So I heard alot about this through the years and I would love to try some. Is this something that I could buy somewhere that is wild caugh? Or if anyone has some that they would trade possibly at the NTA?
No flatheads this far north that I know of except for in the dirty fox river

Snow White just like the rest of the meat excellent eating

Maybe things are different on those fish, but up here the belly meat is where toxins (lead,mercury) are stored in a fish. Nobody i know eats the belly meat from any fish. However , after reading some of the responses on the CWD thread, I realize there are those that dont care what they eat, regardless of risk.

Is this a world wide species. I have eaten fish that look just like them in South East Asia. and in Indonesia, an island nation of Many islands. To me with no special training they look just like the flathead cat fish of America.....jk

Yes I’m just talking about a regular American flathead, but we don’t have them here

The meat right behind the eyes on its head is also delicious. Fillets have a lot of red meat that needs trimmed. Flat heads are a predator. Not bottom feeders.

NE Wildlife our state convention is in oct. Have a fish fry. Show up and have some fun.

I was going say that the cheek meat is good as well.

Our flathead is a US only species unless it's been stocked. And it's native range is the Mississippi and Mobile drainage. Not native to the Atlantic coast, though it has been bucket stocked in many places.

Flathead is probably the best eating of the cats as it doesn't have the tendency to get strong tasting with size.

Yes, the is a concern with bioaccumulation with older larger individuals but that is true of all long lived predator species.

To me, flatheads (mudcats) are the best eating. Never did like the belly meat more than the regular fillets.

It sounds like you've never had flat head. The belly steaks are far thicker and whiter than the fillets.

Yes, they are. Flatties are built differently than blues or channels. More compressed wider than tall making the fillet kind of short top to bottom and more muscle on the belly.

To answer your question, there are commercial fishermen down the Mississippi River from you in several states that you can buy flathead from.
Flathead belly is the rib-eye of all catfish in my opinion.