After looking over the weights, I've never wanted to catfish more. Blue catfish from 26-inches to 34-inches in length are protected at Truman and Lake of the Ozarks. While some other states allow hand-fishing for catfish, most classify one or more catfish species as non-game fish. They're green or brown, with that characteristically flattened head and a rounded tail. Some great places to find blues are in the Upper Grand, Osage and Tebo arms of Truman Lake. The belly is a pale yellow to cream color. It occurs in most of the large streams of Missouri, preferring places with a slow current. The body of the Flathead Catfish is tubular in shape and lacks scales. A tweet from Nebraska Game and Parks reads "Holy Cow! 09/24/2015 CLAY COUNTY, Mo. Flathead catfish are bottom-dwelling beasts that swim throughout rivers and lakes. (The alternate-method record, a 94-pounder from the St. Francis River, has stood since 1971.) Adults consume larger prey, including bullheads, gizzard shad, and carp, and reportedly some terrestrial animals that have the misfortune of finding themselves in the water. Bullhead Catfish The lower jaw projects beyond the upper jaw. Blue Catfish #3. Flatheads are easy to tell the difference between blues and channels. Weighing. . Refer to the Wildlife Code Season Open January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 Notes Limits apply on all waters except on areas with special regulations. Flathead Catfish. - Mathew McConkey of Kansas City became the most recent record-breaking fisherman in Missouri when he caught his giant flathead catfish on the Missouri River using a trotline. Limits Valid Permits Allowed & Prohibited Methods Season Open Catfish (Channel) January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 Notes Blue Catfish #4. It occurs in most of the large streams of Missouri, preferring places with a slow current. Their body is brown to yellow and is mottled or speckled with darker brown-black colors. So if your blue catfish is between these measurements, ensure you release it safely into the waters. 71.6#Flathead/Cut Goldeye. The flathead catfish has a broad, flattened head with small eyes on top. Mathew McConkey of Kansas City became the most . The new "alternative methods" record flathead catfish caught by McConkey on Sept. 19 weighed 100 pounds and was 57-inches long. Used 10/0 circle hooks as well.. The new state record Flathead Catfish came in officially weighing 89lbs, is 53.5in long, and 37.5in girth, shattering the previous state record of 80lbs. Check area regulations. Truman Lake is also home to some big flathead catfish. 2019; Montague and Shoup 2021). One of the highly recommended reasons to have flatheads is because it offers more omega-3 fatty acids than other food items. Ethan Evink, visiting from Iowa, caught the. 30# Flathead On A Whole . 65# Estimate/Cut Drum. 100# + Estimate (This Fish Died) 50# Estimate/ Cut Drum. This species has a diverse diet, feeding on macroinvertebrates and fish, including shads, centrarchids, bass, and crayfish (Schmitt et al. The lower jaw projects beyond the upper jaw. The flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), also called by several common names including mudcat or shovelhead cat, is a large species of North American freshwater catfish in the family Ictaluridae.It is the only species of the genus Pylodictis.Ranging from the lower Great Lakes region to northern Mexico, it has been widely introduced and is an invasive species in some areas. Adult Flathead Catfish are piscivorous ambush predators (Eggleton and Schramm 2004). It serves as a building block for different enzymes, hormones, and other molecules. The majority of them were released, unless otherwise noted. Flatheads are more elusive than the other two species. For more information for catfishing at Truman Lake call the MDC at 660-885-6981. Get your MONSTER flathead catfish here! In the Missouri River, flathead catfish reached 14 The flathead I caught in the net was in a small cove off the main river in less than 4ft of water. Truman is a hotspot for blue and flathead catfish. Looks like our rod & reel state record flathead catfish will now stand at 89 pounds!" and they estimate the fish to be around 100 years old. Regulations are subject to revision during the current year. Missouri River Catfish- Catch, Picture & Released. In this episode, Chris ventures back to Busch Wildlife near St. Louis, MO in search of these whiskered beasts and enc. 57.6K subscribers Went out fishing on the Missouri River in mid July and caught two nice Flathead catfish in a matter of minutes using live bluegill for bait. They have a broad, flat head with a protruding lower jaw. Lake Jacomo (Jackson County) is the best of the very few bodies of water in Missouri where a channel catfisherman stands an honest chance of landing a 10- to 15-pound trophy. Catfish (Flathead) Check the Code This is NOT a legal document. 63,380 views Sep 15, 2016 511 Dislike Share MOconservation 13.3K subscribers ARE YOU READY TO TOP THIS RECORD? So, including flathead catfish in your diet can help with weight loss by making you feel full. Flathead Catfish Seasons Catfish Season Open Catfish (Blue) January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 Notes Limits apply on all waters except on areas with special regulations. If you dream of catching a trophy flathead while fishing from shore, this is your spot! A total of 8,395 flathead catfish ranging in size from 2-50 inches (51-1,270 mm) total length (TL) was collected from eight study sites. There are couple of guys down here that do well with live Perch on limblines but I only rod n reel fish. Limits Valid Permits Allowed & Prohibited Methods For example, many anglers find success drift fishing or jugging for blue catfish with cut shad. Missouri catfishes have smooth, scaleless skin and barbels ("whiskers") around the mouth. May 20, 2022 1:53 pm ET A South Dakota angler has shattered a 16-year-old state record with the recent catch of a 67-pound, 8-ounce flathead catfish. I found certified records for flathead catfish in 36 out of 50 states in the US. Its great that the guys who fish for catfish here on the Osage are finally starting to post on . Missouri catfishes have smooth, scaleless skin and barbels ("whiskers") around the mouth. Flathead catfish are primarily but not exclusively bottom feeders and consume insects, crayfish, clams, and assorted small fish, including sunfish, shiners, and shad. - The Missouri state record catch for flathead catfish was set in 2015. All of the following catfish were caught on the Missouri River. The current pole-and-line record, 77 pounds, 8 ounces, was taken out of the Missouri River near St. Louis by Darrell Hudspeth in 1997. Channels in the 4- to 6-pound class are common -- another rarity in the Show Me State. Yet, they still grow well over 50 pounds, making them the second-largest catfish in Missouri. Unlike other catfish, Flathead Catfish feed on only live prey. Look for flatheads along creek channels and use live bait like shiners or bluegill. Check area regulations. (Pictured left to right) Fisherman Mathew McConkey and his two friends Lloyd Kendall and Wes Coke hold the 100-pound new state-record falthead catfish. Opportunistic feeders, flathead catfish will munch on anything from oysters to live bluegills. Congratulations to Matthew McConkey on breaking the state record by catching a 100-pound flathead catfish using a trotline on the Missouri River. The flathead catfish has a broad, flattened head with small eyes on top. Even a medium-sized flathead will dwarf the largest channel cat in Missouri - and there's no confusing the two. Surveys show that hand-fishing tends to be highly successful. Virgil targets fish in the 18 to 25 ft range. In Missouri, flathead and blue catfish are valued as a top game fish and are therefore regulated under the state's Wildlife Code. Pectoral spines were aged from 2,114 flathead catfish; ages ranged from 1-24 years on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.