Flathead and channel size/population.

With cat fishing becoming more and more popular in Wisconsin I feel like the size is going down most systems but population has stayed pretty consistent. Just wondering how everyone’s else’s stretch is doing? 

The Wisconsin from Mosinee to the Dells is still loaded with cats.  Mostly channels.  But there are still some big flatheads south of Nekoosa.  Have caught a few channels this winter.  River is ever changing. Been finding new spots and still learning.  We also challenge ourselves with new techniques like using kayak, cane pole, or searching for bigger cats which usually happens at the expense of big numbers. 

I use to catch alot of channel cats some real nice ones out of the Fox around Burlington but now it's not what it use to be. So I tried the Mississippi river for about the last 15years and I see no decline on the Mississippi with channel or flatheads. Wing dams main dam or spillway all produce with no real decline. I get most the flathead on live gills at night and the channels on a crawler mostly during the day.

And I wish you would't be talking about catfishing in December. I just found myself walking around saying  " big ol flathead". 

Avit, you answered your own question. The channel cats are down, but the flatheads are still there. Those big flatheads can eat a lot of little cats. Back when we used to flathead on the Wisconsin River, we would keep a half dozen channel cats about 8to 10" . As for me, I dont fish for flatheads anymore but still like to go " stinkin" for the channel cats in the summer.  I have noticed the size of channels went down on the Wisconsin from 1993  to about 2010. The last 5 times , trying, I have not done very well but the size seemed bigger. As for the Wolf River, there are more channel cat, however there are a lot more harvest on the flatheads from set liners. So much so , that the DNR has a slot of 30-36" for flatheads and one may be kept.  As for Lake Winnebago, everyone seems to catch big ones , except me. I want one and can't buy a bite.  As for the Flambeau River, ( South Fork) the numbers seem to be down the last 5 yrs.  The DNR had an over populated lake with too many bullheads . Planting some flatties knocked the bullhead numbers down 60% in a few years. 

I have almost given up on channel cats on the river I have fished them for years. I truly think they are pretty much fished out. I used to catch 20-30 from 1-8 lbs. in mid to late May and the last few years I am lucky to catch 3-4. Now the flatheads are still there. I only fish for them once or twice a year, and they are always there. I picked up a kayak, and I might try a smaller tributary river in the late spring next year. I have fished that trib before and done very well, but it has been almost 10 years since I last tried there.

I have to say that I haven't put in the effort like I used to.  But, I have gone to places that usually produced well and haven't had as much luck the last few years.  I'm not sure if I have just picked bad days, or if the population/size structure has gone down.  I would guess it's a little of both.

I've had great luck as far as population in central Wisconsin but have struggled breaking over that 4-5 lb fish mark.