The circles seem to hook up well. Yeah, bullheads are good eating, at least where I caught them. Oh yes, I do use them for bait at times when I have them (flats/blues). When the coolness of autumn sets in, I always get bullheads on my mind. JavaScript is disabled. They are good to eat, but are typically underutilized by anglers because of their nocturnal habits. And when I clean them I soak them for at least 24 hours in salt-water changing frequently. Bullhead fish, also known as catfish, are found throughout the United States and usually eat from the bottom of their habitat. anyways. I'm not sure what exactly it tasted like, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. Considered rough fish, black bullheads are not as popular for sport fishing as their larger relatives, channel catfish, blue catfish, and flat head catfish. Most definitely they are some very good eating .I prefer the smaller ones 6-8 inch over the big 12-18 inch ones but the large ones are ok if you fillet them . Half the fun of catching bullheads is in the eating! My wife got a small catfish from a friend a few years back, didn't know about cookin em so she just put it on a pan and baked it with the skin on. They will eat almost anything that can fit into their mouths. The Light Touch. They are bottom feeders and eat virtually anything edible, including dead fish, insects, other fish, grain, fruit, crayfish and more. Mud hole ya can not eat em. However, they are less carnivorous. Just don't forget to skin the fish first. :wink: As a young boy that's about all the fish my family ate was the bullheads I caught out of Indian Creek in Nebraska, I think they are just great to fry! After the water warms up and gets stagnant they don't taste so good. HOW TO CATCH CATFISH - CATFISH FISHING TIPS, Outdoor Hub, LLC (d/b/a Carbon Media Group), 3290 W. Big Beaver Rd. Bullheads are good eating, we'd catch nitecrawlers at night, then go fishing the next day. A requisite tool in addition to a knife is a good set of pliers. They migrate into the shallows to spawn at that time of year and can be very easy and fun to catch. aka Limb line bait. A small cult following still seeks the fish for the frying pan in spring and early summer. caught over 80 for sure. bullheads are my favorite eating of all the catfish. Bullheads are fine eating,if caught in reletively clear water like we have here I don't do anything except dress em as soon as I get home,toss em in a bowl of salted water for an overnight soak. Bullheads can even stay alive out of water for several hours. If they don't find any bullheads they start looking for the problem. The ones I catch at my honeyhole are perfect bait size with a 10" fish being a monster. These fish are hardy. She would put em in eggs, then in a paper bag full of bread crumbs and crushed saltine crackers. Worst Time of Day. Bullheads can be such an aggressive bite that they swallow the hook before you can reel them in. ... What Do Bullhead Eat? Bullheads eat a variety of aquatic invertebrates such as crayfish, freshwater mussels, snails, and insects. I usually cut out the red line going from the head to the tail down th middle of the fillet. Not much to add that hasn't already been said. They often bite a baited fishhook when many other species will not cooperate. They were good till about June or July, then that was it for the summer. My great grandfather and my father used to catch them my the stringers full back in the early 70's and swore they was the best eating , they used to talk about cutting them a certain way . i got a shotgun a rifle and a four wheel drive and a country boy can survive" hank jr. Out of a muddy pond forget it they are limb bait even if a 1/2 a lb. Back 40 some years ago we caught a lot of bullheads. For anglers not interested in eating bullheads, it’s worth noting that these small-scale catfish make great bait for those huge monster catfish. It is smaller than the black bullhead, although the all-tackle world record being is a 7-pound 6-ounce fish that was taken on August 1, 2009 in New York State. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead (Ameiurus melas) and yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis).It was originally described as Pimelodus nebulosus by Charles Alexandre Lesueur in 1819, and is also referred to as Ictalurus nebulosus. When I was a kid in Eau Claire Wisconsin in the 50's a neighbor would take my father and I to a "bullhead" spot.He had us use cubed up beef that had been in the hot sun all night.We caught wash tubs full of bullheads.He kept them alive in his laundry tubs in the basement,changing the water on them a couple times a day.After about 3 to 4 days he and my father would filet them.We'd have a neighborhood fish fry.Later in life I caught them in Minnesota on a lake we lived on.We filet them and ate them and they were great.The lake in Minnesota was a lot cleaner than the back water we caught them in in Wisconsin.I think the water temp and water quality do make a big difference in how they taste.Bill. Bullheads can be found throughout the United States. Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tackle, noodling, tips, tricks, reviews, reports, accessories, classifieds, and more! However, mine were taken from a murky pond in the middle of summer. A forum community dedicated to catfishers and enthusiasts. Lakes, streams, ponds, and swamps are likely places to fish for bullhead. This can cause the fish to have a meat that requires seasoning as it has a distinct taste. They will also eat other fish, fish eggs, and plants. Those who have tried them prefer dining on the smaller sized bullhead (6 to 8-inches in length) rather than the bigger ones, although the latter is just as good, especially when filleted. Although I usually don't mess with them they are decent tablefare and worth the effort, a kiddy pool or other tank is great for letting them clean out till you get ready to fry them up, fresh is best! After the water warms up and gets stagnant they don't taste so good. If taken from muddier water, the mud-vein will be much more pronounced. 7 Tips for Cool-Season Bullhead Anglers. Some people swear that crow tastes good. I'd much rather fillet a bunch of 1-3lb channel cats and use the bullheads for bait. If worse comes to worse MRR would eat all my BAIT. However, they have pale flesh and make excellent table fare when water quality is good despite their small size. A forum community dedicated to catfishers and enthusiasts. (approximately 5 inches) beef stick is low in fat, and contains only.5 carb. They were good till about June or July, then that was it for the summer. All my fish sit in saltwater for at least 24hrs after they are filleted. Here the yellow is all we have in my home lake. Bullhead catfish can tolerate lower oxygen levels in water and higher levels of pollution much better than other fish. if they are in a city pond where everyone throws their old lunch and other garbage, of course they'll eat it. We put em in clean water to rinse em after cleaning, and then in the refrigerator overnight in salt water to draw the blood out, then we'd have mom cook em. They might taste a lot different from another waterway such as a clear sandpit and their taste could also vary depending on what the mainstay of their diet is on different waters. I would have to agree with the general concensus on this thread.I have tried bullheads from local rivers and they are not so great tasting.When i was a kid we used to go to a lake in northern wisconsin cool ,deep fairly clean water with a mostly sandy bottom.Great grandma would have grandpa catch her a bucket full of bullheads she would clean them and fry them up herself.Those bullies tasted good .Was it great grams cooking?Was it the cool clear northern lake water?Probably both i would guess.For a fish that is not a selective eater i would imagine diet and enviroment play a part in how a fish tastes. Handful of potting soil, and some pond algae and youre about there. You can catch them on many different baits and rigs. Adults eat small fish, including other bullheads, but fish are really small part of their diet. if cleaned properly like many posts above stated . Skinned them with a pliers, cut the head off, gutted, battered, and deep fried. Bullheads are omnivores, eating many animal and plant foods. We cleaned em about like the videos demonstrated, but in the spring and early summer they taste the best. Mainly in streams about 30' to 40' wide or so, I guess they feed mainly on crawdads and chub minnows. I think when they come up in the net or on the hook they stink to high heaven. Suite 500, Troy, Michigan 48084 USA. They make for very good dishes. then deep fry in the mild hot cajin seasoning can you say yummy !!!!! A tip that can help when catching them is to "use small circle hooks". When you hook up with one, you will soon realize that they have a ton of fight for their size. Skin em out, fry em up leaving tail on.No better eating.In my H.O. This 3.5-inch juvenile brown bullhead has all the characteristics of an adult. Not something that Ive noticed here in Indy but those ones down there smell weird. IN florida I catch huge ones and fillet them. I see a lot of people use bullheads for bait, but another group rave about how tasty they are. Ya don't lose cheek meat that way either. small-n-tasty ! Black bullhead seems to be the most common bullhead in ponds in our service area. Other baits used for bullheads include leeches, live and dead minnows, liver, shrimp, dough balls, and stink bait. Bullheads are good eating, we'd catch nitecrawlers at night, then go fishing the next day. One place in particular is a creek in the wilderness with about a 6' waterfall and a good size hole about 9' deep. Try bullheads. The late afternoon from 2 hours before sunset until dusk as well as the early morning from dawn until 3 hours after sunrise can be very good as well. The bullheads have a similar diet with regular catfish. Suite 500, Troy, Michigan 48084 USA. Just like using live shiners and minnows, the use of live crayfish is not legal in every state … Bullhead catfish are also very nice to eat. and yes soaking them is part of it I think, but they were my Mother's favorite fish to eat also!! Crayfish. To each his own. If you can clean catfish right, they can create a very nice meal for your family. The United States Catfish Association Forum and Community. Their small size makes for a great pan fried fish on the skeleton. Bullheads eat aquatic plants and other living organisms such as insects, worms, smaller fish and larvae. Bullheads don’t get very large but these panfish are favorites of many anglers. HOW TO CATCH CATFISH - CATFISH FISHING TIPS, Outdoor Hub, LLC (d/b/a Carbon Media Group), 3290 W. Big Beaver Rd. This is what makes fishing for and catching bullheads fun. I have personally never eaten them, but the family down there says they are good. They do seem to have a yellowish tint to the meat which I assume means a higher fat content than other catfish. Not only are they good to eat, but Bullheads are a healthy and convenient snack choice for outdoorsman and sports fans everywhere. Then fry em in hot grease, some folks left the tails on, nice and crunchy. so will rainbow trout. I would much rather use them for bait since I hate to clean and fillet little fish. I got this guy from a small lake down here in Florida, he was a little over 5lbs. Trimming this out of the fillet will result in a much tastier fish. Those yellow things (commonly called Yellow Grubs) are actually a parasitic worm called. If you are catching pounders you got a pretty good hole ! JavaScript is disabled. l … I went to the pond right down the road and was catching bullheads all day. them out spring fed creeks they 8 inches or bigger they get skined deheaded and fried we fight over who gets em lol. I ate bullhead once.....NEVER AGAIN. The crappie out of that same lake taste great, and i've never had a channel cat taste like that from anywhere. We cleaned em about like the videos demonstrated, but in the spring and early summer they taste the best. Bullheads are fine eating,if caught in reletively clear water like we have here I don't do anything except dress em as soon as I get home,toss em in a bowl of salted water for an overnight soak. * Each.65 ounces. She liked it that way. It had more of a strong fishy taste to it than the rest. Perhaps I like them so much for the tie to the past. they were all over a pound. I raise them in a pond for bait. In peak season, bullheads, a member of the catfish family, have a fairly strong but not overly gamey taste and a firm texture. This pond had a good largemouth bass population but had black bullheads stunted at a size the bass could not eat. Bullheads are omnivorous and will eat almost anything they can swallow. I tried Bullhead once. lake water works fine too this will let em clean out some. Photo by Keith Sutton . To join the fun, when the water has warmed to 50 degrees or above, try shore fishing one of southern Minnesota's turbid and shallow lakes. Bullheads beef jerky products are moist, tender and bursting with a unique blend of spices and flavorings. Four flathead catfish were stocked after initial water samples were taken. Some anglers want to catch bullheads to eat. Want to catch some good-eating, cool-weather cats? They were my mothers favorite fish.. they use them as a biological indicator for water quality. Water quality parameters were measured … all bullheads ain't created equal.the brown and black bull heads taste good,but theirs one we call the speckle cat,red meat nasty.they are kind of chewy tho.not worth messing with in my oppinion.