Flathead catfishin

[dennishoddy]

Never really targeted flatheads. Mostly Blues and some channel cats.
Caught a few small ones in the past, but watched some of the noodling programs in the past that were on Kaw lake. All were shallow in holes under rocks. I know the locations of where they noodled.
One guy drowned. He was noodling under a rock shelf, and it caved in on him.
They put up a stainless-steel cross at that location but it didn't last long as the waves beat out of its mooring.
But, watching that show, they typically like shallow water and live bait in rocky areas.

 

[avtomatkalashnikov47]

Only place on the canadian/ okie river ive seen flats is right below the dam ( at Eastern ave), but ive seen blues/ channel there too.. Eagle lake in del is city owned, last i was there it had a little envelope drop box where you could pay ( del city) by the day to fish. ( we got sunfish, small bass, channel). Thunderbird has Channels, Blues, flatheads- and while i was present when someone got a 20lb flat, i think all the cats we’ve caught there were channel or blues..

thanks for the reccomendation.

it was my first time there, i didnt have alot of confidence because it was shallow, but i landed this 20 pounder on a live bluegill. i got alot of smaller bites on cutbait shad litterally all night long, i suspect the majority was garfish, because the wife reel'd in a good 3-4 pound long nose gar.

Also, word of advice, if your headed there, park off the highway exit. the other side has better parking, but its quite difficult to fish.

also, i saw and confirmed a little water moccassin was swimming up and down the shoreline. i put a big torch spotlight on him. it was not a banded watersnake.


So - that little dam off eastern is a good spot. thank you again. i was up till 3 cleaning him..
Freezers full, and ill be throwing whatever flatheads i catch back for awhile as now i got plenty of fish if i want to fry some up frozen in the freezer.

I weighed him, he isnt the biggest ive caught before, but still a impressive 20 pounder for the first time ive fished there off eastern.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

nice flattie!

 

[wolfkpr]

thanks for the reccomendation.

it was my first time there, i didnt have alot of confidence because it was shallow, but i landed this 20 pounder on a live bluegill. i got alot of smaller bites on cutbait shad litterally all night long, i suspect the majority was garfish, because the wife reel'd in a good 3-4 pound long nose gar.

Also, word of advice, if your headed there, park off the highway exit. the other side has better parking, but its quite difficult to fish.

also, i saw and confirmed a little water moccassin was swimming up and down the shoreline. i put a big torch spotlight on him. it was not a banded watersnake.


So - that little dam off eastern is a good spot. thank you again. i was up till 3 cleaning him..
Freezers full, and ill be throwing whatever flatheads i catch back for awhile as now i got plenty of fish if i want to fry some up frozen in the freezer.

I weighed him, he isnt the biggest ive caught before, but still a impressive 20 pounder for the first time ive fished there off eastern.

If you catch gar- they actually are good eating. The eggs and some other parts are toxic- the good “ backstrap” meat is long tube shape strips, and its best to just use pruning shear to cut across behind the head, and cut those armored scales. Just split him down the middle of the back, and get that backstrap meat. They need to be about 3 ft long to be worth it. I grew up thinking they were “ trash fish”, but you really have to try it

 

[avtomatkalashnikov47]

Most people are assholes I'm aware everybody has this bias against garfish and will throw them on shore and just leave them to die or basically abuse them. It's not very sportsmanlike at all you know it's up to us to actually care for mother nature so our future generations can enjoy. And honestly makes me kind of sad to see people abuse fish I did my best to release that little gar back into the water that my wife caught.

As far as that really big flat head that I caught I would have released it but I have a good feeling it would have passed away because it swallowed the hook so I mean I'm not going to just let a good big fish like that go to waste. I really didn't have a choice considering it swallowed the big circle c hook and practically ripped stomach out reeling it in...


But yeah I was aware they're supposed to be pretty good eating as long as you clean them out and get all the purple eggs. I wasn't aware any other part of the garfish was poisonous or toxic or whatever, and yeah they're pretty tough you got to use ten snips on their hide. It just seems like a lot of work they're supposed to be pretty bony.

I guess if me and some guys on here or wherever end up going fishing if somebody knows a good recipe to cook them up I would be open to trying it you just got to clean them really good I've heard people make gar balls and just deep fry them like any other fish rolled in cornmeal and supposed to be pretty good. Just bony. Lots of cartlidge in them kinda like carp.

 

[psimp]

Looks like Pine Creek Reservoir has some

 

[1Mudman]

I have always river fished for flatheads. Find a hole with some snags in it and use a big bobber and cast upstream and float your bait past the snags and let the current work it by them. A high bank on a bend is another good place. Washita River below Ft Cobb, all the way to lake Texoma is Good Cat country.

 

[1Mudman]

Most people are assholes I'm aware everybody has this bias against garfish and will throw them on shore and just leave them to die or basically abuse them. It's not very sportsmanlike at all you know it's up to us to actually care for mother nature so our future generations can enjoy. And honestly makes me kind of sad to see people abuse fish I did my best to release that little gar back into the water that my wife caught.

As far as that really big flat head that I caught I would have released it but I have a good feeling it would have passed away because it swallowed the hook so I mean I'm not going to just let a good big fish like that go to waste. I really didn't have a choice considering it swallowed the big circle c hook and practically ripped stomach out reeling it in...


But yeah I was aware they're supposed to be pretty good eating as long as you clean them out and get all the purple eggs. I wasn't aware any other part of the garfish was poisonous or toxic or whatever, and yeah they're pretty tough you got to use ten snips on their hide. It just seems like a lot of work they're supposed to be pretty bony.

I guess if me and some guys on here or wherever end up going fishing if somebody knows a good recipe to cook them up I would be open to trying it you just got to clean them really good I've heard people make gar balls and just deep fry them like any other fish rolled in cornmeal and supposed to be pretty good. Just bony. Lots of cartlidge in them kinda like carp.

Gar has ruined many a trot line I worked hard getting the bait only to be eaten and destroyed by gar. We always released them and have caught some Huge! gar. We would move our trot lines.