Bullhead rigging.

[blakeb]

Last year i did some fishing with bullies, question is how do you guys like to rig these guys, The method that i decided on was an 8/0 circle hook on a 18 inch berkley big game leader 50lb. I usally hooked em thru the skin behind the dorsal.

I have been going over the thought of using a second hook in my rig, simply by adding a loose/slideing hook on my leader, and putting that one thru the eye sockets.

Is there a better way than what i am currently employing? What is your method.

[Loose]

I hook them behind the dorsal at a 45 degree angle to aid in not double hooking themselves. I use kahles, size varies depending on the size of the bully.

Can only use more than one hook on a lure.

[SteveD]

I use a two hook cat bait harness for bullheads. It is a legal rig if done the way I describe. The MN DNR is in the process of making a rule change which will make the harness legal. I made a Cat Tip of the Day out of it last year and it is listed in the Catfishing Tricks, Tips, Pics, Secrets, and Hot Topics thread in the Catfish forum - here is the link to the Cat Tip of the Day Cat Bait Harness: Cat Bait Harness

Here is a photo of how I hook my bullheads using the Cat Bait Harness. I also did a Cat Tip of the Day on how to hook a bullhead and I will try to dig that up and post it.

[SteveD]

I thought I would add another twist on hooking bullheads that might interest you. One of the biggest concerns for a fisherman that is fishing a large live bait is that on the hookset they will end up turning the hook back into the large bait and foul hooking it and then end up missing the flathead of a lifetime. It has happened to me more than once so I am always looking for a way of rigging a bait that ensures the hook makes contact with a flathead and not back into my bait.

Saltwater fishermen routinely use large live and dead baits and have experience with rigging techniques that us cat fishermen need to go to school on. One technique that seems to work well with large live or dead baits is called a “Bait Bridle”. Basically what it entails is rigging the bait so the hook is not physically placed into the bait at all and instead is hooked into a “bridle” on the bait fish.

I did a lot of internet searching over the winter to refine the technique. There is a lot of stuff out there and I found a manufactured "Bait Bridle" that may just be the ticket. I bought 10 of them and have even reverse engineered the thing so I can make my own. I am going to experiment with it over this cat season to see how they work. If I have some success I will do a Cat Tip of the Day on it. If you are interested in trying it just do a Google search for "Capt Harry's Fishing Supply". They have an on-line catalog and you will find them listed as "Bait Bridle Pins", Item No. 04472301675. I got a 10 pack for $6 - the shipping cost more than the bridles it was $8.50. There is really not much to the Bait Bridle - it is a small wire harness that just slides on to the bait. Looks like it should be easy to hook up but I'm a little worried about casting a bait hooked on the thing. This is what the bait bridle looks like:

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I was definitely going to refer him to your thread Steve. I have to try one of those out this summer.

I have really good luck just using a 10/0 octopus hook with the Bullhead hooked right near the back top fin (can't remember the technical name - starts with A). Then a short leader of my normal 80 lb braid (8-10"). Works great for me compared to my little luck with circle hooks. Just never figured them out well enough and lost patience.

BTW Steve - Your Bullhead has the crud.

[SteveD]

BTW Steve - Your Bullhead has the crud.

Yea - that bullie does look pretty sick doesn't he? He was actually dead - I had just cleaned out my tank and that guy was floating. I grabbed him quick to do the "How to hook a bullhead" photo. He was nice and still so it made the hooking pretty easy. My bait tank bullies had the crud pretty bad late in the season last summer - I sure hope that doesn't come back as bad this year.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I hear ya on that. Mine got the crud really bad last summer too and I gave up keeping them in my tank so I just would go catch a dozen the afternoon before I went out.

[half-dutch]

If you want to make a lure out of it, run a couple of beads and a small spinner blade up the line above the split between the hook droppers and make an overgrown worm harness "lure" out of it. Then as long as you put both hooks in the same bullhead, you will be legal again. What you may not do is use two distinct baits on that, but you may not do that with a standard lure either. If you hang a separate worm off each treble on a crank bait, you will find that is also illegal, because then it is no longer just one lure. You may however put two worms or minnows or a combination on a single hook. I suppose that is all clear as mud. Sorry about that, the law doesn't make complete sense to me either.

[tweedlap]

So hitch,,I am trying to figure out if it would be "ok" to put the

spinner on the overgrown worm harness lure above the place where

the lure hooks unto the main line and below the green and yellow bobber.

Also, how far would the last hook, of the lure, be from my orange, 2 oz

no roll?

It is getting confusing. Good we got a month to get this all sorted

out. Hopefully, someone could draw a schematic to clarify.

Thanks,

tweed

[blakeb]

Good tips, I was on the saltwater idea also. I fish in the mexican pacific / for sailfish each winter, we drag dead baits that are rigged by sewing the hook to the baitfish.

I am going to carry some of that over this year. Baits are going to be sewn onto the hook, for the task i have modified some sewing needles by heating and bending them for easy entery/exit in the bait, For thread i have cut up some power pro. Should be the ticket to long casts without hook bait separation.

[SteveD]

BlakeB - Here is a YouTube video showing how to make a bait bridle with a rubber band. This looks like a pretty slick way to rig a live bait.

[blakeb]

thats almost exactly what i had in mind, just with power pro in place of the rubber band. Good video.

[pikestabber]

Has anyone tried a Quick Strike Rig, or is that too snag-happy? One hook on each treble would always be upright to hook the fish, and the two other hooks would remain stationary and prevent the bullhead from hooking itself. I realize most if not all flattys are caught and released, and while I cannot speak to how flatheads take a bait, for pike (who obviously hit aggressively), if you are on it, you always catch them in the mouth and can release them without harm on these rigs. Key words are "if you are on it"...if a fish has time to swallow this rig, it's game over.

[Gordie]

pikestabber those are snag friendly and a flathead that has a mouth the size of a five gallon bucket is pretty much a comp and swallow kinda fish

[pikestabber]

Fair enough