Substitute bait for Bullheads ???

[Guest]

Looking for some help on what baits to use.
One lake I fish is really clear and you can see bullheads (1"-2") swimming around. And then the walleyes come in and they turn there noses up at what I offer, mainly minnows all types.
In the summer leeches are the answer but when a lakes main forage base is bullheads what do you guys reccomend on the Hard water???

Thanks

[Bobb-o]

cabelas has a soft plastic that looks like a bullhead.

[Guest]

Summer try a S-A-L-M-O Bullhead, a great cranks for the job.

You can find a story on them at my site.
http://ed-carlson.fishingbuddy.com/?id=13&page=The Key to bigger walleye!

In the winter the Chubby Darter is a good bet, or a Storm WIDE EYE Shad jig tipped with a scent option such as a minnow head.

Think darker baits. The walleye are accustomed to targeting black silhouettes, so feed them that color.

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[fiskyknut]

Why use a substitute for those baby Bullheads, heck trap yourself some and use them for bait.

Fisky

[Bobb-o]

Fisky, is that legal? I thought bullheads were considered game fish

[Nels]

Bullheads are considered minnows if they are smaller than 7".

http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/97A/015.html
Subd. 29. Minnows. "Minnows" means: (1) members of
the minnow family, Cyprinidae, except carp and goldfish; (2)
members of the mudminnow family, Umbridae; (3) members of the
sucker family, Catostomidae, not over 12 inches in length; (4)
bullheads, ciscoes, lake whitefish, goldeyes, and mooneyes, not
over seven inches long; and (5) leeches.

I actually have 1 bullhead in my bait bucket from the last time I bought some Fatheads.
I'll sell it to you for big bucks

[This message has been edited by Nels (edited 02-06-2003).]

[Guest]

Yup.... you can use 'em as bait as long as they are 7" or less. Just ask some of the cat fishin' guys.

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-FNC

"Hell froze over last week... glad I brought the Vex"

[Lowe]

Anyone ever actually use live bullheads for bait? I would think that the rigid pectoral and dorsal fins would make them a little hard to gnaw on. Maybe the young ones don't have the rigidity in the spines yet?

Didn't see your post, FishNChester, so I'll revise my question - anyone use bullheads as bait for walleyes?

[This message has been edited by Lowe (edited 02-06-2003).]

[JP Z]

I can vouch for the spines. Stepped on baby dead ones on a beach..........Ouch!

[deadeye]

I use them when I fish for cats in the summer and they work wonderful. I used to fish rivers in southern minnesota and we got some walleyes on them too. Be careful with the really small ones though, thoses spines are hard to work with. ><>
deadeye

[Guest]

Yaaaaaaaa, but, transporting them is another deal.

Watch the regs, you can get hit with a $250 fine per bullhead if you get caught transporting them in a restricted zone or state. Definitely a No-No in ND!

Ed

[The Chemist]

Fisky I believe Mn also has the same inport laws for bait. I thought the "4" rule was for transporting for use in a home aquarium. So literally it would be illegal to buy bait at a bait shop and go fishing on a lake say if there were 5 bullheads.

[fiskyknut]

Chemist, You maybe have the answer with that home aquarium rule.

[Guest]

288 of them? Is that a regulation on all minnows?

[fiskyknut]

Yes, up to 24 dozen may be possesed and transported.

[Guest]

That was a secret I did not know.

[Guest]

I use bullheads for walleyes and they work great!I usually get some when trapping or seining minnows.I take them and tip a jig with them just like a fathead.I usually use a stinger hook with the bullies because they are somewhat larger than your average minnow.I have had my best luck in the fall when the eyes are looking for big snacks.

[Guest]

Thanks guys I know I would get the help I needed. I did not know you could use them as bait. I will have to hold some over next summer and try it on the ice. I dont think I am fast enough to get them out of a 10" hole now. I know the walleyes eat them so the spines must not hurt them, maybe it will help a little with the hook set if they really chomp down on them.

[Guest]

Walleye eat tons of bullheads, if they are there, they eat them. Many a big walleye has burped up bullhead's or stoncats on my boat floor.

On many prairie lakes, you can count on the bullhead as being the forage base for walleye. Deep walleye in summer, same thing, dead of winter, more bullheads on the menu.

Try some jet black blade baits, you may find them helpful.

[Just4fun]

I sent the following question to the Minn DNR last summer. The reply was from Kevin Kyle of the MN DNR.

My question:

I recently found some people saying that bullheads may be used as bait on inland waters, as long as they were under 7 inches in length. In the rules it says that transporting them (bullhead) live was limited to four.

I would like to know if it is legal to use them and if so, can they be caught in one lake and used in another?

That you for your time.

His reply:

As long as they are under 7 inches they can be used for bait, but only four of them can be transported between lakes. Kevin

[fiskyknut]

Weird, a guy in Mn should be able to transport up to 288 of them as they are considered minnows. As long as they don't come from one of the "infested waters" listed in the regs you can transport them. I can't figure how they can say only 4??? ND has those import laws which bum me out, I catch some great baitfish in Mn tribs to the Red, but can't even haul them across the border when I go to launch the boat on the Red in ND, so I leave them "hidden" on the Mn side and pick them up after launching on the ND side. One way to get around it I guess.

Fisky

[Guest]

Any tips where I could get some spring is my busiest time with field work and fishing. Dont have time to net them myself.

I would be willing to drive and pay if someone has the oppertunity to get abunch.(has to be enough to pay though/I will worry about the fine when I get stoped)