What the heck is a bullhead?

Bullheads are strange-looking little catfish, but they’re great table fare, easy to catch and fun to hook and land.
Bullheads are strange-looking little catfish, but they’re great table fare, easy to catch and fun to hook and land.

A friend recently emailed me this note: “I caught something weird in a pond yesterday. It had whiskers, so I figured you’d know what it was. It was funky-looking and ultra slimy with big lips. The color was yucky yellow, like an old bruise. Looked like a giant tadpole. Croaked at me like a frog! Darnedest thing I ever saw. Any ideas?”

Reply: “Sounds like a yellow bullhead. A small species of catfish. Good eating.”

Reply to my reply: “I’d just as soon eat a raw garden slug. That fish was the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.”

So it is in some areas. Folks don’t know much about bullheads. When one is landed, often as not the angler winces and exclaims, “What the heck is that?”

Not everywhere, though. In some Midwestern states, bullheads are the number-one ranked fish in terms of numbers taken. On light tackle, they’re respectable fighters. Rolled in seasoned cornmeal and fried golden-brown, they’re favorites on the dinner table.

Three species inhabit Arkansas waters. The largest is the black bullhead, a common resident of ponds, lakes, streams and swamps statewide. The Arkansas state record caught in Point Remove Creek in April 1986 weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces.

The yellow bullhead is our most widely distributed bullhead. It tends to inhabit smaller, weedier bodies of water than its cousins and is common throughout the state in the dense vegetation of shallow, clear bays in lakes, ponds and slow-moving streams. The 2-pound, 1-ounce state record was caught in Magness Creek Lake in June 2011.

Brown bullheads also occur here, but there aren’t many records of them. They are very uncommon, but average quite large. The state record from Upper White Oak Lake weighed 3 pounds, 3 ounces and was caught in April 2012.

Baits, tackle and techniques

You might have noticed that Arkansas’ state record bullheads were caught in April and June. These little catfish bite well year-round, but spring is an especially good time to catch them. Good baits are easy to find. Three favorites that usually work are fresh chicken liver, worms and pieces of hot dog soaked in strawberry Kool-Aid and minced garlic.

Use light tackle to savor your rock-’em-sock-’em battles with these bantam cats. Four- to eight-pound line is appropriate in all but the most snag-infested waters. Hooks for bullheads range in size from No. 4 to 1/0.

Bullheads feed around the clock, but the night bite usually is best. Catch them from shore or boat, as you prefer, zeroing in on weed bed edges, river bends, channel drops, underwater humps, inundated ponds, boat docks and long points.

Water turbidity seems to have little to do with the catch rate. In fact, some very impressive creels are taken from the muddiest water. Bullheads tolerate high levels of turbidity better than most fish, and because they feed primarily by taste and smell, low visibility is not a problem.

As a rule, the simpler your fishing methods, the more you will enjoy bullhead fishing. Your fishing strategy can be as unencumbered as using a cane pole and small hook to dunk a worm or piece of liver in late evening. Fish on the bottom, using a split shot or a small slip sinker to carry your bait down. Or use a bobber to float the bait just slightly above the bottom. You need not fish deep or far from shore.

How to hook ’em

Those big, tough lips make bullheads somewhat hard to hook. These cats also have an annoying propensity for holding the bait in the mouth, letting the angler reel them in, then spitting it out at the last second.

To ensure more bullheads landed, always use extra-sharp hooks, and let the fish start moving away before setting the hook. When tightlining, you should feel the bullhead yank at the bait a time or two before it swims off with it. When the fish starts moving, count three, then set the hook with a quick, upward snap of the hand. When working baits beneath a bobber, wait until the float disappears or starts to move slowly across the water. That’s usually when the fish has the bait in its mouth.

Bullheads are notorious hook swallowers, so keep plenty on hand. You can remove hooks with a disgorger or long-nosed pliers, but it’s quicker to cut the line and retrieve the hooks when you clean the fish.

Take care to avoid the bullhead’s sharp pectoral and dorsal fin spines. These sharp bones can make nasty punctures. If you get finned, ammonia daubed on the wound helps neutralize the stinging sensation.

From hooked to cooked

Like other fish, the bullhead’s flavor varies according to water quality. Fish from muddy or polluted waters may have an objectionable taste, but if you catch bullheads in clean water and put them on ice, they’re delicious. Always skin the fish and remove all dark red meat along the lateral line. This rids the dressed fish of the most unsavory flesh.

My favorite recipe, bullhead nuggets, is an old-time favorite. To prepare it, spread a pound of bullhead fillets in a glass baking dish that’s been lightly greased or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 or 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Crumble the fish in a bowl, and mash with a fork.

In another bowl, beat three egg yolks. (Save the egg whites to use in the recipe, too.) Stir in 3 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley and the fish. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold into this mixture. Then drop spoon-size lumps of mixture into peanut oil heated to 375 degrees. Fry until golden brown, and serve with your favorite sauce.

Bullheads also can be substituted in any recipe calling for catfish.

Fishing fun

One of the nicest things about bullhead fishing is that it calls for a maximum of sitting and socializing and a minimum of the

frenetic foolishness that “fancier” fish demand. Kids of all ages enjoy the thrills, laughs, companionship

and delectable meals a bullhead junket provides. There are prettier fish, more challenging catches and better table fare, but the bullhead remains a blue-ribbon choice for relaxing, good-times fishing.

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