Great video.. Really liked it, reminded me how important they are. These fish need protection in Illinois...I release every one I catch. That 40 pounder in my pic, I released it right after that, so quick my buddy couldn't believe it. No parading it around in a truck, right back in the water where she belongs. There's nothing in fresh water like a trophy flathead.
@@innovativeatavist159 what! Did u read my comment? Are whales ok? You think catfish are bad you should see libs around here or watch the news to see how f___d we are. There are hardly any large flatheads here, its rare to catch big flathead in this section of river. So should I just take it? even though it may be one of only 5 large specimens in this section of river? No. I'm pretty sure they are native to rock river Illinios. The ecosystem has been permanently disrupted by dozens of Dams. Who said better than ever before? not me, its over fished & contaminated. Lucky to have one live to reach 30 lbs. In 3 years i havent caught one over 10 lbs. They're gone, everythings small. There was a fish kill off, everything has been small and in low numbers.. Oh great, now i get to catch gizzard shad, how exciting but theyre almost gone too. Ecosystem damaged & Not by flatheads! I'm much more conservative than you. That is guaranteed! Never met anyone more truely conservative than me. A steward of the planet.. Who's talking about Austrailia? how about another booster buddy.. Now go call gretta.
Thank you for this video, I think flat head catfish are the most beautiful fish there is ,and best tasting ,just my opinion, thanks again ,long live the flat head
There could very well be a cap on the number of flatheads, which also makes it so that the sun fish do not disappear, because of the flatheads are territorial against other flatheads. You will not see flatheads kill off other predatorial fish, like big head carp do with shad and many of fish, because they are territorial. That's a good thing. Great video, btw (:
Music a little too loud. Otherwise good video. Escambia river was commercially fished for catfish until about 1955. Glad to hear they are coming back, even if it is flatheads.
I lived in Eden NC in 2013 and everyone I fished with in either NC or Va. Had no idea what a Flathead was. I showed alot of them pictures and no one knew or seen with. Living mostly in Mo. most of my life NOTHING is better to eat than a F.head and 2nd best is Spoonbill!
There is an amazing documentary about Florida and the flathead. You summed it up well hit the footnotes.Flatheads are the hall monitors putting the sunfish and others into there proper roles in a moving ecosystem.
Love the video man! And despite how old this video is I doubt you’ll respond but do you think Asian Carp should be targeted as much as they are? Or should they just be givin up on and accepted like the flatheads?
Virginia stocked blue and flathead catfish in all atlantic drainages in the 70s for sportfishing. Now they're way overpopulated. 98% of fish biomass in James River.
Outstanding informational video Glenn! The Illinois DNR needs to see this for sure. Thanku for putting in the effort to film this. I love the bringing order to the chaos statement. That why Godzilla came to kill the Mutu's. Lol
They definitely eat bass too, I know that from catching some of my biggest ones on live bass, in our area they’re not invasive tho. Every bluegill you catch on the river we fish is 7-10” long or bigger due to the flathead eating em all the time, they have to defend against em somehow
Sorry but I don't believe that at all flathead catfish are a problem with eating to many other fish that are table fair and most flat heads are not that good I no I was a commercial fresh water fisherman for some years.
I am an avid catfish fisherman since I was a little kid, but I am also an environmental science student focusing on aquatic biodiversity and my grandfather was a fisheries biologist for the TWRA. This is an incredibly narrow minded, self centered, and ignorant viewpoint. Please take this down. It's just plain wrong. We would all love for him to be correct, but he simply is not. It's not about sunfish. Flatheads are not good for the ecosystem as a whole. They don't just eat sunfish, they eat EVERYTHING. They are incredibly destructive for native Ameiurus, sucker, minnow, and herring populations all along the east coast and have already locally extirpated many native non-game species, particularly those with soft rays such as cyprinids. Screw the sunfish. It's not about what WE like in a river, it's about the biodiversity and overall health of an ecosystem. And gizzard shad are filter feeders that compete directly with fish fry even when checked by large predators. You will see a drop in the total biodiversity very quickly as they overload a system to its carrying capacity. DO NOT put non native species in a river, and definitely do not put them in there to control other non native species. Take one look at Australia and you'll see why importing predators is a terrible idea. The first thing they go after are species not equipped to handle them, NOT the species they evolved alongside and have been in an evolutionary arms race with. Generalists like flatheads and blues won't be picky, if they do go after the shad, they will see a boom in population that cannot be sustained without going after everything in the river system. The rivers are not "better than ever before" just because you like to fish them more now. River systems don't exist for the pleasure of humans, and species that don't put a bend in the rods are not less important simply because we don't have a practical use for them. They are a unique expression of life on earth, thye have value on their own and we destroy that when we move non-native predators into their ecosystem. It kills me inside that this has 77K views and no one is thinking past "Sunfish get big, catfish get big, me like." This is why we need actual conservation departments in states to have more power and voice. Wildlife resources departments will cherry pick whatever information allows them to make more revenue off of popular game species. They'll even make decisions that they know are harmful to a system if it means they'll make more money from fishing licenses.
So I fish in the Alabama river and the conecuh river which is the escambia river in Florida. The flathead is native to the Alabama river I'm not understanding how the flathead does any damage the rivers ain't far apart other than the Alabama being a much larger river I can't see much difference between them.
Gotta say good video I wish this was true with nothern pike they got illegally introduced in maine in places where trout and salmon are stocked and. Alaska has had hige reduction s in salmon returns on rivers where pike were put it is good to see one species that hasn't taken over but unfortunately invasive species aren't good at all but glad they haven't ruined your fishery
It only makes sense that a apex will alter the food chain like this. Flat heads only eat larger fish and for most they only eat a few then stop eating for a while. This allow smaller fish to not be competed. And if there are not larger fish but over size populations, it will reduce the populations to reduce competition = larger growth. They are also territorial and thus only 1 or 2 will live in 2-3 sq miles. They eat food from the middle chain. Now if they are like invasive Asian carps that eat from the bottom chain. Then everything be done.
Sunfish and in particular bluegill are one of the most destructive fish due to them eating anything that moves. Ponds can be overrun with thousands of bluegills and nothing else because they are everything in the water.
That's like saying introducing packs of wolves in your town will cull the sick and weak humans, and they both will live in harmony. Pure BS propaganda video.
Very very informative, I thought I knew a lot about this species but learned so much in 10 minutes, thanks guys
Thumbs up for Captain Buster Rush @:58 !!
I'd recognize that boat anywhere !! :)
This is a great educational video, we need more of this type of information put out there!
Dude what a great documentatry u appreciate you making this!! I found this very intriguing super great video bro
Great video.. Really liked it, reminded me how important they are. These fish need protection in Illinois...I release every one I catch. That 40 pounder in my pic, I released it right after that, so quick my buddy couldn't believe it. No parading it around in a truck, right back in the water where she belongs. There's nothing in fresh water like a trophy flathead.
havnt caught 1 in illinois yet
@@innovativeatavist159 what! Did u read my comment? Are whales ok? You think catfish are bad you should see libs around here or watch the news to see how f___d we are. There are hardly any large flatheads here, its rare to catch big flathead in this section of river. So should I just take it? even though it may be one of only 5 large specimens in this section of river? No.
I'm pretty sure they are native to rock river Illinios. The ecosystem has been permanently disrupted by dozens of Dams. Who said better than ever before? not me, its over fished & contaminated. Lucky to have one live to reach 30 lbs.
In 3 years i havent caught one over 10 lbs. They're gone, everythings small. There was a fish kill off, everything has been small and in low numbers.. Oh great, now i get to catch gizzard shad, how exciting but theyre almost gone too. Ecosystem damaged & Not by flatheads!
I'm much more conservative than you. That is guaranteed! Never met anyone more truely conservative than me. A steward of the planet.. Who's talking about Austrailia? how about another booster buddy.. Now go call gretta.
best eating catfish there is!!!!
Awesome content! I love it! Where can I watch the video at 5:32?
thanks
Thank you for this video, I think flat head catfish are the most beautiful fish there is ,and best tasting ,just my opinion, thanks again ,long live the flat head
There could very well be a cap on the number of flatheads, which also makes it so that the sun fish do not disappear, because of the flatheads are territorial against other flatheads. You will not see flatheads kill off other predatorial fish, like big head carp do with shad and many of fish, because they are territorial. That's a good thing. Great video, btw (:
Couldn't understand at least half of what was being said due to the music over the top of it. Shut it down at 1:42 mark.
good video ... and american with brains?
incredible....
Music a little too loud. Otherwise good video. Escambia river was commercially fished for catfish until about 1955. Glad to hear they are coming back, even if it is flatheads.
Great video, thank you very much for putting together a great video.
Hopefully people will understand the vital importance of this video!!
I lived in Eden NC in 2013 and everyone I fished with in either NC or Va. Had no idea what a Flathead was. I showed alot of them pictures and no one knew or seen with. Living mostly in Mo. most of my life NOTHING is better to eat than a F.head and 2nd best is Spoonbill!
nice job. that was very educational. thank God there's people like you keep up the good work
Would flathead or blues be able to check the pleco situation? Don't know but seems logical to me
There is an amazing documentary about Florida and the flathead. You summed it up well hit the footnotes.Flatheads are the hall monitors putting the sunfish and others into there proper roles in a moving ecosystem.
Love the video man! And despite how old this video is I doubt you’ll respond but do you think Asian Carp should be targeted as much as they are? Or should they just be givin up on and accepted like the flatheads?
We should use them as an unlimited recourse.
Virginia stocked blue and flathead catfish in all atlantic drainages in the 70s for sportfishing. Now they're way overpopulated. 98% of fish biomass in James River.
Blue crab fan detected
Interesting. thank you for posting.
Outstanding informational video Glenn! The Illinois DNR needs to see this for sure. Thanku for putting in the effort to film this.
I love the bringing order to the chaos statement. That why Godzilla came to kill the Mutu's. Lol
Very educational. Shared.
Really liked this video well done.
Decimating?
if you are using backgroud music then keep it in the background.
We need some flatheads here in the Ca delta
Liked the video..hated that music!! Couldn't hear Anything until you turned it down. Maybe start out that way next time??
Flatheads are the best idk why people like bass so much flatheads look cooler and they get bigger
Love the video!! Good job. I subbed ya.
Thanks
Yo what's up. U got my subb
Awesome video man!
They definitely eat bass too, I know that from catching some of my biggest ones on live bass, in our area they’re not invasive tho. Every bluegill you catch on the river we fish is 7-10” long or bigger due to the flathead eating em all the time, they have to defend against em somehow
smartest florida man ive met
Sorry but I don't believe that at all flathead catfish are a problem with eating to many other fish that are table fair and most flat heads are not that good I no I was a commercial fresh water fisherman for some years.
AWESOME video man! I wish Georgia DNR would realize this and stop eradicating the rivers of them.
i'd like to see them stock wels catfish somewhere in south florida
Hahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣........
Funnest catfish to catch here in Indiana
Music is so loud.
I love Flatheads
Flathead are great eating fish.
I love this
It made the bluegill more aggressive
I am an avid catfish fisherman since I was a little kid, but I am also an environmental science student focusing on aquatic biodiversity and my grandfather was a fisheries biologist for the TWRA. This is an incredibly narrow minded, self centered, and ignorant viewpoint. Please take this down. It's just plain wrong. We would all love for him to be correct, but he simply is not.
It's not about sunfish. Flatheads are not good for the ecosystem as a whole. They don't just eat sunfish, they eat EVERYTHING. They are incredibly destructive for native Ameiurus, sucker, minnow, and herring populations all along the east coast and have already locally extirpated many native non-game species, particularly those with soft rays such as cyprinids. Screw the sunfish. It's not about what WE like in a river, it's about the biodiversity and overall health of an ecosystem.
And gizzard shad are filter feeders that compete directly with fish fry even when checked by large predators. You will see a drop in the total biodiversity very quickly as they overload a system to its carrying capacity.
DO NOT put non native species in a river, and definitely do not put them in there to control other non native species. Take one look at Australia and you'll see why importing predators is a terrible idea. The first thing they go after are species not equipped to handle them, NOT the species they evolved alongside and have been in an evolutionary arms race with. Generalists like flatheads and blues won't be picky, if they do go after the shad, they will see a boom in population that cannot be sustained without going after everything in the river system.
The rivers are not "better than ever before" just because you like to fish them more now. River systems don't exist for the pleasure of humans, and species that don't put a bend in the rods are not less important simply because we don't have a practical use for them. They are a unique expression of life on earth, thye have value on their own and we destroy that when we move non-native predators into their ecosystem.
It kills me inside that this has 77K views and no one is thinking past "Sunfish get big, catfish get big, me like."
This is why we need actual conservation departments in states to have more power and voice. Wildlife resources departments will cherry pick whatever information allows them to make more revenue off of popular game species. They'll even make decisions that they know are harmful to a system if it means they'll make more money from fishing licenses.
So I fish in the Alabama river and the conecuh river which is the escambia river in Florida. The flathead is native to the Alabama river I'm not understanding how the flathead does any damage the rivers ain't far apart other than the Alabama being a much larger river I can't see much difference between them.
i cant belive they try to get ride of flatheads
I think catfish can be some of the creepiest fish with there lack of scales and whiskers and there deep camo but god bless you flatheads
Shame flathead best tasting and best fish in any freshwater region
Hell know they ant. Blue and Channel catfish are way better flat heads suck!!!
GreenBoy at GA Farms cut the tails off and bleed them out and then you will realize how ignorant your comment is😂
Flatheads are invasive?
Flatheads look cooler then bass
Very educational @ informational video, thanks for sharing. Long live the flathead!
Funny they talk about Flatheads and show blues at times...
Gotta say good video I wish this was true with nothern pike they got illegally introduced in maine in places where trout and salmon are stocked and. Alaska has had hige reduction s in salmon returns on rivers where pike were put it is good to see one species that hasn't taken over but unfortunately invasive species aren't good at all but glad they haven't ruined your fishery
You can't whipe out what God blessed you with.
great video!!
It only makes sense that a apex will alter the food chain like this. Flat heads only eat larger fish and for most they only eat a few then stop eating for a while. This allow smaller fish to not be competed. And if there are not larger fish but over size populations, it will reduce the populations to reduce competition = larger growth. They are also territorial and thus only 1 or 2 will live in 2-3 sq miles. They eat food from the middle chain. Now if they are like invasive Asian carps that eat from the bottom chain. Then everything be done.
@gotcha fishing No need to introduce shad or other foods with the invasive Asian carp swimming most waters now!
very true
Love you
No music Please turn it off
Sunfish and in particular bluegill are one of the most destructive fish due to them eating anything that moves.
Ponds can be overrun with thousands of bluegills and nothing else because they are everything in the water.
There’s @Bigeasyquest
Flatheads look cooler then badd
Long live the flathead
North Carolina has awful freshwater fishing and I don’t know why. When North Carolinians want good fish we go to South Carolina or Tennessee.
1 person 1 rod will help to keep the populshon of fish people are to greedy they need more then 1 rod............................
Don't you know... the government is always right.
Way to go! I wish everyone, I mean everyone, would watch this. Bottom line; Flatheads bring order to the Eco system.
It will eradicate sunfish populations? Hahahaha man you guys are too much.
👍
Sun fish suck so much
Comedy Pro Gamer they taste good though!
That's like saying introducing packs of wolves in your town will cull the sick and weak humans, and they both will live in harmony. Pure BS propaganda video.
heck ya glenn good work brotha