Flats moving to Spawn??

[SteveD]

I don't want to sound like a wet blanket but the St Croix water temp was 73.4 degrees last night and the flats were no where to be found. I think the St Croix flats have moved to spawning locations and are either starting to or getting ready to spawn. They have moved out of their pre-spawn hunting spots that much I am pretty sure of.

It is back to the hunt preparation again. Time to rethink strategies - tonight is my last KOTC Shootout night and last nights skunk has me befuddled. I think tonight will be an All Nighter.

[Brownie77]

So are you saying it is time to go noodeling?

[SteveD]

Go ahead and noodle all you want - just remember that big old snapping turtle that lives in that same snag hole loves fingers for breakfast.

[Brownie77]

I still have 8.5 fingers to lose. LOL

[Larry FlatCaster]

you might be right Steve.... Though I would have thought we have a little more time given the recent cool down and the overall cool season... I think that they are driven by amount of daylight as well so they don't spawn during in-climate weather, and we are coming down the pipe to the longest day of the year.

[Shack]

In pool 2 there is some signs of scared up cat’s showing up. I got one Sunday morning that had a battle wound of sorts. The 46"er just picked up in Pool 2 posted in the Pool 2 forum "where’s the cats" thread had a nice mark on its back. No big rub marks but maybe a sign of territorial battling starting for the spawn. It is June 16th and LFC I agree. They have to start some time and daylight might play a big roll in this when the temps are not responding.

With the Croix’s water temps Steve is reporting could very well mean the start to the spawn over that way.

No reports I have heard of involving milt or eggs yet.

[Scott K]

I had a skinny 10 lber in my boat this last weekend, that had battle scars, I also had a really fat cat.

[KMR85]

The 46"er just picked up in Pool 2 posted in the Pool 2 forum "where’s the cats" thread had a nice mark on its back.

I saw that and started thinking about the spawn too. I hope it doesn't happen for a week yet. I need to get more fishing in...Haven't landed a flat yet. I did get to take a couple pics for Truth Walleyes last week though.

[JimBuck]

I've been having thoughts of targeting channels a lot more recently and thought about these factors. At what point do the channels start to spawn? Do they tend to shut down as much as flats during spawn into post-spawn?

[MinnesnowtaWild]

We caught a Flathead last night that was very beat up...

[hanson]

Typically on the Minnesota, you won't be seeing the full blown affect of the spawn until July, then you'll have a 2-3 week period of tough fishing. During this period of tough flattie fishing, the channel bite seams to go nuts again post spawn. So... the question is when are the channels spawning? Probably soon if they aren't already.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Bummer...I move away from this area on August 1st and I'm gunna have to start all over again in the Chaska/Carver area being located in Orono. I won't be able to go out with a bang down here.

[Laska]

Flats r spawnin aroung the winona pool 6 area

[PierBridge]

Both of the Flats we landed on Mississippi last night were showing noticeable scarring!

[Slowhand]

Same here Pier...was out on Minnesota last night and I had one that was beat up pretty badly around the head area; on top of head and under the jaw.

[Gordie]

yea the one I got on tuesday night had some scars on the bottom side of its jaw

[SteveD]

I just got back in and skunked again tonight. Fished from 8:00 to 10:30pm with not a touch. The bright spot is that I don't use up much of my dwindling supply of bullheads. I had my marine radio giving me a constant weather alert starting at about 10:00pm and I figured the lack of activity and the approaching storm was enough reason to go home.

I can't make the Moore's Contest on Saturday night. I'll be a Drum Beauty at Stillwater High School that evening. My bride took me to that event a few years ago and I got hooked on it. It is a fun time. Saturday's weather forecast is shaping up for a great summer night for a cat contest though. Good luck to everybody.

[aanderud]

We got almost-skunked tonight as well with just a tiny guy in the boat. Of course, Darren was only along for the ride. He decided it was a bigger challenge to fish with artificial bait instead of live. His setup was a crappie bobber a couple inches above a plain 10/0 gamakatsu hook.

[rushing]

He decided it was a bigger challenge to fish with artificial bait instead of live. His setup was a crappie bobber a couple inches above a plain 10/0 gamakatsu hook.

Now that's an advanced technique used by only the most dedicated flathead jedi's.

*waves hand* You will bite my hook.

[Slowhand]

Originally Posted By: aanderud

He decided it was a bigger challenge to fish with artificial bait instead of live. His setup was a crappie bobber a couple inches above a plain 10/0 gamakatsu hook.

Now that's an advanced technique used by only the most dedicated flathead jedi's.

*waves hand* You will bite my hook.

The hook might have still smelled like a bullhead...10/0 Gulp Gamakatsu's

[Gordie]

AH Grasshopper when you catch flathead on plain hook you may leave....

[DTro]

Ok, all kidding aside….

I purchased the Wizard Extreme Net Man and put him to the test last night, I must admit, there was a nice flame and the whole river valley filled with smoke (I have video), but alas he just couldn’t complete the Flathead challenge, so I exchanged him for a couple of bags of Jack’s Links.

[mplspug]

Should have went with goalie. Goalies are characters and fun to talk to. You could have had entertaining stories in between bites. . They are incredible silver carp netters.

[Larry FlatCaster]

Ok, all kidding aside….

so I exchanged him for a couple of bags of Jack’s Links.

Hmmmmm.... now that you mention.

its about time to start luring Samsquatch back out of hiding....

Jack's Links seem to work.. we might need another week under our belt.

[riverrat56]

I had a 74.3 water temp tonight, boated 4 fish, lost a nicer one and missed 3, all fish boated were under 10 lbs. Do the smaller fish spawn later/not at all? In the past the locations I was fishing haven't held many fish but have held nicer ones, but not so tonight.