Originally Posted By: Mike Whatley
Matt,
Have you ever stopped to think that maybe the reason you dont ever find Flatheads in great numbers in the wild is because thats the way mama earth intended it to be?

If you put 300 flats in a 12 acre pond, you better have deep pockets to maintain an adequate forage base, and a very understanding pond owner because they're going to eat everything they can get in their mouth, including each other, and they have the biggest mouth of all North American freshwater fishes.

I appreciate your enthusiasm toward the great spotted cat, lord knows I do, but sometimes you're better off leaving well enough alone, and just cherish every encounter you have with the beast.


yeah but is it really what mother nature intended or is it that people commercially fish them hard almost eveyrone i know keeps flats when they catch them due to them being known as the best tasting of the 3

lots of other species of fish or animals end up having low numbers due to hunting them obviously they were never here i numbers of channels but lots of flatehad fishermen have told me that the reason you dont catch them as much today is due to over fishing theres guys who go out daily with nets keeping over 300 fish a day for months. yeah that has to have huge effects on them in places too.

also the fact flats dont react sexual maturity till years means when people keep big ones it could really put a dent on them bigger one shave to lay the eggs to reproduce channel cats can reproduce after 1.5 t 2 years i heard i read that flatheads dont reach sexual maturity till around 6-10 years