Fishing Forum

Hi everyone, new to the forum. Have a couple questions about bullhead

I have a very large pond that seems to only have bullhead in it, however, the only ones i manage to catch are no more than 5-6 inches. Shouldn't there be decent sized ones in there as well, and if so, what would the best way to catch them be? Right now I'm simply fishing worms off the bottom on fairly small hooks. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Hey there Holmz, and welcome to the bigfishtackle forums! It's nice to see another catfisherman on the boards! Great question by the way, let me see if I can help.............

First of all, bullheads and Channel cats are peas in a pod. They pretty much like the same conditions and eat the same things. They are scavengers by nature, but have been known to knaw on a passing spinner bait when they are really hungry or excited. The best bait i've found for either species is chicken livers. I like to freeze the chicken livers prior to use. They work just as good frozen and also stay on the hook alot better. Chicken livers also give out a great scent trail and it will drawl the fish to your hook. There are plenty of other baits that are effective for bullheads to include: nightcrawlers, shrimp, fresh cut bait, stink bait(sometimes), hot dogs, and just about anything else.

Next, I must ask how deep the pond is. Channels and bulls, especially in a small pond, like to hang around any deep structure they can find. The deeper the hole the better. If your pond doesn't reach a depth of over say, 6' or so, than it really doesn't matter where you fish, they'll probably be roaming around. Also, most fish species grow in accordance to the size of the body of water they live in. The larger and deeper the body of water, the higher of a chance there is to catch a trophy fish. However, there should be a few 5-10 pounder in there anyhow.

You may also want to try a bobber rig. The same rig you would use for bream, just a larger bobber with a 5/0 circle hook or so. You'll want a bigger hook for the larger fish. Just bait the hook with a big chunk of frozen, fresh chicken livers and chunk it out. Be patient, in a pond with a consistent depth, the fish do tend to roam around. It may take them a while to find your offering. But, rest assure once they do, you should be in for plenty of action. Channel cats rarely hang out alone, even the larger fish. Don't be surprised if you snag a 20+ pounder either. [] Bottom fishing for them is effective as well, especially if the water has deep holes. I use a carolina rig with a 1 oz egg sinker and the same sized hook.

So, get yourself a couple buckets of chicken livers and toss them in the freezer. Next, rig up your favorite rod with a bobber rig and a larger sized, 5/0 hook. Now, head to the pond with your new strategy and be sure and let us know how you do!!!!

Oh, bullheads are great when cut into nuggets and deepfried in Beer batter. YUMMY!!!!!!! I can get you a recipe from TubeN2 if you're interested in a home made recipe. [cool]

Don't forget your beer to drink. I'm a Yuengling Light kinda guy myself. Or some captain and coke. []
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First off, thank you for the great reply, lots i didn't know. i ended up going out that day, and i can still seem to only catch 5-6 inchers. however, the pond is VERY big, and i can't cast far enough to even get close to the middle. i've included pictures of the pond (and one of my dog sleeping by the pond) so you can get a rough idea. i might take a canoe out on it so maybe that'll help. i'm going back tonight though to try again from the shore, and there's definitely enough in there to keep a few of the bigger ones i catch, so i'll report back later. thanks again for all the help!

Welcome aboard Holmz and thank you for taking the time to register.

You got some pretty sound catching/rigging advice from Tarpon4me. I will offer some cooking advice.

Here is a link to the recipe board and specifically to the Cafish Section.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Fish_and_Game_Recipes_C65/Fish_recipes_F116/Catfish_Recipes._P96992/"]Just click on this link to go there.[/url][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Fish_and_Game_Recipes_C65/Fish_recipes_F116/Catfish_Recipes._P96992/"] [/url]

Enjoy.[cool]
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That pond just looks fishy! I bet its got some bass too! Nice looking rednose by the way.
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That is a nice looking pond, and like mattscru said, I bet there are a few nice bass in there too.

With a canoe, it would be easy to set up a drift, and also to experiment and find how deep the pond is towards the middle, sides, and eventually find where the deepest points are. I'd be trying it next to that structure in the middle. It almost looks like some sort of bird feeder or something. That would be prime time for bullheads. []
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thanks for the responses guys, thanks for checkin out the pictures too.

well a couple buddies of mine went fishing with me back at that pond yesterday, and we got impatient after only catching 3 small 5'' bullhead, so we headed to my bass/bluegill pond. my buddy caught a nice 12-13'' largemouth, and then we got a bunch of various bluegill. i forgot my camera so i'll have to bring it next time.

we're going to have to definitely take a canoe out on the big pond to really see what's in there. with all the trees around, it's a bit tough to get a solid cast out into the middle.

tarpon, i think the things in the middle you mentioned are for birds to perch on but i'm not sure. a neighbor of ours hunts ducks out there too, although i honestly don't even know what they are for. the pond is extremely old, and i just started fishing out there for the first time recently.

do you guys think it's possible that the pond is overpopulated and due to that, the fish's growth is stunted? my buddies were saying we should put some pike out there, and maybe even some walleye to help bring down the population. i do have to say though, in response to the idea of bass being in there, i have yet to see any action above water, no fish jumping or anything, which is odd. down at my other pond that's full of largemouth, during feeding time there is CONSTANT action at the surface. there are some monster bass in there.

i'll probably head back out to one of my ponds tonight, so keep on the lookout for more pictures and info. hopefully other people reading this can relate and will learn new things about their ponds as well.

thanks again guys! i'll keep you all updated

Next time yall catch a bass look over it real good. If it has a fat belly and short fat tail section their growth is definatly not stunted. If the belly is concave and the tail section is long and skinny thats a tell tell sign for stunted growth. You cant go by just a few fish, you need to catch several to be sure. I wouldnt put pike in their, because if their is a nice population of bass and panfish your going to decimate them. Just my 2 cents. Matt
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sorry, i think i shoulda worded that better. i meant adding pike to the pond with ONLY bullhead. the bullhead pond is the one where the fish are stunted. the bass and panfish pond is definitely ok as is. sorry about that. what do you think about adding pike to the bullhead pond?

Im not sure if pike would help the situation at hand much. Im by no means an expert on pike, but I dont think they eat that many bullheads. They like to eat fish morelike bass, panfish and trout. That might be a good question for the pike board, since they know a little more about what pike will take. Bullhead have those 3 fins withs hard spins they can lock out which makes them a hard prey item. I could be completely wrong and pike might thin the bull head out. I really dont know.
Matt
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I'm pretty sure Pike won't eat bullhead, due to the spiney bones on the dorsal and pectoral fins. Also, I think they secrete something that increases the pain from pricks made by these spines. However, I'm not a fish scientists, so I can't say for sure.

I do fish waters where both pike and bullhead reside, and I've found just about everything but bullheads in pike guts.
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I would suggest putting in some Channel Cats. They would have no problem chomping up on the little Bullheads.[cool]
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Finding "HOLES" adn pond features is a key factor......
If you can afford one,,,get you a "SMART CAST" and see what's going on,,,,,
if you can't rig yourself a "PLUMBING LINE" in the following way


Slide a 2 or 2 ounce weight onto the line, one that has a LARGE loop on it,,,for example

the tie on a swivel, and attach the bobber..so you now have the BOBBER at the end of the line, the swivel, and the lead whih dangles freely on the line...

Now cast that contraption out to an area on the lake, and reel in slightly till you feel the BOBBER hit the lead, once you have done that let out linefrom your reel in 12 inch increments,,,,and start counting,,,soon as you see the bobber pop up, take a not of how much line you released and you've got your depth!!,,I like to use a 2 counce lead, gives me a better feel,,,repeat the process, casting where you want to,,,in multiple casts, you can determmine "DROP OFFS", ledges, etc..

To determine the "FEATURES" just tie a i ounce lead on the end of the line cast it out and retieve slowly, as the lead bounces along the bottom, you can pick up obstacles, drops, snags etc, etc,,,,,when you retireve the lead, look as it closely for any signs of damage ( abrasions etc) thjis should tell you if it's a "MUCK" bottom, or rocky..
yeah, I know takes time and practice,,,but once you develop the art of these two tricks, you can determine depth, and features up to the extent of your cast capabilities,,,needless to say this is for "BANK ANGLERS" only,,,you got a boat or a raft or anything else,,,,you got it made in the shade, just drop the line down till you hit bottom, and reel up in 12 inceh increments...
hope this helps...
Get after it man ![url "http://www.scary-terry.com/dancskele/lead.jpg"][/url]
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That's a great suggestion scubadoc. Nothing wrong with a "poor mans" sonar to map out the bottom. The smart cast is also another great way to pick up on the bottom lay out, but though they are effective, they aren't as accurate as a standard sonar unit that, say you mount to a boat. But, for your application, would be perfect. You can also get something called a "fishing buddy." it's a portable sonar unit that is relatively cheap to buy and you can attach it to what ever you're fishing from. Canoe, dock, or float tube. []
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You're right,,,I forgot about the fishing buddy,,,nice little dealie,[]yes the very best way is to get out on a boat and map the area,,,, but if you're stuck on the bank one of the 3 methods is about the only way, unless of course you want to [#ff0000]walk [/#ff0000]out there[cool]
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Ive tried walking out before bt once it hits about 68" its no fun. I really like the float and 2 ounce wieght method, I might even give that a try in some of my small lakes I fish alot. Those are some good tips!
Matt
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there is nothing wrong with a good bullhead pond.

especialy when you can get them up to 2-3 pounds

prediters wont work for them. they need food. I would concentrate on a timed feeder or stocking the ares with bait fish like minnow, shad. shiners, ect...

I imagin there will be thousands or more small under grown bullheads just waiting for something to chomp on....

putting food for the bait fish isnt a bad idea either, if you can get bait fish food established you can realy get a good nich in opperation....

and there anint nothin better than a fresh clean bullhead fry, well maybe a blue gill fry...[]

have own plate and fork will travel [cool]
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