| When it comes to fishing, there are two names | | | | stay or feed near the bottom of lakes, ponds and |
| that make the sport great to me, 'bullheads' and | | | | rivers but they really eat no crap or other junk. |
| 'catfish', no other freshwater fish get such a bad | | | | They like feeding near the bottoms because that |
| rap as these two old friends do. If I am at work | | | | is where one of their favorite meals live, crawfish, |
| or in a store or some other place, all I have to do | | | | and clippers. The bullheads and catfish actually |
| is mention 'I caught some bullheads or a catfish, | | | | push small rocks and stones, logs and other debris |
| and it's like I am talking about some horrible skin | | | | on the bottom to look for the crawfish and |
| disease. People frown or shake their heads in | | | | clippers, along with other live water creatures, and |
| disgust, and start talking about how nasty they | | | | bullheads and catfish nest and burrow into mud |
| are and how they are bottom feeders. Let me | | | | and banksIt is true that large catfish may be |
| tell you what I think about bullheads and catfish.I | | | | muddy tasting, but that can be simply cured by |
| think they get a back rap because they are ugly | | | | not eating the large ones. Some catfish have a |
| to most folks, I mean they are dark, they have | | | | dark stripe in the meat that goes the length of |
| whiskers by their mouths, and they have sharp | | | | the fish, this area is sometimes strong tasting, |
| spines at the dorsal and pectoral fins. Mishandle a | | | | again, just avoid eating this part and you will be |
| bullhead while removing a fishhook or when placing | | | | fine. I have caught and ate bullheads and catfish all |
| one in the live well, and you can get horned or | | | | of my life, and I love them more then any other |
| pricked with one of the sharp spines. The spines | | | | fish, including perch and bass.Most of the bullheads |
| contain a poison that often hurts worse than a | | | | I have caught here in Pennsylvania in the ponds |
| bee sting, and the pain and soreness can last a | | | | and lakes are the black bullheads, once in awhile I |
| week. Bullheads and Catfish can actually use the | | | | catch a brown one, But there colors can vary a |
| sharp spines to attack other fish, I have seen this | | | | lot, I have caught some bullheads that were |
| myself here in my home. I have a freshwater | | | | yellow or a nice shade of green. I believe it |
| fish aquarium, in it I once had a bluegill, goldfish | | | | depends a lot on the amount of algae and other |
| and a small bullhead. I noticed one day that the | | | | plants in the water, and also the time of the year, |
| goldfish had a sore or bloody area near it's tail. I | | | | water temperature, and other factors.I have |
| soon learned how the injury had happened. I saw | | | | been told by a lot of different fishermen that the |
| the bullhead literally ram the side of the goldfish | | | | best times to catch bullheads and catfish is at |
| and stick it with one of it's spines. The goldfish | | | | night. I have found that this is not always the |
| went nuts, swimming around fast, later it | | | | case, in fact most of my best bullhead catches |
| appeared to be ok, except for another bloodied | | | | occurred during the daylight hours. I have fished |
| spot or wound on it's side. I am sure if the | | | | at night and have not even gotten a bite, other |
| bullhead continued attacking and pricking the | | | | times I have been at the pond at 3:00 PM, the |
| goldfish in the right spot, enough times, it would of | | | | hottest time of the day, on a clear, sunny, |
| killed it.I once was trying to remove a hook from | | | | summer day, and have caught a whole stringer of |
| the tough mouth of a bullhead I had caught, when | | | | bullheads. Sometimes something strange happens |
| I accidently got pricked by one of the spines, the | | | | that seems to awaken bullheads, making them |
| area swelled up and it hurt for days, I was always | | | | bite a lot or to suddenly stop biting. One time I |
| a lot more careful when it came to handling | | | | was fishing during a nice sunny afternoon, when |
| bullheads after that. The poison contained in the | | | | the sky clouded over, it wasn't the dark clouds, |
| bullheads sharp spines, can make even a small | | | | just the grey ones, as soon as the sun was gone, |
| baby bullhead very painful if your not careful | | | | the bullheads stopped biting just like someone had |
| when handling it. The poison glands are common | | | | turned off a switch. Another time, I was fishing |
| throughout the catfish and bullhead species.Despite | | | | on a sunny day when all of a sudden a |
| the appearance, there isn't a more mellow and | | | | thunderstorm hit, it got dark and started to rain, |
| better tasting fish than a bullhead or catfish. There | | | | and thunder, all of a sudden the bullheads started |
| are numerous ways one can prepare them for a | | | | to bite like crazy, then the storm passed and the |
| meal, but all I ever do, is gut them out, remove | | | | sky cleared, when it did, the bullheads stopped |
| the dorsal and pectoral fins, spines, head and the | | | | biting. So whether it's a sunny day, cloudy day, or |
| skin, leaving the tail fin intact. Then I just get me | | | | night, it seems there is a lot of factors one must |
| a large skillet and pour a good amount of cooking | | | | take into consideration when catching bullheads |
| oil in it, and get it good and hot. Then I roll the | | | | and catfish. I have learned that either they are |
| bullhead or catfish meat in flour, and gently place | | | | going to bite or they are not, whenever you go |
| them in the hot oil and fry them. I eat them hot | | | | fishing, no matter what time of day or night it |
| with a little salt and pepper, and dip pieces of the | | | | is.There is Computer Software that is made for |
| meat into ketchup. Bullheads and catfish have the | | | | fishing. After keeping a few past records of |
| large backbones that make them the easiest fish | | | | fishing trips, this software will help you to easily |
| to eat without filleting.I think people just get the | | | | calculate what days will be a great fishing day ! |
| idea that they taste bad because they are | | | | The software is called: ' Fishing Buddy ', and you |
| bottom feeders. This means nothing really, a | | | | can download and try the software for free at |
| catfish and bullhead will eat or bite on a worm | | | | this website address: Robert W. |
| just like a bass or perch will. They may tend to | | | | |