Huge Flathead Catfish from the Schuylkill - River Monster ;D

[rjared37]

nice fish de do de do de do

[sthao1]

People say cut bait works but from experience...the only time I catch flats are with live bait. Bluegills work the best...bullheads aren't bad either. If you like the battle with flats...you should definitely try salmon fishing.

[TheTroutFeeds]

dooodeeedooodeeedooodeeedooode­ee, JACOB, what...

[fiendboy]

i kid you not, i think i caught that same fish the other night lol

[jgong8638]

@fiendboy haha they all look exactly the same.. There have been a lot, much, much bigger than this one caught lately too...

[fiendboy]

@jgong8638

what were you using as bait

[jgong8638]

@fiendboy Live Bluegill.... BTW Just caught a 28lb, 40 inch on a 7 inch live Rock Bass just a few hours ago.

[fiendboy]

@jgong8638 thats nut, what parts of the schuykill are you fishing at. ive been around the conshohocken bridge, i just brought in a 4 foot eel tonight lol.

[jgong8638]

@fiendboy Everywhere from Center City Philly to Norristown. I would Love to see a 4ft Eel but I'd get all glopped up with nasty disgusting stinky Eel Slime.

[fiendboy]

@jgong8638 The last thing you want to do is have to deal with those nasty things. I was up in norristowns farm park tonight and brought in a bunch of little sunny's. Planning on going out tommorow night or sunday and use them as bait.

[AllAboutMopars]

PA fish and game commision requests that 'any flathead catfish caught from the skuykill river not be released back into the river' (they are apparently an invasive species). Used to catch channel cats (up to 10 lbs.), but the mighty flatheads are more fun to catch! Kudos for takin the kid fishin'

[jgong8638]

@AllAboutMopars I think it is just ridiculus that the PFBC still has that on their site. I guess to apease the Bass guys, who spend lots of money? They think Flatheads have cut the Largemouth Population, but the evidence is quite clear that it is not the case. Of the Hundreds of Flats the PFBC has Killed from the Schuylkill, their stomachs contained almost exclusively Crayfish. I forget the exact breakdown, but none contained Bass. Much More Likely the INVASIVE CARP eating Bass eggs:)

[jgong8638]

@jgong8638 I meant Smallmouth... The Huge Carp feed where they nest in large numbers. I have spotlighted these areas at night and seen dozens of nesting/spawning Bass and hundreds of huge Carp all in the same area. It's hard to imagine they have a good chance of survival with all these invasive Carp tearing everything up.

[bacardipr05]

@AllAboutMopars I think they gave up on that. They no longer say that its too late they already a fixture in that river

[SpinelessScales]

Very nice fish! What did you do with it?

[jgong8638]

@SpinelessScales I carefully placed it back into the River. We watched it swim away about 15 minutes later.

[hi12345636]

lol at the little guy

[jgong8638]

@hi12345636 Haha thanks. I laugh my ass off every time I watch this..."Don't be scared....DI-DO-DI-DO....... He loves playing with their fins haha

[JIHOJIJO]

Goonch?

[sk8metalnick6]

holy shit thats amazing! i catch a bunch of channel cats in the fairmount damn but no flatheads... do they eat chicken liver?

[jgong8638]

@sk8metalnick6 I don't think they will go for livers, they are Predators, so you'll need live bait to have a chance at landing a Flat. So it's a 2-part fishing trip..first fish for bait, then fish for the Flatheads!

[PRoELiiuM]

@jgong8638 u dont need live bait. Cut bait works just as well.

[tonikaduke]

Were in the river u catch it because i was up green lane and couldnt catch them i want to catch a flathead but no luck yet and i use sunnys for bait also

[ogjoec]

Nice fish dude just a heads up I got banned from that site because of involvement on other catfish sites. Paul reads private messages use that site but dont waste money donating. keep up the good work dude lata

JoeDaCatKing

[jgong8638]

@ogjoec Thanks man..thats messed up. I thought you were an asset to the site. I guess thats part of the reason for less local activity there. A lot of the dudes I have learned a lot from are not posting anymore. Too bad. See ya around,

J

[ogjoec]

Are you that JasonG dude on catfish1?

[jgong8638]

@ogjoec  Yup

[AretyRocks]

Nice catfish biggest I ever saw for the schuylkill ..I do get big carp below the falls

Jack

[Doc40]

NIICE

[jef2907]

DID DUD DID DUD

[dieselazn215]

Wow I live in Philadelphia as well.

What bait did you used and how did you fish this beauty?

Line test?

[jgong8638]

@dieselazn215 Live 8 inch bluegill Sunfish hooked through the nostril with a 8/0 offset circle hook.18 inch leader of 60lb mono, Custom made flat 6oz sinker (slip with hole through center) 15ft of 60lb mono tied to 80lb braid. It took a while for this guy to hook himself...I knew something was messin with my bait so I gently fed it a little line now and then for maybe 15 minutes, then BAM It was ON. Suprised he was feeding with only 59 deg water.

[FlatheadRiverRats]

@jgong8638 no surprise here, 59 degs is a good feeding zone for them! They will feed all the way down to 50deg. I have caught some at 48 to 49degs, but that's pushing it!! Nice healthy Flathead there, keep fishing for them, you will get your 40lb fish, we get 50+ fish over here!!

[jgong8638]

@dieselazn215 Live Bluegill, 80lb Braid