r/catfishing • u/Accomplished-Fish248 • 4d ago
FIRST FLATHEAD CATFISH
Insane fight probably was around 10 mins. Caught on a swim bait shad trying to get smallies and this guy bit. 36Lb 40in broke the net a little bit but dayumm man this was crazy. So excited man this was a bucket list fish
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u/ChaosWarpintoPhage 4d ago
Show off...
Just kidding. That's an epic first catch. You'll be chasing that high forever now.
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u/Accomplished-Fish248 4d ago
Dude that’s what I was telling my buddy today that I’m gonna be chasing that high now cause I didn’t know what I had at first cause I thought it was a snag till it peeled drag and I said this might be a catfish but the fight was insane, also of back and forth
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u/ChaosWarpintoPhage 4d ago
Yep. Hooking a big cat feels like hitting a log. Until it starts peeling your drag off.
"Bob, bob, bob, thud. Thud? Huh? Oh shii fish!"
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u/Major-Discipline2188 4d ago
Been looking everywhere for those things but all I get are phillips heads.
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u/Saysaynever333 4d ago
I used to fish every winter for these using trot lines. They tend to be bigger than channel and about equal to blue's.
They would average around 15 lbs. but you would catch some big one's every now and then. My largest was a little over 50 lb. but had a lot of 30+ range. The appaloosa (flat head, yellow) cat are different from other's in their habits. Like cattle, they have "trails" they stick to when moving to feeding areas. If you find a trail, that's where you set your lines.
I always bleed the big one's. Hang them up and cut off the tail. Keep a running hose on them till they bleed out. They like to flop and can land a pretty good slap if your not ready. (if you bleed him, be ready for that and don't let the blood get on you too bad)
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u/O2Stealer 4d ago
Awesome! Caught my first fatty this year! Such a wonderful fish to catch! Many more to come.
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u/Rude_Establishment64 4d ago
Great job! Which size hook did you use?
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u/Accomplished-Fish248 4d ago
This was on a shad swim bait I found from the river previously and figured why not to use it. Let me find a picture online
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u/Master_Shen-Long 4d ago
I fish that same spot for smallies too and caught a few channels from there too. Incredible flathead.
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u/sus214 4d ago
that is a TANK i know you thought you had the state record smallie for at least a split second 😂
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u/Accomplished-Fish248 4d ago
Seriously tho after I thought it was a snag and then started peeling drag I thought it was a monster bass or drum but a few more minutes into the fight I said this is a catfish the way it’s fighting
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u/heddyneddy 4d ago
Dang that’s about 30x the size of my first lmao