Bring back Flatheads in ND

[Catfishermen4201]

Ive fished for, and have caught hundreds of blue cats in other states, pretty unmistakable when you've had many of both in your hands, and these were obviously blues. I'm not trying to beep my own horn, but when it comes to fish identification I don't think many here would "question my authoritah" (cartman's voice). Blue cat meat is firmer and white vs channel cat thats dull orange and mushy. after eating blues you give up channel cat. We caught some in the tailrace during the high water in 97-98, not very many, maybe 6 or so. I'm guessing they swam up from somewhere in south dakota. there was also an abundance of gar (shortnose) in the tailrace that year, the biggest I have ever seen. you could watch hundreds of them gulping air in any of the slack water down there.

I will completely agree with you! Blues are in the Missouri river system and have been for years. Caught my fair share over 30-40lbs at night. The rays on the anal fin look like someone took a scissor to it and made a perfect straight cut, channels are more round, only a few rays differentiate the 2 as the coloring can be somewhat similar.

Just and FYI, the have been in the tailrace for at least the last 20 years. Try night fishing, you will catch them, Channels, monster trout, and even salmon....gotta think shallow though as they are usually in groups so if you can get 1 there are way more. Circle hook works wonders in that current.

 

[CatDaddy]

I will completely agree with you! Blues are in the Missouri river system and have been for years. Caught my fair share over 30-40lbs at night. The rays on the anal fin look like someone took a scissor to it and made a perfect straight cut, channels are more round, only a few rays differentiate the 2 as the coloring can be somewhat similar.

Just and FYI, the have been in the tailrace for at least the last 20 years. Try night fishing, you will catch them, Channels, monster trout, and even salmon....gotta think shallow though as they are usually in groups so if you can get 1 there are way more. Circle hook works wonders in that current.

I apologize for the skepticism. Learn something new everyday! I trusted G&F data, this is from US Fish and Wildlife:

https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Ecological-Risk-Screening-Summary-Blue-Catfish.pdf

 

[svnmag]

Where do you find that info? All I can find is post 2000 stocking reports. Otherwise it’s nothing but word of mouth he said/she said accounts. Have heard plenty of stories of stocking while it was too warm, birds ate them all. Etc, etc. Ive also heard it wasn’t a full blown attempt but more or less tried “to put some in”. Where did they get the eggs? What strain? How do they know they didn’t make it past 5-10 years? Was the lack of angler harvest the fact they didn’t make it at least a few years or do anglers not spend their time fishing 120ft of water in the 90s…. One could argue even salmon fisherman may not be in the proper depth for lakers… Would a different strain yeild better results….. 35 years. Surely there’s something different rhey could try after 35 years…they microchip salmon now. Im betting rhey didnt have that technology in the 90s. .It’s all word of mouth, nothing documented that I can find…....some people aren’t understanding what I’m saying. I understand they will probably die…. But so do all the walleyes stocked as well. It seems those opposed somehow think the stocking effort needs to correlate into a sustainable population Im not suggesting that. Im suggesting putting some in so the ones rhats survive csn be caught by someone. You yourself are quite possibly a beneficiary of the last attempt…… some may argue it’s a waste of money…. Well I’d argue 20k walleyes into lake Geneva is a waste of money as well…… and if
Lakers are that off the menu for gnf then why not try some steelhead or other type of cold water fish, browns, cutthroats….Have the stock truck that dumps them
In at the kiddy pond in Riverdale accidentally dump them down the hill .

I "get" what you're saying. I want the Hatchery Creek improved for viable spawning and the mission shifted to raising bait. I've posted often about this shit. MSA knows his shit.

I caught/ate a small laker after the Flood. Didn't realize wtf it was until I got home and the internet.

 

[MSA]

I will completely agree with you! Blues are in the Missouri river system and have been for years. Caught my fair share over 30-40lbs at night. The rays on the anal fin look like someone took a scissor to it and made a perfect straight cut, channels are more round, only a few rays differentiate the 2 as the coloring can be somewhat similar.

Just and FYI, the have been in the tailrace for at least the last 20 years. Try night fishing, you will catch them, Channels, monster trout, and even salmon....gotta think shallow though as they are usually in groups so if you can get 1 there are way more. Circle hook works wonders in that current.

Did he just tell me to try night fishing in the tailrace?

 

[risingsun]

Did he just tell me to try night fishing in the tailrace?

Well, he is a newbie.

 

[KDM]

Did he just tell me to try night fishing in the tailrace?

Yep and he's just trying to help out with some info. So good on you Catfishermen4201. Keep giving out suggestions. That's what this site is for. That said, I totally agree. You should try it...........Again..........and let us know how it goes. (Grin)

 

[johnr]

Did he just tell me to try night fishing in the tailrace?

So are you going too?

 

[MSA]

So are you going too?

Maybe, I hit it last Saturday night and it was pretty dead, but that massive cold front had just come thru