|
Post by katfish on Mar 28, 2011 19:36:43 GMT -5
Now that you mention that, It reminds me of a trip for blues on the Ohio River. We had lines out the back of the boat and Dave thought it was cute that my wife was all over each bite. The middle of the second day it slowed a while and Dave and my wife were chatting. A rod bobbed and I stood up behind it and my wife said "You aren't going to get that are you? That's my favorite rod" Dave just said "Her favorite rod is any rod that gets a bite" ;D She realizes that I allow my guests to catch the first bites but insists hers is the next one
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 28, 2011 14:14:23 GMT -5
|
|
|
Hello
Mar 28, 2011 13:47:01 GMT -5
Post by katfish on Mar 28, 2011 13:47:01 GMT -5
Amanda I reckon you hadn't fish with me and Chad and Richard. We deal with little inconveniences often. Richard is scared of coyotes and falls over lines we draw in the sand. Seems like most trips involve a bit of misery and in summer we prefer fishing in the rain. This keeps water skiers and skeeters to a minimum. We sometimes go a while between bites. I thought Richard was going to go all summer without a flathead but he pulled a couple in during the Fall ;D We even make the kids pull their weight When Kayla was 5 she only weighed 37 pounds. She finally allowed me to hold the rod so she could 2 hand the reel handle on a flat that was 52 Mike Magis and I scuffed up lines on rocks and after breaking one we decided to turn drags down till we respooled. My wife fought a flathead for close to an hour and it kept powering off when near the net. Mike asked if we should tighten the drag and I said NO! ;D Most people judge a sucessful trip by the fish they catch. We deem it successful if there are no broken bones or uncontrolled bleeding.
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 27, 2011 20:52:22 GMT -5
Best rodholders I have ever used!
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 27, 2011 19:58:07 GMT -5
Big flats often flare their gills and the bait is engulfed to their stomach. Hooks often set far back in the throat but on big fish my forearm is not that far down the throat. This time I was getting the hook out and the fish clamped down and thrashed. If you let go of the hook you risk getting the hook in you. If you pull your arm out it will be peeled all the way down to your fingers. The fish also bit my hand when I lifted it ;D The best way is to have a friend put a thumb in the corner of the mouth like you would do to keep a bulldog from chomping down.
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 26, 2011 18:25:39 GMT -5
I agree that releasing big flathead is important. Flathead become sexually mature at 4-6 years of age. Most catfish in America die before reaching 20 years old. Flathead are not stocked in Ohio and were just started to be regulated in the last few years. Carefully handling and releasing big flathead will result in more spawning of existing stocks of fish. Releasing big fish makes sense and sometimes you catch the same fish again.
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 24, 2011 1:07:11 GMT -5
A few more I am sick of cold weather and I want to get after flathead! I don't mind losing sleep for catfish. I live to battle big cats ;D These are reasons to fish hard
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 23, 2011 22:40:12 GMT -5
Kip
I want a magic rod that sets a hook with stiff action then gets whippy like an ugly stik to fight it.
The really good thing about that rod is if I wear mine out I can switch with Richards when he ain't lookin ;D
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 23, 2011 22:05:18 GMT -5
I fish in lakes so my slip sinker is a slip sinker ;D If I needed to rig it in current I would probably slip surgical tubing on the line to get the leader length I wanted. And yes that rock bass is over a pound and I wish I had enough of them to use all summer.
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 23, 2011 21:59:02 GMT -5
Welcome! Reckon if I see you fishing I might as well take a nap. Couple nights you didn't let any flathead get to me
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 23, 2011 21:47:03 GMT -5
I have found that there is no magic temperature or anything else for flathead.
There are more (maybe not larger) flathead in rivers. It may be the competition but I always get reports of flathead being caught in rivers before they get active in lakes.
All flathead do not react the same so I imagine there may be some active in lakes in cooler water but I do better when more flathead get active.
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 23, 2011 21:42:56 GMT -5
Happy birthday!!
The old men say birthdays are a sign you are on the right side of the grass-----the top!
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 23, 2011 21:40:50 GMT -5
Hope ya got flathead gear for your birthday!
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 23, 2011 21:38:38 GMT -5
It is my opinion that small ponds or lakes will not produce trophy flathead. It takes lot of forage fish to feed flathead to reach trophy size. I think it is better to fish long hours on large bodies of water capable of maintaining heavy weight fish.
|
|
|
Post by katfish on Mar 23, 2011 21:32:27 GMT -5
Jim
Richard and I each ordered a Wildcat rod. MANUFACTURER WILDCAT SERIES NAME TROPH-E-CAT MODEL NUMBER WC-TECC761H STYLE OF ROD 7'6" CASTING NUMBER OF PIECES 1 LINE WEIGHT 25-50 LB. LURE WEIGHT NOT AVAILABLE MANUFACTURERS ACTION HEAVY NUMBER GUIDES 7 CERAMIC + TIP TOTAL HANDLE LENGTH 23" CORK TRIGGER YES OUR STOCK NUMBER TECC76H DESCRIPTION DURABLE E-GLASS BLANK, CERAMIC DOUBLE FOOTED GUIDES, HARDENED CHROME-PLATED ROD TIP, BLACK ROD WITH BLUE SPLASH AND BLACK/RED WRAPS.
Will let you know how they do on 50+ flathead in a couple of months.
|
|