I fish the area around smithville. Last friday I put out ten hooks with perch. I didn't get to run them at first light on saturday due to hunting turkeys in string prarie. I got on the river around 10 in the morning and my first line was gone. Someone had tied theirs right on the same log. My luck changed however, I caught a 12 pounder and two six pounders.

Nice flatty for sure..

Nice Fish. Good Job!

Yes there are different breeds of dogs just like there are different species of fish but they don't look the same due to difference in species, including catfish species, but flathead catfish is a single species, though they may look different in color they are the same species of catfish, but are different than channel, blue and bullhead catfish and have different scientific names. No different than all Dalmatians are the same breed of dog, but their coat-coloring is not the same on every dog and they are different than other breeds of dogs.

You are interchanging "breeds" and "species". There are multiple breeds of dogs, but only one species. Just like there is only one species of flatheads. Channel cats and blues are a different species. I'm not saying there are different breeds of flatheads. I know next to nothing on the subject. I'm just saying that talking down to someone that thinks there are differences within a species just b/c "there isn't two species of flatheads" is not appropriate.

When you have populations of organisms that have been separated either by physical or other means, you can begin to see differences within the same species. Again, I am not arguing that this is the case with Flatheads, but I am arguing that it is possible. The vast numbers of dog breeds are due to humans selectively breeding them over the centuries.

Just remember, a wolf and a weenie dog are the same species meaning they have more in common than a flathead and a bluecat. If you artificially crossed a wolf with a weenie dog, assuming the mother was the wolf (since the weenie dog would probably not be large enough to carry wolf fetuses to term), you would get viable offspring. If you crossed a flathead with a bluecat or channel cat, you would likely not get viable, meaning able to reproduce, offspring. It has happened rarely, like a polar bear/grizzly second generation hybrid that was shot in the arctic several years ago, but it's not common. Another example is the white/striped bass hybrid. Some people say they can occasionally reproduce, others argue this. Not even all biologists agree on the matter.

Anyway, my point is that it is possible that there are definite differences between what some people call Ops vs other individuals within the flathead species. I've never caught a single flathead. The only ones I've ever seen are swimming in a Cabela's aquarium. I just don't like it when someone calls the opinion of someone else "hilarious"...especially someone as experienced as Lynn.

Im not going to get into a google war, but sometimes you just gotta call a spade a spade!

i would have carved this fish into some steaks.....nothin better to eat than yella cat from clean-runnin river water!

Hookem, I will admit I have thought long and and about that freezer full of meat. How many lbs would have come off that hog?

Lynn, thanks for your thoughts about weight. It will forever be the big mystery.

Headed out again this weekend....hopefully I catch one or two under 50# so I can get a meal in! *wink*

My son (10) and I fish the Colorado. We have done it from Utley to Smithville for the last several years. Our best to date was about 38 pounds. The biggest challenge is checking your line before someone else "helps" you with your work.

Nice 1....

Gus, have you floated from Utley all the way to Smithville? Or do you fish it in parts? I would like to hear about your experience navigating this part of the river.

I have, not all in one day though! We have a 12' jon with a 10 horse 4stroke, it's perfact for the river in my opinion. You are not gonna break any speed records but it does better than 15 mph or so. Shoot me a PM if you have any questions, if I can help I sure will. Do you fish it with kids?

Very nice fish! looks like 55-60 lbs tops. Really doesn't matter as long as you had fun. The best part is that you released it and may catch this one again someday.
I lived in Smithville many years ago and fished from Bastrop to La Grange. Fishing can be pretty good but the fish have very oily meat and don't taste as good as fish from the Brazos. We released everything because of this.
Water quality below Austin was always very poor and only improved below La Grange.
This was in 1988-1990 and things may have changed for the better since then.

I believe water quality has improved, I have not noticed anything like that. We do release the larger fish we catch though.

That was a long time ago and I know Austin was trying to improve their water treatment. I remember there was so much green moss in the water it would clog your prop about every 100 hundred yards!
Nice to hear it is better.

I fish that same area cause it's close to my house. I had a fish take 1 of my poles. Other than that I haven't really caught anything out of that stretch of river. But most of the time I don't have the right bait either.

I am itching to go and catch this big bastard once again!

Nice fish! Especially the luck of getting out there on a day this early when she was hungry! Speaking of eating.....how many "box" fish will she eat this year? I don't even have a guess. It does seem like we have some pretty studied guys on here that could get close though.

Thanks Scooter.

I must point out that I caught this fish last April. I have yet to get out this spring, but I am eager to see if that whale is still swimming around!

Catfish fever is starting to bite for '12

beautiful fish. i applaud u on the cpr too!

Here we have it the elusive op or spotted yellow. (Really a hundred and thirty pound blue some idiot taxidermist painted like a yellow bullhead)

That is a RIVER MONSTER!!

Great fish! There's nothing so fun as running limb lines!