28lb Flathead catfish

[bowler]

Some guy on this app called fish brain caught a 28lb Flathead catfish today at sfd. I told him he should have taken it home because it's not native to that waters. And some guys comment saying leave the flathead alone it does nothing. I guess he doesn't know about flatheads. I told him it's a predatory fish and it's going to mess up the lake. What do you think? Should he have kept the flathead?

[etucker1959]

Some guy on this app called fish brain caught a 28lb Flathead catfish today at sfd. I told him he should have taken it home because it's not native to that waters. And some guys comment saying leave the flathead alone it does nothing. I guess he doesn't know about flatheads. I told him it's a predatory fish and it's going to mess up the lake. What do you think? Should he have kept the flathead?
Since most of our middle size lakes don't get stocked with catfish or trout any more. What species are we really trying to protect? Bass some what and bluegill a little, but it's mostly Carp which don't really need any protecting. If there was some kind of major effort to rebuild the Bass population by making them Catch & Release only. Along with improving the habitat and additional stocking of LMB. I would say remove all fish like that. But since their isn't, I think he did the right thing by letting it go, at least there is another trophy catfish someone would be proud to catch still in the lake.

[bowler]

Since most of our middle size lakes don't get stocked with catfish or trout any more. What species are we really trying to protect? Bass some what and bluegill a little, but it's mostly Carp which don't really need any protecting. If there was some kind of major effort to rebuild the Bass population by making them Catch & Release only. Along with improving the habitat and additional stocking of LMB. I would say remove all fish like that. But since their isn't, I think he did the right thing by letting it go, at least there is another trophy catfish someone would be proud to catch still in the lake.
At 28 lbs you know that flathead is eating baby bass and other fish. I think they should get rid of that flatheads and the ones in there and the lake will have a good turn around on the fish population

[Ifishtoolittle]

Flatheads are the least of your problems, there are redtail catfish in there as well.

[bowler]

Flatheads are the least of your problems, there are redtail catfish in there as well.

Really? Well they need to electronic shock the lake and get both of them out of the lake.

[Ifishtoolittle]

Really? Well they need to electronic shock the lake and get both of them out of the lake.

Yeah. I recall seeing a post of one here years back. It was in the high teens to low 20s.

[goodguy]

Some guy on this app called fish brain caught a 28lb Flathead catfish today at sfd. I told him he should have taken it home because it's not native to that waters. And some guys comment saying leave the flathead alone it does nothing. I guess he doesn't know about flatheads. I told him it's a predatory fish and it's going to mess up the lake. What do you think? Should he have kept the flathead?

Large Mouth Bass are a non-native species to CA as well. By your logic these should all be removed too...

http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?SpeciesID=401

[seal]

I think he should do what he wanted to do. His choice not yours.

[etucker1959]

At 28 lbs you know that flathead is eating baby bass and other fish. I think they should get rid of that flatheads and the ones in there and the lake will have a good turn around on the fish population
Well that's a nice thought, let's put it to the test. At SFD we know there is Flatheads in there and Bass. So rate the Bass fishing at SFD on a 1-10 scale. Now compare 2 similar body's of water. Peck road lake and say Legg lake and rate those bodies of water for Bass. I'm not a Bass fishermen who fishes those lakes but I'm sure someone here does. (Then compare all 3 lakes.) That should tell us the answer to your question of should it been removed to help the Bass fishing!!!!!!!

[Nuoc Mam]

Really? Well they need to electronic shock the lake and get both of them out of the lake.

Hmmm let's see.... Let's electo shock all the lakes in California with non-natives species and remove them all hmmmmm wonder who's going to pay for that???????

My opinion, just like another member said. He does what he wants to do with it.

[reservoir dog]

I think he should do what he wanted to do. His choice not yours.

...I agree! ��

[riverbud55]

Well I could bet you wouldn't like it if you were fishing only for "native" fishes to CA cuz you wouldn't be fishing for any of the sunfishes you like to fish for or any catfish, carp or striped bass all of which are invasive species to CA freshwater impoundments and rivers, about the only game fish native to CA are some of the trout and salmon spices, http://calfish.ucdavis.edu/species/
Actually the flathead would benefit the bass more then not,, with carp been one of its main food sources seeing they are both hang at the bottom,, carp will kill more baby/eggs bass then then a flat will ever eat, believe me a big flat is not looking for half oz baby bass its looking for a 2 or 3 pound carp to eat, a 25lb flat will have no problem downing a 2lb carp, Go out to the river where the big flats roam in numbers the bass population has no problems in surviving,, the biggest problem on the sunfishes is the striped bass, with the introduction of the gizzard shad on the colorado river all fish will benefit from having a larger forage food in numbers, it wont tqke long before they make the SoCall lakes threw the Colorado river aqueduct as did the mighty flathead catfish, believe me catch a 50lb flathead you will put the bass rods away,, love to have a lake that has a good population of flats in SoCal, would just need a legal way to fish for them

[etucker1959]

Well I could bet you wouldn't like it if you were fishing only for "native" fishes to CA cuz you wouldn't be fishing for any of the sunfishes you like to fish for or any catfish, carp or striped bass all of which are invasive species to CA freshwater impoundments and rivers, about the only game fish native to CA are some of the trout and salmon spices, http://calfish.ucdavis.edu/species/
Actually the flathead would benefit the bass more then not,, with carp been one of its main food sources seeing they are both hang at the bottom,, carp will kill more baby/eggs bass then then a flat will ever eat, believe me a big flat is not looking for half oz baby bass its looking for a 2 or 3 pound carp to eat, a 25lb flat will have no problem downing a 2lb carp, Go out to the river where the big flats roam in numbers the bass population has no problems in surviving,, the biggest problem on the sunfishes is the striped bass, with the introduction of the gizzard shad on the colorado river all fish will benefit from having a larger forage food in numbers, it wont tqke long before they make the SoCall lakes threw the Colorado river aqueduct as did the mighty flathead catfish, believe me catch a 50lb flathead you will put the bass rods away,, love to have a lake that has a good population of flats in SoCal, would just need a legal way to fish for them
We might already have the lake in Southern Cal!!!! It's none other then DVL!!!! There was some talk on here from some pretty reliable people that DVL has a good population of them. Catching them is a whole nother story!!!!

[rodless5]

I agree, let him decide if he wants to keep it or not. If you hook into a 50+# flathead using a bass rig then you'll have to through it away and did I read that right, there's flatheads in DVL?