What is the biggest flathead catfish ever caught?
123 pounds
What was the largest flathead catfish ever caught? Ken Paulie caught the biggest Flathead Catfish back in 1998, and he still holds the world record, though some question its legitimacy. The Flathead was over 5 feet in length and weighed 123 pounds.
How big can a flathead catfish get?
Flathead catfish can reach 29-30 inches in length, compared with the channel cats that average 10-20 inches. Although tolerant of turbid (cloudy) water and warm water temperatures, catfish prefer clean streams and require well oxygenated water.
Are large flathead catfish good eating?
There are many catfish species, but the Flathead is renowned for its fantastic flavor and is said to be the best catfish to eat. The Flathead Catfish is very distinctive in its appearance, having a square-shaped tail instead of a more usual forked look.
What is considered a big flathead catfish?
Description. The flathead catfish grows to a length of 155 cm (61 in) and may weigh up to 56 kg (123 lb), making it the second-largest North American catfish (after the blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus). The average length is about 25-46 in (64-117 cm). Its maximum recorded lifespan is 24 years.
Who holds the record for the biggest flathead?
Last week, Fisho’s Patrick Linehan landed a true trophy-size specimen, measuring 105cm.
What state has the biggest flathead catfish?
Mississippi waters produce many giant cats. One of the best is the state’s namesake river, a trophy-catfish factory running 410 miles along the state’s western border, which produced both the state-record blue (95 pounds) and flathead (77.7 pounds).
How old is a 30 lb flathead catfish?
Flatheads put on 2-5 pounds a year between 3 and 8 years old. Monster cats grow upward of 10 pounds a year. In some southern rivers and reservoirs, cats have grown as much as 30 pounds in 10 years. Flathead catfish reach sexual maturity between the ages of 4 and 6 and have an average life span of 20 years.
What eats a flathead catfish?
Adult flathead catfish have few natural predators. Their most common predators are members of their own species and humans who fish for them. However, young flathead catfish are sometimes eaten by turtles, larger fish and wading birds such as great blue herons.
What is the best tasting catfish?
flatheads
Some anglers believe flatheads’ diet is responsible for their superior table quality. And a properly cleaned flathead (be sure to remove the yellow fat in the meat) is unquestionably the best tasting of all catfish.
Where are the biggest flathead catfish caught?
Fish measured at 48 inches – An angler from Hobart, Indiana caught a new state-record flathead catfish while fishing in Berrien County, Michigan. The flathead catfished weighed in at 53.35 pounds and measured 48 inches.
What is the biggest catfish on record in the United States?
The blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) is the largest species of North American catfish, reaching a length of 165 cm (65 in) and a weight of 68 kg (150 lb). The typical length is about 25–46 in (64–117 cm)….
| Blue catfish | |
|---|---|
| Family: | Ictaluridae |
| Genus: | Ictalurus |
| Species: | I. furcatus |
| Binomial name |
How long is a 50 lb flathead catfish?
45.25 inches long
I’ve fished the Susquehanna for years and I’ve never caught anything quite like it.” It took Bonawitz 25 minutes to land the 50-pound, 7-ounce fish. It measured 45.25 inches long. Its girth was 31.25 inches.
Can you eat huge catfish?
Big catfish taste worse than smaller catfish because they have more toxins in their meat. The meat of old catfish also tends to get old and mushy, providing a different and more gamey flavor when cooked. Usually the cut off for eating catfish for me is 8lbs. Anything over that is getting released to live another day.
What is a flatheads favorite food?
Food Habits – Flatheads are predatory fish and will consume bass, bream, shad, crayfish and often feed on other catfish. The young rely more extensively on aquatic insects and crayfish than do the adults. Large flatheads sometime congregate where food is plentiful such as near tailraces of dams.