Flats still biting?

[mnfisherman]

Are the flathead catfish still biting or have they started slowing down by now?

Has anyone tried the Mississippi river in Hastings by the lock and dam for flatheads before?

[Lost]

Very good question. But I'm wondering if there's any deep holes that cats might make home this time of year that are reachable from shore.

I'm sure they're still biting... but kinda lethargic this time of the year.

[Dennis Steele]

You might catch one here or there.I know some folks fish for them all season but I still am not to sure that they actually are taking the bait.I have read a few studies about wintering flatheads that suggest they are dormant most of the winter.They only wake in when conditions warm dramaticly or when river conditions force them from thier wintering areas.

All that being said...There was a time when I thought channel cats became dormant in the winter.I know now that is far from the truth.I also can't say that I have spent a lot of time targeting them in the fall at water temps below 50 degrees.Thats typically when I have found that the bite pretty much ends in the fall.

I have caught a few early spring at temps in the 40's at the tail of their wintering holes,after the river has risen from recent rains.The majority of these fish were snagged and fought like a soggy log.Most likely they were pushed from the wintering holes by increased current.

[Toad]

Hey Dennis,

You and I have talked about wintertime flatheads before. So you probably know that I do believe that at least some of these fish are biting jigs, having caught a fair number of them in November and January on a certain river hole that's become, well, infamous. About 80% the fish we've caught were hooked in the jaw, or inside the mouth. So I'm almost certain that at least some of these fish are eating the jig. There's no doubt, though, that many of these fish are snagged-- some perhaps intentionally-- which to me means, maybe we shouldn't be fishing for them. They're just too concentrated and vulnerable in these holes. Too few big fish in most systems to begin with. If nothing else, we need to see a total C&R season on flatheads in many states-- MN, IA, IL, WI, etc.-- during the coldwater phases, similar to the regulation in place for smallmouth bass.

Coldwater channel cats, though, well, they offer an opportunity that's both similar and different than wintering flatheads. Lots of fish stacked in confined areas, yet we know channel cats certainly feed heavily at times, given the sheer number of fish competing for limited food within a finite area. Some of the best fishing I've ever experienced in lakes and reservoirs has taken place during November, just prior to the big freeze. Oftentimes, channel cats in these spots pop a jig with gusto-- no doubt about it.

Add to the puzzle now, what we've recently learned about coldwater blue catfish, and I don't think there's any reason to doubt the catchability of catfish, in general, during coldwater months. Ultimately, we just need to realize that wintering populations of both flatheads and channel cats should in some cases be protected. Again, just too large a segment of the overall population condensed into too finite an area. Real easy to make a serious dent in a population over the course of even a single winter of heavy harvest.

-a friend called Toad

[Dennis Steele]

What can I say.I have given it a try but only on an occasion or two.I do believe that some actually feed in the winter months when conditions are just right.And all I know is what I have read or seen in video.(A guy doesn't know anything untill he has actually had the experience)For every peice of information that says they are feeding there is another that says they aren't.Met a few guys who fish for them through the ice who told me that they were actually biting, then later confessed that "snap jigging" them was the most effective technique.Hmmm.

I have found two holes in my area wher they winter,and agree that if a less than sportsman like person disturbed them they could do quite a bit of damage.They are litteraly covering the bottom.I won't even discuss the conditions that are needed for a wintering hole,allthough many folks would be surprised. I like the idea of a catch and release season,but according to some information it might be best to have a closed season.Of course this is still assuming that they are being snagged more than they are being caught.I have not found any studies on the effects on the cats when disturbed in their witnering holes.

I would however like to be proved to, once and for all, that there is an actively feeding population of flatheads and that its not just getting lucky once and awhile.SHOW ME!?

[Lost]

I remember watching In-Fisherman one time a couple years ago and they were catching the cats through the ice. The information they shared made total sense to me. I think this segment is on one of their catfish only videos.