My brother-in-law caught a 8 lb Flathead catfish this weekend on the Sauk River Chain of Lakes in Richmond, MN. What's confusing is that the Sauk River was never stalked with Flat Heads, only Channel Cats and this is the second one we've caught in a months timeframe. Can you help me verify that it's a Flat Head and not a hybrid Channel cat?

I should also mention that as the name implies, this is a river chain of lakes, so some fish could have migrated into the lakes...but I've been on these lakes for 8 years now and this is the first time i've seen flatheads...

Fish was caught on a Berkley Gulp leech sinker rig, while we were fishing for Smallmouth..

Sorry to burst the flathead bubble but that is 100% channel cat. Although I can't see the fork of a channelcat's tail it is a channel cat. Channels come in many colors. Also males heads are wider than females. Very cool fish!!! I am very familure with that body of water and fish it for cats a lot.
By the way Skeeter have you caught any other roughfish out there?My boss caught a huge carp on Koetter this year tring for walleyes.
There are some greater redhorse in that system that I have yet to catch.

Fins~

I agree that the second picture does make it look more Channel Cat like due to the angle, but I still think it's a flathead or hybrid. Look at the fins, they are all rounded, Channel cats have pointed fin tips. The tail was 2x the size of a typical Channel cat and had rounded fins, my brother in law was able to hold the fish by the back tail, I could never do that with a Channel Cat, the tail tips would bend inward and slip through my hand.

The Sauk Chain has all kinds of rough fish (although I don't fish for them) I've accidentally snagged some Monster 30+ lbs Carp over the years while fishing with Rattletraps and other crank baits.

Male Channel catfish. 100%

The upper lip over laps the lower, and the anal fin is very long not short like a flathead.
also it has a forked tail that can be seen in the second picture.


Neat color for sure though.

Yep, male channel cat with a really cool paint job.

Congrats! That is one of the coolest looking cats I've seen.

So does that mean 99% of the Cats I've caught in these lakes are female? because I've caught many many Channel Cats in the Sauk river chain, and they all looked nothing like this one...

No, those colors are a mutation. The sex of the fish has nothing to do with it.

I have to agree that the fish are channel cats, although I have never seen that "Palomino" coloration before. Very cool fish.

That is a differnt looking Channel cat for sure. But it is still a channel cat. That is a big male for that body of water. I fish the chain all the time for cats and catch quite a few that are simular to the one you have in the pic.




This is a pic of a male channel cats mouth. This one was caught in late August and weighed around 10 pounds.

Also here is a pic of male and female channel cats...

That is one cool looking channel cat. Just the body and head shape scream channel cat for sure. I've caught some cats and bullheads over the years that have had some weird colors, but none quite like that....cool fish!

Corey wrote:

QUOTE:
No, those colors are a mutation. The sex of the fish has nothing to do with it.

I have to agree that the fish are channel cats, although I have never seen that "Palomino" coloration before. Very cool fish.

Yep the sex isnt what caused the color. that is a mutation and a thumpin cool one at that!
The sex is whats giving it the Flathead look.
Swollen jaw muscles and big head.

I think we should call it a "Marble Catfish". Nice Channel Cat with marbleization colorizationz!!!

I've seen pictures of channel catfish with that mutation which have come out of the Red River.

Jknuth wrote:

QUOTE:
The sex is whats giving it the Flathead look.
Swollen jaw muscles and big head.

...Note to self..

SuperFrog wrote:

QUOTE:
Jknuth wrote:

QUOTE:
The sex is whats giving it the Flathead look.
Swollen jaw muscles and big head.

...Note to self..

HAHAHAHAHAHAAHA



OH


MY



GOD




Note to self

dont drink and post again