KANSAS FORESTRY NUMBER 103 FISH AND GAM FLATHEAD COMMISSION CATFISH INFORMATION BULLETIN THIRD PRINTING 1965
The largest game fish on record small species of catfish come in a tributed as the channel cat. Flat- in Kansas, up to May, 1963, is a flat- variety of shapes and colors, but heads thrive in large, fairly quiet head catfish. It was taken from the seldom are more than three inches water, but may also be found in Neosho River on a trotline with a long. Thus about the only time the deeper holes in our swifter small bluegill used for bait. The they may be confused with the streams. fish weighed in at 70 pounds. young flatheads is when a fisher They seldom reproduce in ponds The flathead, also called yellow man captures them while seining and are difficult to raise artifically. cat or mud cat, is considered one of for minnows. For these reasons they are not the best eating fish in the state. As Life, Habits stocked by the Kansas Forestry, for its sporting qualities, fishermen The flatheads breeding habits Fish and Game Commission. They disagree; some saying flatheads are similar to those of the channel do not require clear water, but as hardly fight at all and others say catfish. They prefer a protected with most fish, they grow faster they struggle right down to the last. nesting site, under rock ledges or when the water is not turbid. Both are probably right, depending in holes in the bank. The life his Management on conditions. But in any event, tory of these fish is not well known, the size of the flathead makes it a Managing for flatheads involves but they apparently select a home- the same basic steps as manage worthy competitor for the angler’s site where they rest during the day ment for channel cats. Preventing time. and journey out to feed at night. erosion and the siltation it would Identification The young flatheads feed mainly cause helps to protect the spawning There is seldom any doubt about on insects and gradually begin and resting areas as well as keeping identifying the flathead when it is feeding on larger animals such as the water clearer. This applies to 12 inches or more in length. The crayfish, minnows and snails. As both streams and impoundments. flattened head, protruding lower the flatheads reach a good size, Water pollution destroys this fish jaw, slender body and mottled slate they turn more and more to a strict as it does many others and we must or brown color quickly separate it fish diet. They will also feed on strive to make our streams and from the other Kansas catfish. In worms and other animals, but they lakes cleaner. smaller fish, however, the flathead live primarily on fish. Thus min The limit on flatheads is 10. may easily be confused with the nows, small sunfish and worms are This limit helps distribute the har stone cat or even some of the small favored baits used by rod and reel vest among more fishermen. An bullheads and madtoms. The stone fishermen. Trotline fishermen, who other restriction that applies to all cat can be distinguished from the account for a great many large flat- Kansas fish provides that hand flathead by the fact that its fatty heads each year, seem to prefer fishing or “noodling” is illegal. This fin, on top and just ahead of the large minnows, sunfish, carp and restriction came about largely be tail, is not free of the body. The goldfish for baits. cause the flathead (and channel cat fatty fin on a flathead separates Distribution to some extent) is very vulnerable from the body as do its other fins. The flathead is distributed in to this type of activity when nesting Bullheads can usually be distin most of the larger streams of the or resting in bank holes or under guished from flathead young by the state and is occasionally taken in stumps and ledges. The fish has fact that they are heavier bodied even the smaller streams. It is very little chance to escape and it and their lower jaw does not pro present in a great many of the is an unsporting method from that trude. The madtoms and other state’s lakes, but not so widely dis standpoint.
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