The Ultimate FLATHEAD vacation?

[wooduck26]

Where would you go?

What time of year?

Help me plan something for next year!

[Gordie]

oklahoma and noodlin

[DARK30]

Looking at your avatar...your in the right place. We got the best mudeye action a person could hope for all within a couple hours of the twin cities...and we got some (halfway ok) regs to help keep it that way.

Lets talk about some prime Blue Cat waters to check out! I'm already planning a return trip to the Potomac River near DC for next spring....gonna try and squeeze the James in too. A short 12 hour drive will put you on the Cumberland River in TN. ...been there done that ..great time! They all got flatheads too but why go to another party when you got your own right here...well you could go south and get a head start I guess. If I had to choose, I'd like to go play in the Colorado River near Blyth Ca. on the Arizona border...nice flathead fishing I hear.

I talk to flatbed truck drivers every day at work and I get a lot of stories from down south...Lots of water out there.

[rushing]

I would like to fish the Colorado river in AZ. Would seem like fishin in an alien landscape compared to the MN river.

[wooduck26]

Im just trying to find a place to fish outta town for a guys weekend. (long wekkend) for something different.

[SteveD]

Im just trying to find a place to fish outta town for a guys weekend. (long wekkend) for something different.

Looking for a get-a-way to catch a big flathead. You don't have to travel any where or spend a lot of money. Look at Pool 3 or the St Croix and set up on a nice campsite on an island or sandy shoreline. Pick a spot you can fish from shore late at night - probably just above or below a good wingdam if on Pool 3. I would have two rods in the water per person 24/7 - that is how you will catch a big flathead.

Pick your spot ahead of time and prepare it well. Tarp an eating area and haul in all the comforts so you are not roughing it. Cots for sleeping, chairs, coolers. No use roughing it - take a little time and set up cozy. Bring nightcrawlers and you can catch your own bait - Sheepshead, suckers. If it is swimming in the river the flats are eating it. It will solve the whole bait thing. Bring one of those wire fish baskets to keep bait alive.

I know several spots on the St Croix that this would put a big flat on your digital camera. I can't tell you about them though - you have to find them yourself - that is the last piece of the puzzle.

[hanson]

If I'm travelling out of state to catfish, big Blue Cats are going to be on my radar.

Missouri River around Kansas City would be a great place to start IMO. Easy drive to get there as well. Dark30 has listed some other fantastic spots. The James River may be the hottest thing going for monster blue cats.

[Scott M]

I'm kicking around going to the Cumberland River in Tennessee. Big flats, channels, and blues. A good friend of mine just started grad school down that way and he's a big cat hound.

[harvey lee]

While I was in TN last week I saw many places on the TN river and Cumberland river that looked good for cats.

I didn't bring a rod along but after seeing these locations, I wish I would have.

[wooduck26]

Steve, Ive done the Pool 3 thing, never fished the Criox for flats (just channels WAY up river).

MO, TN, The James river...them are some options...just somthing outta state, to change up the experience a bit!

[DTro]

You want a REALLY fun experience, head to Texas for the monster Alligator Gar!

[Gordie]

thats on the list DTRO but gotta few before that gets to the top of the list. The cummberland river is an awsome system. I got the pleasure to fish it back in the late 80's with a guy that I was working with down there he asked me if I wanted to go fishing on my day off and of course I said yes so when he picked me up that next morning he asked what would you like to fish for and my response was catfish his mouth dropped to the floor. figured you for a bass fisherman he said. he had a bass boat all rigged up for bassin that day but we went cattin any way. we had a blast caught a lot of channels and a couple blues.nothing really big, didnt really fish for flats.

[hanson]

I believe its the Cumberland that also has those giant hybrid stripers in it. Oh boy... can you say 50lb white bass!!

[Shack]

KS Elk City Reservoir would be my pick! Anywhere upstream on the Ohio is another close option.

Unless the dead of winter or going blue, not much reason for heading out of the state of MN

Sure you have a chance at a 80-100lb flathead down south, but even a few days on a guided trip, what are the chances?

Now blues are another story!

[Blue Kayak]

I have to agree with many of the others. Living so close to the Minnesota River, I can't get excited about traveling far to fish for flatheads. Blues would be interesting. However, the Fishing Minnesota Sturgeon Excursion would be at the top of my list. Close enough that you could maybe afford another trip later in the year. Paddlefish would be another great option.

If you are including a family in the vacation, the James River or other Virginia blue catfish water would go to the top of the list. Lots of interesting history in that area. Winnipeg is another great family vacation destination, and the Lockport channels are definitely worth the trip for any catfish angler.

[demetrius]

if you want monster flatheads, kansas is the one and only place I go, they catch 80lb flatheads out of feeder creeks!!!but big blues are abundant everywhere, the ohio river, mississippi below alton dam, the tennessee river system, the cumberland in my opinion is way OVERRATED, I can catch way more 50-70lb blues in my backyard than they do down there, just more water and habitat. the mississippi is the top of the mountain for monster cats, just look at all of the state records for Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkansas, way more 100lb blues there than anywhere in the country, the james river will never touch it.

[bronzeback]

Dtro took the words right out of my mouth, or the keys right off of my fingers, however it makes sense.

Chase some giant Gar! I was in Texas a year and a half ago bass fishing for a week and I regret not trying for any other species, Gar being at the top of the list, catfish being second.

From what I've read, Lake Fork holds a decent catfish population, but I suppose finding them in a reservoir that big could be a hassle, a river situation would make their location much more predictable especially if that's what you're used to fishing.

I say just hop on I-35 and start driving South until you feel like pulling off and trying to find some water to throw a bait into. But also be sure to buy a license first.