The biggest reservoir in Georgia, Clarks Hill contains 72,000 acres that are full of catfish of all sizes. The blue catfish caught by Mullenix weighed in at 121.5 Lbs, which was not only a Texas state record but also a world record. A recent trotline catch on Blackfish Lake in St. Francis County by Preston Gracey of Forrest City on June 10 weighed an impressive 85 lbs. 3. Today, we fish Rock Piles for Big Flathead Catfish! 2. Although Gracey’s catch does not qualify for the rod-and-reel state record, it does hold the record for … This presents the lure thirty to fifty feed down, but fifty to a hundred yards away from the boat. They prefer colder water and are usually found near the bottom although they can be found at all depths when the water is cold. Howe's Fishing, with locations in BIGFORK and LAKESIDE, is the home of A Able Charters and Mo Fisch Charters, providing year round fishing and is the largest charter boat operation in Montana. My name is Erik Barrantes out of Mesa and I caught a flathead catfish that I felt would be worth sharing and submitting for the Fat Cat Challenge to AZGFD. The only person to land a big enough fish for the top prize was C. Leslie Griffith, who was reported to have caught the 7-foot, 6-inch, 181-pound, 1-ounce white sturgeon that … Lake trout up to five pounds eat lots of Mysis shrimp and … To stem the tide, 143,000 lake trout need to be removed from Flathead Lake every year. That means the Lake Superior whitefish occupy the single, largest mass of fish in Flathead Lake, outpacing even the mackinaw, another non-native fish with a rapidly growing population. lakers and over 100' deep for larger lake trout but expect lots of mixing of sizes. Males develop large hooked jaws and humped backs. The state record is a 57.75 pound fish caught in 1994 in Nelson Reservoir near Malta. It was caught in 1998 from Elk City Reservoir and weighed 123 pounds. All species are currently managed under statewide regulations. Strictly predatory, the flathead is caught with live bait and occasionally lures, usually at night. What works is getting the lure away from the boat. We can cater our trips to our guests requests. They spawn in the fall on the rocky substrate of the shoreline. Flathead Lake (Salish: člq̓etkʷ) is a large natural lake in northwest Montana and is the largest natural freshwater lake by surface area that is west of the source of the Missouri River in the contiguous United States.. Montana's all-tackle state record is a 37.5-pounder from Tongue River Reservoir in 1972. A fish tagged with a value of $500 is the highest prize the competition has seen so far. These trophy fish can be anywhere from 36″ to 45″ in length. 6 oz. The official state catch-and-keep record was set in 1988 on the Gorge by angler Curt Bilbey. The Kansas state record is also the world record. Caught (while bass fishing) on spinnerbait and 12 pound test line. Trophy fish up to 20lbs are common with fish over 30lbs caught each year. The largest fish caught in Montana (on record, at least) is a 75-inch long, 96-pound white sturgeon caught in 1968. FISHING FOR LAKE TROUT Lake trout (or mackinaw) are primarily fish eaters. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) cooperatively manage Flathead Lake under the Flathead Lake and River Fisheries Co-management Plan. “He caught 20 lake trout and one was a $500 fish,” Bras-Benson said. Anglers also caught about the same number of fish from the docks, including pike minnow, peamouth, perch, and largemouth bass. I use lead-core rigs with 6-10 colors out at 1.7mph. And even though the conditions were far from perfect, we caught three of them. I was able to catch the fish using a 3-way rig with a live bluegill. On Sunday, Aug. 11 at Bartlett Lake I was able to land a good sized flathead catfish. Fishing Regulations. Among Montana's fish, three are listed as endangered or threatened species and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks lists a number of species as species of concern.. The angling record contains a specimen weighing 32.8 kg (72.25 lb), caught in Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, in 1995. 47″ inches long and the girth is 27”. Good choices … But … Applications for bow fishing records can no longer be accepted for these species. Fish MUST be caught on rod and line and MUST be hooked and played by only one person. The shortest is a 3-inch spottail shiner caught in 2010, and the lightest is a 1.6-ounce mountain sucker caught in 2001. We like fishing for the largest Trophy Lake Trout. The big guys seldom eat invertebrates or rummage for dinner. In Montana, the Lake Trout of Flathead Lake have achieved trophy status, growing to 42 pounds. Young kokanee living in Flathead Lake are silver-colored. A meat-and-potatoes meal for a giant flathead is another fish—a live fish—so that’s what you should use to entice them. His fish measured a whopping 45 1/8 inches in length. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks state fishing records. Even bigger lake trout have since been caught … There are plenty of fish in Flathead Lake. No fish caught from any hatchery or commercial put-and-take lake is eligible. The world record for the species, the largest member of the sucker family… Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi in the lower 48 states, with over 200 square miles of water and 185 miles of shoreline. ... For a fish that big, ... On Carlyle Lake, on the Friday evening of Aug. 11, 1995, Harris caught his Illinois-record 78-pound flathead… Cody Mullenix of Howe Texas caught the fish on January 16th, 2004 which become known as “Splash” while fishing at the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge on Lake Texoma. Fish MUST be caught in accordance with Oklahoma Fishing Regulations. Lake trout are the largest trout native to North America. A group of 61 anglers with disabilities participated in the 19th annual Fishing Without Barriers Day on Flathead Lake on June 21. It was an awesome fight from start to finish. About 25 lake trout were caught from fishing boats trolling on the lake. Lake Trout are a major game fish in much of Canada and were at one time a staple of the Great Lakes fishery. The state-record blue cat was caught here, and the lake-record flathead, a 63-pounder, was caught in 1998. Recreationists must purchase a tribal recreation permit. A pair of lead-core rigs caught as many fish as four downriggers…and as in past years, the boat-shy big fish preferred the distant lures. Early in the 20th century, biologists believed only 10 species of native fish lived in Flathead, the West's largest natural freshwater lake. So far anglers have caught 14,108 fish during the competition. Generally fish 30'-100' deep for smaller (2-5 lb.) Bartlett Lake. Lake Travis is noted for producing good numbers of largemouth bass, although they tend to run small. Caught on 3-29-2014 at Lake Thurmond. Clarks Hill has also produced a 25-pound, 2-ounce channel cat. Species are listed by common name, scientific name, typical habitat and occurrence. The mature fish range from 13 to 17 inches long, with males averaging about an inch longer than females. On this trip, I hooked into a big flathead catfish while anchor fishing in a creek mouth. Reaching that number will require a combination of efforts, but as of now the four-man fishing … (Also known as, Mudcat and Shovelhead Catfish.) Huge Lake Trout Caught by 84 Year Old at Montana’s Flathead Lake Fishing Day OutdoorHub Donna Commers has fished much of her life, but hasn’t been able to go in recent years. (Except for unrestricted division). 4. This is a lake … About 3 a.m., Klauzer had caught a massive flathead. Lake Trout inhabit very deep, cold lakes, living in water up to 200 feet deep. The lake is a remnant of the ancient, massive glacial dammed lake, Lake Missoula of the era of the last interglacial. The certified weight of the flathead catfish is 57 pounds 8 ounces. There are at least 31 game and 59 non-game fish species known to occur in Montana. Bow fishers on this lake are subject to special regulations enforced by the LCRA. Very few trophy largemouth bass have been caught. 1. Nikko Alexander caught that fish on his first time fishing on Flathead Lake. As they migrate to spawn in the shallow bays of Flathead Lake or in the Flathead River system, they turn coppery or bright red in color. In the 1950s, organized attempts were made to catch the “superfish” when Big Fish Unlimited offered significant cash awards. Angling Opportunities. Marshall White summited the details and photos below of the big flathead catfish he caught on Lake Thurmond Saturday March 29. The Lake Superior whitefish, a non-native fish planted in Flathead Lake in the early 1900s, represents the largest “biomass” in the lake. But, if you would like to catch higher numbers of smaller fish (24” to 28”), we can fish for those as well. For you people, like us, who are fishing novices, we highly recommend Flathead Lake Charters. The largest lake trout on record weighed 46.3 kg (102 lb), which was caught by the commercial fishery at Lake Athabasca, Saskatchewan in 1961. Nice size Lake Trout, aka Freshwater Char, which are members of the Salmon family, so said Captain Todd. Applications for bow fishing records can no longer be accepted for these species. Accredited or certified weight scales MUST be used to weigh the fish. Note: Bow fishing for blue, channel and flathead catfish was legal only from September 1, 2006 to August 31, 2008. The southern half of Flathead Lake is within the boundary of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead Reservation. 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