The flathead catfish derived its name from its flat head. However, except for their oddly shaped heads, they look similar to any other species of catfish.
For example, they have scaleless, smooth skin, whisker-like barbels, and long spines on each side of their pectoral and dorsal fins.
Furthermore, flathead catfishes can reach lengths of 3 to 4 feet and can weigh over 100 pounds. But how big was the largest flathead catfish ever caught in Mississippi?
Flathead Catfish Overview
Their scientific name is Pylodictis olivaris, which is Greek for olive-colored mudfish. These catfish are generally pale yellow to light brown on their sides and back and are mottled with brown, black, or both. In addition, their bellies are typically cream or pale yellow. They have a projecting lower jaw and broad, flat head, with a slightly notched tail fin, unlike blue or channel catfish with a deeply forked tail. Juveniles are very dark, nearly black in appearance.
Flathead catfish differ from other catfish species because they are not scavengers; they only prey on live fish. Juveniles feed primarily on invertebrates like insects, crayfish, and worms. However, once they grow over 10 inches long, their diet changes to fish like largemouth bass, carp, shad, sunfish, and other catfish species, including their own.
The Largest Flathead Catfish Ever Caught in Mississippi
Mark Wilkerson caught the largest flathead catfish in Mississippi on April 27, 2018. This massive 89.8-pound specimen was caught in the Yazoo River in Mississippi.
This river basin drains an area of over 13,000 square miles. Its extensive basin spans over 200 miles and covers parts of 30 counties. The headwaters originate from the Tennessee state line with the Coldwater River. It strengthens and broadens from numerous tributaries until it merges with the Mississippi River north of Vicksburg. As a result, the rivers and streams feeding the Yazoo River create a massive ecosystem with some of the best catfishing spots in Mississippi.
Before Mark Wilkerson caught his massive prize, the largest flathead catfish ever caught from the Yazoo River in Mississippi weighed 81.2 pounds. Toby Lawrence from Oxford caught it in the Coldwater River in July 2012. The most popular fishing methods in the Yazoo River are tightening, trot lining, and jug fishing. However, hand grabbing is fast gaining in popularity.
Where Is Yazoo River Located on a Map?
Yazoo River’s waters run in Mississippi and Louisiana. The river, which is 188 miles in length, is formed by the confluence of the Tallahatchie and the Yalobusha rivers, where the modern-day city of Greenwood was developed. Some consider it to designate the southern boundary of what’s known as the Mississippi Delta, a floodplain used for cotton plantations prior to the Civil War.
The Largest Flathead Catfish Ever Caught in the World
The largest flathead catfish ever caught in the world was by Ken Paulie, who caught a massive 123-pound flathead while fishing at Elk City Reservoir in Kansas on May 19, 1998. It measured an incredible 61 inches long and had a circumference of 43 ¾ inches. With such a high catfish population in the Midwest section of North America, it doesn’t come as a shock that the largest flathead catfish ever caught happened here.
Where Is Elk City Reservoir Located on a Map?
Situated 7 miles east of Elk City, Kansas, the Elk City Reservoir is a man-made lake created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Spanning approximately 4,500 acres of water and encompassing 12,000 acres of wildlife-rich surroundings, this reservoir boasts more than 50 miles of picturesque shoreline.