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Whitetail vs. Flathead

tmule88

tmule88

Member
With deer season ending and river season on its way, I heard an interesting debate the other day an figured I would see what your guys opinion is. In the state of Iowa would you guess there are more 160"+ deer or 40+ pound flathead catfish.

Flatheads are always a target of mine during the spring and summer months. Attached are a few 40+ pound fish I caught last year. Enjoy!

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Can't see the pictures must be a setting issues for certain forum users.
 
Awesome fish, love big shovel heads! I'd say more 160" bucks. Though I seem to have way better luck catching 40+ lb flats than shooting a 160"er.
 
Nice cats. That debate is a tough one. 160 inch deer aren't behind every tree like some think, but I know many catfishers who have never caught a flathead that big up in this area. I'm sure there are counties where flatties that big are almost not existant.
 
bigbuckhunter88 said:
Nice cats. That debate is a tough one. 160 inch deer aren't behind every tree like some think, but I know many catfishers who have never caught a flathead that big up in this area. I'm sure there are counties where flatties that big are almost not existant.
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I don't know a dang thing about catfish so I wouldnt even begin to make a guess, but when you say there are probably counties where big flatties are almost non-existent, I would think one could make the same argument for 160"+ bucks in some counties.
 
I don't know much skirt catfish either, but if you're catching 4 in a year's time, that would indicate to me that there are quite a few out there. I'll take a guess and say the cats pull off the win!
 
cornfedkiller said:
I don't know a dang thing about catfish so I wouldnt even begin to make a guess, but when you say there are probably counties where big flatties are almost non-existent, I would think one could make the same argument for 160"+ bucks in some counties.
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I agree for sure. If we're taking the Mississippi into account I'm giving the nudge to the fish. I guess it's just hard for me to fathom how many there are because I doubt there is a 40 pound flathead in my county (not present in any lakes or rivers here) and I know of quite a few 160s killed in this county every year. But I know there are alot of fish that big that get pulled from the interior rivers once you go south aways.
 
Hands down flatheads win in my opinion, if I could figure out how to post pics from my phone I would post a few more flathead pics
 
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I am up in the air on this debate. I would agree that the areas in Iowa along the bigger rivers there are more 40 lb. flatties than 10" deer no doubt. But looking at Iowa as a whole there are lots of places where 40 lb. fish are non existent. Does the amount of fish in the areas around the Mississippi River, Des Moines River, Skunk River, ect. have enough of these big fish to make up for the places that do not? It is an interesting debate for sure!

These are all rod and reel fish in the pictures although we catch quite a few on bank poles each year as well.
 
Damn Dude, I would bet the flatheads have that one. Especially after last few years of EHD. My money is on the fish. How are ya buddy?
 
Good morning, Any chance ya would take me fishing. Wouldn't need to be a 40 pounder, but I sure would like to catch a decent one.
 
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