Rigging Bullheads

[shorefisher]

O.K. so I want to try bullheads for bait. How are you rigging them? Any tip's you have would be great. Thanks much.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I hook them right through the back, just under the fin between the dorsal and the tail (adipose?). Don't bury the hook too deeply.

[Dennis Steele]

This is how I hook them when fishing slow to moderate current with an offset hook.

The hook goes through at an angle from back to front.

There are left and right offset hooks and it matters if you go from right to left or left to right depending on whick offset you have.

The thing to remember is that the point should be up and pointing towards the tail of the bait.

When a flatheads takes your bait he will swallow it head first so you want the hook pointed the way you would set the hook. You also want to make sure that when you set the hook that the point rotates up into the flatheads mouth and not down into the bait.

The hook is a little on the big side for that little bully, but I beleive its better to have more hook than less hook...or some times I am just too lazy to change to the right sized hook!

For fast water I will hook the bully or other baits through only the upper lip.

[angelus401]

i didn't know you could use bullheads as bait

[TSCTSC]

That is a huge bullhead to use as bait. What are you trying to catch with bullhead as a bait??

[LEECH21]

Giant flathead catfish of course.

[Cooter]

Perch

[LEECH21]

Good one Cooter! I was actually going to reply..BIGGER bullheads

[DTro]

heh heh I was thinking that the bullhead looked to be on the small side

[Fisher Dave]

Small side? What do you mean?

I thought all bullheads were 6 3/4" long? Sometimes they give the illusion at a quick peek to be bigger.. but that was just a mirage..

They quit growing at 6 3/4"

[DTro]

now that you mention it, I think you are right. In all my years of fishing I've never caught a bullhead longer than 7". A lot of 6 7/8" inchers but that's on a rare occasion.

[Pig_sticka]

I have caught many over 10-11" or is it just a joke that they dont grow over 7"?

I had a few spots where me and my friend caught what I would assume is brown bullheads and they were pushing a pound to a pound and a half. He would eat them and said they were some of the best fish he had ever had.

[Ralph Wiggum]

It's a joke, Pig_Sticka. Legally, you can only use bullheads up to 7" for bait.

[maj330]

What kind of setup do you have for keeping your live bullheads live? I was thinking some sort of cheap tank from a big box store and maybe a little giant pump for circulation. Is water temp a major issue? Thanks ahead of time for your info!

[Bagley]

I use a fish basket and to keep all my chubs,suckers, or bullheads alive. I usually keep it in a crick by my home in a hidden spot.

I wouldn't worry about the bullheads dying on you. They are pretty hearty. They could live in a pail of antifreeze if the was all you had.

In all seriousness, for Keeping them over time I wouldn't go as far as buying a pump, just change the water every couple of days.

Bagley

[Dennis Steele]

That "big" bullhead in the pic is at best 5 1/2 inches. I usualy like to push right up to the 7" limit. I wish it were legal to use larger ones!

I keep my bait, bullheads, creek chubs and suckers in a 120 gallon stock tank with...yes a pump, filter, and aireator.

I don't worry about water temp for any of these species. I just make sure the water is changed on a regular basis and there is plenty of oxygen. I typically can keep several dozen large baits for a couple months if needed.