Pics were taken with HBK's digital but I haven't recieved the pics yet.

    Another fine night of fishing with a couple of fine fishermen!

    Possum & MagicMike Flatheadin

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted

    Yea you can get a big flathead in if you can keep him outta the snags with light tackle but here there is no such place I know of where you have a decent chance to land one with light/med. tackle. Thats not to say you can't or won't ever get into one out in the river channel away from the snags but its just not a high percentage area and I got to fish the percentages.

    Around here 20lb. Carp are no big deal though the biggest one I caught so far (That was weighed) was 15.5lbs. but then I just don't target them as they aren't really my cup of tea. I got into this carp thing to fill a void when the Flats aren't biting but once they start its goodbye carp hello flatheads.

    As for pay lakes well thats not my cup of tea either, but if people like them who am I to say they are wrong even if thats how I really feel about them. I just won't fish them even if theres MONSTERS in there. No challenge in it for me but to each his own.

    I prefer to meet him in battle on his home turf.

    That involves knowing the fish, its habitat and habits then going in, where a pay lake has removed all that. But to each his own.

    I do know here the general frame of mind is for example if you tell someone hey I caught a 40lb. Flathead they will ask where??? If you say in the river then its way to go good job, but if you say a pay lake then its oh really ho hum.

    Most flathead fishermen I know frown heavily on pay lakes and some to the point they want them outlawed completely.

    They just aren't realistic places. Where else can you find say 20 40lbers. in a 3 acre area???? You can't except pay lakes.

    The pay lakes ain't getting my money or my time and if its ever put to a ballot they ain't getting my vote either. :D

    Catfish on the Attack

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted

    Macfish,

    Yep cats will coral prey even flatheads have been known to do it but its more come that Blues and Channels do it.

    Flatheads normally work alone forcing bait fish into the shallows and gobbling them up. Where as Blues and Channel work in groups.

    Possum & MagicMike Flatheadin

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted

    Nice fish.  Have you ever set up bank hooks or a trot line going after flatheads? We used to put shrimp on bank hooks and could catch all the blues and channel cats we wanted. I'll bet if you set up 20 or 30 bank hooks one evening with cut bait you would get that 30 pounder.

    Not against Trots or Bank Lines but it would take the fun out of it for me. I wanta feel him fight me on a pole so all my fishins with a pole. But yea those methods are very effective.

    Possum & MagicMike Flatheadin

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted

    Yea I can answer that stuff easy enough. Ok my rigs are fairly simple Carolina Type Rigs.

    First I snell on say a 5/0 Daiichi Wide Gap Circle on approx 18" Leader of #40 Big Game, then tie it to a 200# Berkley McMahon Swivel, then I thread a 2oz. No Roll sinker on followed by a rubber bead and tie it to the swivel.

    Yes I fish on the bottom. I prefer to different locations as the situation dictates.

    Up close to submerged timber type snags, logs, log jams. Big rocks under water.

    Outside bends in rivers, coves in lakes.

    Flatheads love cover and will hold in it against it or under it in the daylight hours then move out to feed after dark, they then hit shallows and anyplace that has bait fish.

    I commonly like to fish in water less than 15ft. deep but have caught them as deep as 36ft.

    Flatheads normally follow the shore lines in their hunt for food. Many times my bait is in 3-6ft deep water and not 15ft. from the back or closer.

    The heads of holes are good places and the hole itself can be good at times.

    Alot of Flathead fishing is fishing where they are likely to be to improve your percentages. Sometimes they won't bite reguardless what you offer them and have been known to stare at a bait for hours before decideing to eat it. Sometimes they are voratious and will hit about anything in front of them.

    Also understanding where they are in response to the season has alot to do with success. Pre-Spawn, Spawn, Post Spawn, Summer, Fall and Winter dormancey.

    They aren't great roamers and tend to be homebodys. Tracking has show they usually don't go more than a mile in a nights hunt and some nights don't move at all. They hold all day in there snag and move out right after dark only to return often to the exact snag by morning. Flatheads don't have to feed every night.

    They are an interesting fish to me. they are at the top of the food chain and will eat any fish they can swallow.

    Thier fight is not anything like a Carps runs, a Flathead has only one thing in mind after hooked and that go to the bottom and stay there, preferably in a snag. They don't make runs they just bulldoze towards the bottom trying to pull the pole outta your hands.

    I can easily catch 15lb. Carp on 12# line but I'm not sure I could land 15lb. flatheads with 12# line cause he would have me hung up in a snag before I could wear him down. Go heavy for Flatheads 30#-50# Line, 30#-40# Rated Pole and good reel like a Penn 209, 220GTO, 320GT2.

    You gotta be able to horse him up off the bottom and outta the snags or he'll hang you up and if you'll have to braek off.

    Patience is a Virture, Be Patient. Throw the bait out there and leave it till you catch him or are ready to leave!

    Good Luck in your quest of Flatheads!

    Possum Barry Flathead 6/23

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted

    Macfish them barges can get you!!! One night we were sitting out in the river around a bend fishing. Not paying any attention to much around me except my fishin poles when around the bend here comes a tug pushin a bunch of barges!

    I went to pull anchor to move cause I was right in the middle but my anchor was hung. Just as I was ready to cut the rope and run it came free. I pulled it in quick and had just enough time to get outta the way.

    Alot of if's can come into play like what IF my motor wouldn't start ect,ect.

    I always keep a sharp eye peeled for barges now and don't wait, just pull anchor and get outta the way.

    Possum Barry Flathead 6/23

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted

    Naaaaa that lightning don't scare me, you get fried or you don't. Too random to even worry about. What scares me most is the possibility of floating debris ramming us or us ramming it and possibly upsetting.

    Chances I suppose but then life in generals a big chance.

    Possum Barry Flathead 6/23

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted · Edited by possum

    Well Me and Barry went last night out in my boat. The river was running high and fassssst and muddy as can be. Lots of debris too.

    We set thru 2 Thunder/Lightning Storms and torrential down pours and we got wet. LOL

    BUT......wet ain't all we got!!! Barry was first and hooked into a approx. 6lb. Flathead then a little later hooked into a big ol snappin turtle.

    A good bit later I finally get a screaming run that turns into an approx. 4lb. Channel cat.

    We fished the slack water areas and current breaks. Otherwise withe current you would need about a 6-8oz. sinker to hold your bait down. But in the slack areas 2oz. worked fine.

    Yes another wet night on the Mighty Mon!!!!

    OOOPS I put 6/23 it should read 6/28

    Possum & MagicMike Flatheadin

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted

    Thanks for the posts, i have never caught a flathead, are you guys using circle hooks? do you let the fish run and just tighten up or do you wind down and set the hook . I would love to get some info on flat heads as i know they are in the rivers around here.

    James

    Yep I use circles, mostly Daiichi Wide Gaps in 5/0 and 7/0

    Well my method works good for me but its not the standard way.

    I cast out using a Live Bluegill as bait, I leave the reel (PENN 320GT2's) in free spool with the clicker on.

    Once I am getting a run and its paying out line I thumb the spool and turn the clicker off, then while he's running with it I engage the reel. Once I feel he's there and the pole is loading up I crank the reel a few turns to make sure he's on there then jerk hard. I'm not jerking to set the hook its already hooked, I'm jerking to turn his big head my way and then battle it out.

    It works well for me!

    Possum & MagicMike Flatheadin

    in Other Species Stories

    Posted · Edited by possum

    Thanks thought ya might like it!  :D  :D  :D

    When will the flatheads spawn and when do channel cats spawn? My uncle went up to the "fort" fishing with gills he had 3 poles out and had 2 runs but they only lasted like 3 secs ? Could it have been a turtle or so you think it was a smaller cat?  :D  :D I need to get him on the forum!

    The flats are spawning now, not sure about the channels.

    But you must understand the spawn can take a month or better from start to finish as all don't spawn at the same time, its a more spread out thing. Short nothing runs could be Gar, smaller cats don't think it was a turtle.

    Notice in the pic of the 25lber. all the rubbed up bruised up places on it from spawning activitys.

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