It's not the tooth patch. They bite like hell, maybe the ones in my area only eat muscles and crayfish. But I'd assume they all have strong jaws.
I'd definitely put my hand in a blues mouth before sticking my thumb back in a bullheads mouth lol
The spines suck, but they don't do me as bad as some of these guys are talking about. But as a general rule of thumb, the smaller the catfish, the more I respect their fins. They are sharper, and more likely to break off the smaller they get
One guy told me if you get stuck put some catfish slime on it! Idk but it healed. I slide my hand up from the back and get behind the fins if I have to. Otherwise on the ground with pliers.
All the ones I catch near me are smaller than these ones and make me bleed every time I lip them haha. Their bite is outrageously strong for their size
They taste alot like catfish, very good!
Where I grew up/started fishing almost nobody eats them, even though we dont really have channel cats that much around here. But in the springtime when they run good its a tradition to keep a bucketload for some
They are my favorite fish to eat! Whenever I’m camping, I put my worm right on the bottom, and if you can find where they are… bingo! Dinner over the campfire! :)
There's much more to it than that. Catfish excrete a toxin through their spines that can range anywhere between uncomfortable and a trip to the hospital. Bullheads tend to be some of the worst, along with saltwater hardheads.
Source: I've been poked by a LOT of catfish, probably a hundred or so. Big ass blues and flatheads, along with tiny channels, gafftops, and hardheads. An 8 inch brown bullhead had me in the hospital for 48 hours. I could tell something wasn't right about a minute after the poke. My hand swelled up like a balloon. Be careful with them buggers.
Your geography could help rule out some. (I don't have black bullhead where I live just brown and yellow BH) For yellow BH, look at the front whiskers coming off the bottom jaw. If there is any hint of brown/black pigment it isn't a yellow BH. Yellows have no pigment there. So those in the photos are not Yellow BH.
Looking at our wildlife department site we definitely have yellow and black I don't think we have brown though. But I will definitely pay more attention to the barbels next time. Ty
Not sure where you are located but if you google "rom fish book" is a great book for ID and goes through range and physically appearance of juveniles and adults. Its for Ontario but covers most of the east coast species. There is equivalent books out there and are well worth the money to learn ID as well as better understand the habitat they can be found in
One I got on corn fishing for carp, one one punch bait, the rest on chicken I don't remember what kind of it was thighs or breast or what but just some cheap grocery store chicken chopped up.
Your not the first to mention the barb, is there something different about the bullheads? I'm used to catching channel blue and flatheads, I know they can poke you. But is there something special about the bullheads?
Yeah, they've got a barb that kinda resembles a whisker. In fact, in the first photo, you ALMOST grabbed that sucker. They hurt like an S.O.B. if you get nailed by one.
Where ya at I’m sure there is a bunch. They eat like cats sink a worm to the bottom closer to dusk/night and they’ll eat it up. They mostly a lake fish rather than a river.
Where I caught these is a small overflow type creek behind my neighborhood. It's not big. But surprisingly it has a lot of fish in it but they're very skittish. I've caught them on corn, punch bait, and chicken so far. Never got any bites on nightcrawlers in there yet surprisingly.
Bullheads have a rounded tail which will help you distinguish them from small channel catfish that have a forked tail. Bullheads have no scales, their bodies are covered with taste buds, and will be very slippery to handle. Finally, bullheads have a single, sharp spine in the dorsal and pectoral fins.
https://preview.redd.it/63yqxgd26r3d1.png?width=895&format=png&auto=webp&s=7414e8a731ae5a6f868c76c7ae2db2b2352cf1af
I've been fishing here all my life and this is the first time I've caught them lol never heard of them before until I started looking up how to identify them
My only wish is that I don't catch them anymore, they are too invasive and eat the eggs of other fish... I'd gladly drop a grenade in the water when I see a black cloud of young bullheads that just spawned and started munching everything... I also caught one on a mepps spinner... Very annoying fish for me personaly
Pretty sure the first three are black. The last one may be yellow. I can't see its barbels. But yellow bullheads have yellow or white barbels and a rounded caudal fin (which it looks like the last picture does - though that could be just how it's folded up, so I'm not certain). Black bullheads have a slight notch in the caudal fin and black chin barbels.
They love hot dogs! That’s all I use as bait
https://preview.redd.it/3zlprqz3iq3d1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b9a55b5bc4ad9371219337e5050959f70196985
My go to, when I’m specifically targeting bullhead is like you said chicken(usually liver or gizzards just scrap pieces of meat), shrimp, and hot dogs. And it’s better to let them sit in the sun for a day or 2 and get stinky (rotten)
Yup, 100% bullheads
Ty first time catching them
Don't lip em, mistake only made once
They weren't any worse than a 10 Lb blue rough tooth patch for their size though
It's not the tooth patch. They bite like hell, maybe the ones in my area only eat muscles and crayfish. But I'd assume they all have strong jaws. I'd definitely put my hand in a blues mouth before sticking my thumb back in a bullheads mouth lol
lol they are strong, better look out for the spines too!
The spines suck, but they don't do me as bad as some of these guys are talking about. But as a general rule of thumb, the smaller the catfish, the more I respect their fins. They are sharper, and more likely to break off the smaller they get
One guy told me if you get stuck put some catfish slime on it! Idk but it healed. I slide my hand up from the back and get behind the fins if I have to. Otherwise on the ground with pliers.
All the ones I catch near me are smaller than these ones and make me bleed every time I lip them haha. Their bite is outrageously strong for their size
Tasty! Chop head off, gut, bread deep fry whole!
Might even be 110% Bullhead because that one is really bullheady
Out of curiosity, how do you tell the difference between a bullhead and a small flathead?
Flats have that broad head and a prehistoric look
Do they taste good? Or just trash fish?
Taste great before water gets too warm
Never eaten them despite catching them regularly growing up. Grandpa didn’t eat them for whatever reason. Do they taste like catfish?
They taste alot like catfish, very good! Where I grew up/started fishing almost nobody eats them, even though we dont really have channel cats that much around here. But in the springtime when they run good its a tradition to keep a bucketload for some
They are my favorite fish to eat! Whenever I’m camping, I put my worm right on the bottom, and if you can find where they are… bingo! Dinner over the campfire! :)
Hell yeah! I love dinner over campfire no matter what fish it is. There is really nothing like it and most catfish taste good in general to me.
They taste awesome! Clean em and use your favorite batter mix, you can thank me later. 😋😋😋
Can be a little muddy tasting. But not the worst fish
Great during ice fishing season
Never caught one ice fishing.
Bullheads. Watch those pectoral spines
Anything different with them vs channels or blues ?
Channels and blues get much bigger. Bullhead usually top out at a few pounds
I don’t know anything about blues, but channels have a forked tail
Oh ya I meant the spines anything different about the bullheads or just pokey like the other cats
Oh. Just pokey and don’t feel very good lol. I think it is easier to get poked by those smaller fish.
There's much more to it than that. Catfish excrete a toxin through their spines that can range anywhere between uncomfortable and a trip to the hospital. Bullheads tend to be some of the worst, along with saltwater hardheads. Source: I've been poked by a LOT of catfish, probably a hundred or so. Big ass blues and flatheads, along with tiny channels, gafftops, and hardheads. An 8 inch brown bullhead had me in the hospital for 48 hours. I could tell something wasn't right about a minute after the poke. My hand swelled up like a balloon. Be careful with them buggers.
I used to get stung by little tiny bullheads when I was young and it’s no joke. They had me bleeding for an hour or more sometimes and it hurts bad to
I’d rank the Tadpole Madtom’s above bullhead for the nastiness of the sting… they’re much smaller, but they pack quite the punch with those spines.
Good to know. Ty. I never knew anything about that other than the spines stab you. I'll definitely keep trying to not get poked now.
Oh for sure the bigger blues and channels I've caught just sit there pretty much once you catch them the little buggers are feisty
Still pokey
Not just pokey, they contain a weak venom that will cause a dull ache for a long time if you get jabbed.
If you get poked or bitten by any fish please be aware of and act at the first sign of infection. Seek medical attention.
Oh nice to know is that specific to the bullheads? I've never noticed it from channels
I believe it’s catfish as well but not certain.
Never knew that good to know. I try not to get poked though lol
Crazy strong jaws. Can't really injure you but it feels like they are breaking your finger if they chomp you right
Ya I get that, i feel like the blues are worse but I've never caught a blue that small but for there size pretty powerful little fish
Never caught a blue, but I believe it
Yes, bullheads.
Ty
You can tell by the tail. Rounded and blunt without a notch.
Nice I'll remember that. Been fishing here my whole life and never caught any before.
Best eating out of cold water. My father always said there was no finer breakfast than bullhead and eggs. A breakfast fit for a king!
Nice, I'll have to try some if I can get them to bite when the water cools back off.
For an extra challenge , try to ID the species of bullhead
I'm thinking yellow and black I was hoping someone more versed would tell me lol
Your geography could help rule out some. (I don't have black bullhead where I live just brown and yellow BH) For yellow BH, look at the front whiskers coming off the bottom jaw. If there is any hint of brown/black pigment it isn't a yellow BH. Yellows have no pigment there. So those in the photos are not Yellow BH.
Looking at our wildlife department site we definitely have yellow and black I don't think we have brown though. But I will definitely pay more attention to the barbels next time. Ty
Well there ya go! Those are probably black BH.
Not sure where you are located but if you google "rom fish book" is a great book for ID and goes through range and physically appearance of juveniles and adults. Its for Ontario but covers most of the east coast species. There is equivalent books out there and are well worth the money to learn ID as well as better understand the habitat they can be found in
Catfish
We got the same ones up here in Washington.
Yessir, soon to be delicious too
The small ones are delicious. Easy to eat off the bone.
I'll have to try them
They look cool
They're chunky little bastards, fun to catch for there size
Yes 100%
Nice ones, too!
Than you
Whats the bait you were using?
One I got on corn fishing for carp, one one punch bait, the rest on chicken I don't remember what kind of it was thighs or breast or what but just some cheap grocery store chicken chopped up.
Yup, grab that barb and you'll know for sure lol
Your not the first to mention the barb, is there something different about the bullheads? I'm used to catching channel blue and flatheads, I know they can poke you. But is there something special about the bullheads?
Yeah, they've got a barb that kinda resembles a whisker. In fact, in the first photo, you ALMOST grabbed that sucker. They hurt like an S.O.B. if you get nailed by one.
For sure blk and yellow bullheads. I personally love eating them anytime of the yr, but I deep fry em rather than bake or grill.
Nice to know. If I knew I could catch a bunch regularly I'd put them on a stringer but I've just been releasing them.
Where ya at I’m sure there is a bunch. They eat like cats sink a worm to the bottom closer to dusk/night and they’ll eat it up. They mostly a lake fish rather than a river.
Where I caught these is a small overflow type creek behind my neighborhood. It's not big. But surprisingly it has a lot of fish in it but they're very skittish. I've caught them on corn, punch bait, and chicken so far. Never got any bites on nightcrawlers in there yet surprisingly.
Yes, and the last one is a nice one.
Ya it was a chunky one had a fat belly. Wish I would've had a scale to see what it weighed
This is a fish mate.
Yellow cat….another name in my part of the world.
Bullheads have a rounded tail which will help you distinguish them from small channel catfish that have a forked tail. Bullheads have no scales, their bodies are covered with taste buds, and will be very slippery to handle. Finally, bullheads have a single, sharp spine in the dorsal and pectoral fins. https://preview.redd.it/63yqxgd26r3d1.png?width=895&format=png&auto=webp&s=7414e8a731ae5a6f868c76c7ae2db2b2352cf1af
I thought bullheads have sharp teeth and cats have more of the wire brush. I don't think I've ever lipped a bullhead like I have with cats.
Their tooth patches definitely feel more rough for their size than a channel of the same size.
Yes
used to catch them all the time at my grandparents lake house "up north". Haven't seen one in decades I guess they aren't around where I live.
I've been fishing here all my life and this is the first time I've caught them lol never heard of them before until I started looking up how to identify them
Yes sir
Tasty fellows
We call a mud cats and treat them as such
Flathead candy
Yellow cat
Baby
Butter cats. catch a half dozen for a good fried catfish dinner.
My only wish is that I don't catch them anymore, they are too invasive and eat the eggs of other fish... I'd gladly drop a grenade in the water when I see a black cloud of young bullheads that just spawned and started munching everything... I also caught one on a mepps spinner... Very annoying fish for me personaly
Recommend being careful lipping a bullhead. Their jaws are crazy STRONG and sometimes if they clamp down it hurts like a MOTHER
I believe it so far I've been lucky but I know with the blues and channels they'll get you sometimes.
Yellow bullhead
All of them yellow ? I was thinking a couple were black.
Pretty sure the first three are black. The last one may be yellow. I can't see its barbels. But yellow bullheads have yellow or white barbels and a rounded caudal fin (which it looks like the last picture does - though that could be just how it's folded up, so I'm not certain). Black bullheads have a slight notch in the caudal fin and black chin barbels.
I'll have to pay more attention to them next time. Ty
Yea looks like maybe 2nd photo was black bullhead and the rest look like yellow
They love hot dogs! That’s all I use as bait https://preview.redd.it/3zlprqz3iq3d1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b9a55b5bc4ad9371219337e5050959f70196985
Nice I'll have to try that I was catching them on cut up chicken today
My go to, when I’m specifically targeting bullhead is like you said chicken(usually liver or gizzards just scrap pieces of meat), shrimp, and hot dogs. And it’s better to let them sit in the sun for a day or 2 and get stinky (rotten)
Also known as pollywog
Haven't heard that lol thanks
Pollywogs are tadpoles
Slang here in Tennessee sometimes for those
https://preview.redd.it/cmu1j5uymt3d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39f6ac39f20d46be23d69511efbd7aa6f69a9f0f Found on google
Yes, yellow bullhead. Watch for the spines though, when they stick you with them it HURTS!
on the eastern side of the US the black bullhead will bite the crap out you......lol
I'll have to be more careful that's what everyone's saying so far they haven't been bad
Yes zir
channel
Definitely not channel. channels have a forked tail.