Looks like a 98lb flathead was noodled on Sunday. Man that must have been a fight. Says catfish was released and swam away.

Noodles and pulled off its nest and taken to duck cove marina to weigh which means this years clutch of eggs and genetics were destroyed with 100% certainty. Noodeling is terrible for the resource and it’s been been proven through extensive studies. Why on earth Texas allows it makes zero sense.

Yeah, not really a fan. At least it proves that there are still triple digit (or close to it) fish out there, but that’s about all it does. Looks like it’s time to break out a 3-5lb live carp and go post up next to a log jam somewhere.

At least they returned it to the water unlike the Tennessee river giant laying on a slab in a garage somewhere. If a fish is legally caught by a licensed fisherman, I don't see the problem.

At least they returned it to the water unlike the Tennessee river giant laying on a slab in a garage somewhere. If a fish is legally caught by a licensed fisherman, I don't see the problem.

I believe the Tennessee fish was returned to the water after weighing, but not positive.

I saw an article that said the 98-pound would be a state record, and it would have been an Other Methods State Record a few years ago. Since TPWD converted the Other Methods category over to an All-tackle category it is not a State Record since the rod and reel record is 114 pounds. Bummer.

in agreement...

I just feel noodling puts you at an unfair advantage against the fish. Flatheads are hard to catch, that’s all it boils down to, noodling makes it a whole heck of a lot easier to catch a fish that was once very difficult to catch. It’s next to impossible to catch a flathead on the lake on rod and reel this time of year, and a noodler can just go yank them out of their spawning hole. If you catch that fish with rod and reel and want to eat it, I say go for it, you earned it because a LOT of work goes in to catching a flathead. To catch a fish like that would’ve likely required sitting for some long hours with some massive baits that were a chore to get all by themselves.

The Tennessee record was 1000% returned to the river and swam off. Every angler on our Mad Katz team is 100% CPR of big fish and there is no way you’re getting on the team if you’re a big fish killer. If you’re saying that fish was killed you are wrong.

Here is the link to the return so false rumors aren’t propagated. 122.3 lb record returned to the river

Thanks for the link. The fish had some bruising, but I have released catfish I did not think would survive, only to catch them weeks later. It is nice that catfish survive well after they are caught.

Their fish just came off the nests so they are pretty rough and I have found that the majority of damage an angler does to a big fish when they catch and release is from hoisting them in a landing net. The net bruises them and removes a ton of slime but if you’ve ever caught a big fish fresh off the nest then you know they are much more torn up then what an angler does during handling a big CPR fish.

I never said that the fish was not released! I just noted that it was laying on a table in what looked like a garage. I believe the fish will have internal organ damage due the heavy body weight pressing on them.
I only made my comment because you always want to point out what others are doing wrong and it's none of your business! If they catch a legal fish, you have no say in what is done with it.
I could care less what you and your mad kat disease team do. I quit reading this forum once because of your "holier than thou" attitude and I guess I can do it again.