Finding bullheads for bait

[MedicDan]

Ok, I read through some posts, and I know you can use the 7 inch and under bullheads as bait, but where can I find them, around central minnesota, but especially the St.Cloud area if possible.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Try Lake George. There is usually a ton in there. Also, check by culverts that go under the road on any lake. I've heard that one of the Spunk Lakes has a lot. You're not going to catch flatheads in the St. Cloud area, though. You'd have to go south.

[MedicDan]

Ok, lake george, where can I find them in there? And another thing I was wondering, is there any bait shops that have them, in the area?

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've never seen them in a bait shop in the St. Cloud area. Lake George? There's not a whole lot of structure. I'd find a piece of shoreline where it drops off fairly rapidly and throw a lindy rig with a leech out and drag it in slowly. Move around till you find some.

Like I said, if you're going to be using them around St. Cloud, I wouldn't waste your time, though. There aren't flatheads in the area, and you'll do just as well, if not better with cut suckers for channel cat bait.

[MedicDan]

ok, for the lake george thing, but I don't plan to use the bullheads around here as bait. I do plan to travel with them. Ok, since there aren't any in the STC area, is there any within lets say 100 miles of STC? Or Up north, like blackduck, leech lake, perham area? I know you would fish for them up there, but I am looking for some for use as bait in the south, and just can't seem to find them in the area.

[Ralph Wiggum]

You'll find flatheads pretty much from Minneapolis on south. Channels will be found all over in MN. Sorry I can't help you more. I grew up in Sartell, but never started fishing for cats until I moved away from there. I know there are a lot of bullies in George, though. The DNR has also been dumping channel cats in there the past few years, I've heard.

[MedicDan]

Well, thanks for the info. I'll check out lake george. When would be a good time to start to check for them?

[Borch]

Check out the Sauk River in Cold Spring below the dam. There's lots of them in there. I just don't know how active they'll be this time of year.

[SteveD]

I just got a bucket of bullheads this afternoon. 20 nice, healthy 7" bullheads. Caught them in a local lake off the end of the fishing pier. Used a 1/8 ounce yellow jig tipped with a piece of nightcrawler hanging 3' under a small bobber.

If you want to know if any of your local lakes have bullheads just surf to the MN DNR lake survey HSOforum MN DNR HSOforum and use the lake finder feature to find the lake. The lake information page should show a listing for lake information - click on that feature. This should give you the latest DNR lake survey for the lake you are interested in. If there are bullheads present the survey should tell you.

If you are a metro catfisherman, get yourself one of the "Twin Cities Water Recreation" maps (free from the MN DNR, call 651-296-6157 or outstate 1-888-646-6367, and they will mail it right to your house free of charge). This map has a listing of all metro area lakes by county and tells you the predominant fish types for that lake. Most of the lakes that have a good bullhead population are shown in that predominant fish type column. It does help narrow down your search. This is a great map for the serious catfisherman.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Great advice, Steve! I'll have to go get some for myself!

[MedicDan]

Yeah, I'll get map of that. Is there a specific name to these maps, or is it just Twin Cities Water Recreation maps?

[SteveD]

It is called "Twin Cities Water Recreation, A Map of Seven County Metro Area Public Boat Accesses and Fishing Piers".

It is a great map - shows all the boat ramps; types of boat launch (concrete, earth, carry in); if shore fishing is available; all the locations of the fishing piers; gives info on predominant fish types; parking spaces; if a park permit is required; hours open; Operating Agency; Telephone Number; Directions to the site; and special notes and restrictions. You will be surprised the number of places you did not know about. I have found some good bullhead spots using it.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Crash, I don't know why, but I just thought of another area for you to try for bullies. It was a number of years ago, but I remember catching tons of bullies in Mill Stream Pond in St. Joe. It's right off of CR 75, basically across 75 from the El Paso.

[MedicDan]

ok, I know where that is, I'll give it a try.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I wish that my advice worked for me. All I could manage was one tonight Hope that's all I'll need

[MedicDan]

Quote:

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I wish that my advice worked for me. All I could manage was one tonight

Hope that's all I'll need

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What did you get? I only caught a channel cat, over by the cty.rd.1 bridge by rice, sometimes I catch 3-4 of them there. Also by the dam in sartell, that you know of from another post. I have acces to some private property to do that, but I think the weather for fishing tonight just wasn't good.

[Ralph Wiggum]

One bullhead is what I was referring to. I don't live in the Sartell area anymore, but I fished it quite a bit when I was growing up (mid to late 90s). I just fished below the Sartell dam when I was home visiting over Easter.

[Trouthunter]

caught some in my pond in my backyard...

[Andrew Erickson]

Did someone say you had to catch the bull heads from the same body of water you are going to be fishing?is that true or not because i have a perfect pond for it

[hanson]

Quote:

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Did someone say you had to catch the bull heads from the same body of water you are going to be fishing?is that true or not because i have a perfect pond for it

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No. However, you legally cannot transport bullheads over 7" long from a body of water to a different body of water to fish with them. If they are under 7", you are OK.

Its a goofy law.

[Kurt Paulsen]

So is everyone just using a less than 10ft seine to catch these bullheads? What is the best method?

[Ralph Wiggum]

Kurt, I just catch them hook-n-line. Once you find a school, you can get a few dozen in a short period of time.

[rushing]

Kurt - There are many lakes around the mankato area that you can score tons of bullheads. We get about all we need in a short time with a jighead and worm. If I know I am going to be doin alot of fishing in a week I catch a dozen or more and keep them in a 5gal bucket with a fish aerator. With a water change every other day they will keep just fine.

[Kurt Paulsen]

So I take it you target them just like sunnies in the shallows? What about the shallower lakes around the area? I wonder if the bullhead concentration in them is higher because their is less competition or predation...

[Ralph Wiggum]

Generally, I target them like sunnies. A crawler or leech under a bobber or on a lindy-rigged floating jig head seem to work well. Leeches are tougher so you don't have to bait up as much.