2. Thanks! I never leave home without them. Posts: 52,424. Using Bullheads as Minnows for Catfish Bobbehead Bob was at the fishing dock on Lake Hiawatha the other night, where a three other fishers were going to town fishing for bullheads. Posts: 2,395. The only thing with using these outfits is that you have to catch them one at a time. I mean they work incredibly on bullheads. 183 Posts . Flathead Catfish Live Bait = Bullheads, small carp, bluegill, other ? Yellowbellys or Bullheads as we call them are great for spawning flatheads or anytime for that matter. SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE ADD TO FAV ORTIES. I'd be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried that I could no longer cut the mustard with bait techniques. Anyone ever use them and what rigs are best. Flathead catfish are interesting fish, their habits are very different than the other catfish species in many ways. You may catch small blue cats also using shrimp though it wouldn’t be the ideal bait to use for them. They don't really get very big at all, and very common around 6-12 inches.they make bait rigs for specifically bullheads too. Bullheads tend to have a thicker or rounder shape, with the head taking up a greater proportion of the total body than other catfish species. Shiners . I’m heading out now to try a couple on the Croix to see what happens. While you can undoubtedly use rig number one above for live baits, casting poddy mullet, small slimy or yakka, is better with a few adjustments. I use circle hooks and have had good luck with them. My bait dealer gave me some 2 and 3 inch Bullheads for bait. Got some dandy 5-6 golden shiners to throw at them to. The Light Touch. Has anybody ever used a channel cat as flathead bait and had any luck? Their goal was to use them as bait the following night for catfish. Since going to circle hooks I have a good hook-up rate so they are my Go-To hooks. Today, we learned a little bit of how to catch bullheads regardless if you want to for food, for photos, or to use for bait for giant flathead catfish. Larger bullheads are probably the best bait for large flathead cats. Bullheads are my preferred flathead bait. Flathead aren't dirty fighters and even in areas where there are obstructions they seem to fight away from these. This is true to some extent and I won’t argue against live bait being the best bait for flathead catfish but … I started the season off exclusively using bullheads. You do not need expensive gear and you do not have to be a catfish guide. I'm sure you know this but these are used all over the country as bait, primarily for flathead catfish. Reason I ask I’m getting loads of them in my minnow traps. Keymaster. Saving you time to spend more time fishing for the flathead. I've tried this 2 or 3 times with small channels ranging from 5-12 inches in length because channels are incredibly abundant by me. Despite them being tricky at times, you can catch them if you know how. Quote; Link to post Share on other sites. And do flats seem to prefer the bullheads, or do channels like them equally as well? 2. Be careful though or they could lodge themselves in those hiding spots so keep them moving. i love fishing with bullheads when i can get them, i used to have a place that i could go and pull out 2 dozen in an hour no problem but can't go there anymore. Flathead are ambush feeders and lay in wait near drop offs and the edge of channels for food. You’ll also need a 2-3 ounce lead weight to keep your live or dead bluegill near the bottom and provide a little tension to begin setting the circle hook after the fish bites. Also, the lower lip of a flathead extends beyond the upper lip, but on the bullhead it doesn't. Use a leader about 1 meter long tied to the swivel as above. June 21, 2012 at 8:00 pm #1222686. I would fight the fish for awhile and then the pole would come back up and I would have a 6" black bullhead. Both minnows and chubs make outstanding bait for bullheads as well as a number of other game fish species. The small ones are great for walleye.I like the 3 to 4 incers and I hook them through the upper lip on a jig like you would a regular minnow.When the eyes are aggressive it seems they out produce other baits. Niles Bailey “Willy” said bullheads and bullheads for the best flathead baits. With a short deadline the challenge to get back up to speed with this form of fishing was well in front of me. One thing I like about chub is that it makes excellent cut bait after they die. He went further into using bullheads by saying that early in the year smaller bullheads (3-5 inches) seem to work better than really large ones. HotSpotOutdoors.com Family 'we have more fun' I Share On FishingMN; 0 29 posts; Location: MN; Share; Posted May 11, 2013. Occasionally, I’ll catch a channel catfish or flathead catfish on a lure. 43 Posts . Photos? Here is how I hook up my baits and I would use this technique no matter what type of hook I was using. For Flathead catfish, don’t use shrimp. You do not need to fish deep or far from shore. I keep a 100 gallon bait tank and maintain a stock of about 50 to 75 bullheads. Bullheads are my primary flathead bait. The DNR would probably frown on you moving the fish from one body of water to another. It doesn’t fall off the hook and you get fewer bites from pest species such as banjos and toadfish. Does anyone know if it is legal to use minnow size bullheads for bait? From my experience, channel catfish and bullheads can be caught in good numbers using shrimp. A large flathead can easily eat a 10 pound fish so don't be wimpy with your baits. You can catch catfish using worms. There are plenty of good bait choices to catch flathead. WARNING: Be very careful when … Give … Bullheads don't get as large as other catfish species. 3. A 2 to 4 kg outfit you normally use for tossing plastics will do just fine. Bait for Flathead. I’m not much of a cat fisherman, but I am curious… I’m sure you guys have covered this before… But how exactly do you guys rig up a bullhead when using it for bait? Live Fish. So I did some research for this article. The DNR continues to work on getting a rule change that will allow us to use longer bullheads as bait. I relate the story merely to open your mind to the almost infinite possibilities. 2.Classic Flathead Rig for Larger Live Baits for Mono Mainlines. That is unless you try using a multi hook bait rig. They managed to get quite a […] A 4 to 8kg general outfit if you are fishing bait or trolling will do just fine. I caught a bunch of walleyes this early winter that were stuffed full of them. Using bullheads for bait… whittsend. You can absolutely catch channel cats using garlic though so don’t discount it. Brian Klawitter. A few times I noticed abrasions on the fish. However, I don’t recall ever catching a bullhead on a lure. Worms provide fish-attracting scent and enough natural action to draw in fish day or night. I was fishing one day with earthworms, trying to catch channel cats. Shiners are great live bait options for bass, trout, catfish, chain pickerel, large crappie, and bullheads. 4/8/07 @ 1:39 PM. The next big catfish bait I would try would be some bullheads or small catfish. However, if you intend using weight, let it run to the hook. I never leave home without them. How about worms? I like to use squid for a couple of good reasons. You really just need to use the right bait at the right time in the right place. Participant. Live yabbies wriggling around on a hook are the bait of choice, but most baits should get the job done. Nolan 0 Posted May 11 , 2013. I have never trimmed any fins off - a flathead will just hammer a bullhead usually taking them head first and there is no need to trim the fins. Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River. Nolan. I would check with them before you do it again. They are hoping to have something by next year.If you would like to get on the DNRs Request to Adopt notice you should contact them and have your name and address added to … Bullheads are a technically a gamefish with a limit of 100 and you can not use gamefish for bait. The most important tip for learning how to catch bullhead is that bullheads love bait. For channel catfish and bullheads, the preferred food is minnows, shiners, small bluegill, and clam meat. anyone have any tips to find a good Flatheads prefer living baitfish like shad and bluegill over dead items. Can you catch catfish with worms? You can purchase them at some bait stores or just catch them yourself on worms and chicken liver. You could use a bait hook or octopus hook, but I feel for catfish using bluegills as bait, you really should go with a circle hook. IMHO no, the out fit you use should be suited to what you are using to chase them. Any one them? If you have live bait or cut fresh bait, go with that though. Start with pilchard, blue bait, whitebait, prawns, pippis, chicken, mackerel and the list goes on. It depends on the depth of the area you're fishing and how low the water needs to get to force the bait into moving towards the deeper water. Stink Bait vs. Garlic I’d recommend a size 1/0 through 5/0 circle hook. This forced my hand to using bait again, which I hadn’t used in well over six years. I heard talk of some using 2 bullheads for walleye bait with success. aanderud. Fishing Bait you Can Use. I would catch a bullhead. I really don't think they are a game fish,not here anyway. The best bait to catch flathead. Following are some excellent flathead baits you can and should try. May 2, 2012 at 5:59 pm #1064917. Discussion Starter • #1 • Oct 12, 2011. anyone ever used a small channel/bullhead catfish say in the 6-15" range for catching big flatheads? Bullheads are a great flathead bait because they stay alive and very frisky for hours. I have used J hooks and have a leader holder full of pre-tied J-hooks but I seldom use them. They rarely exceed 3 pounds and most are less than a pound. I started using black bullheads for bait 30 years ago. Keep moving Keep movi Are Bullheads Good Bait for Flatheads. Bullheads-The winner of the favorite flathead bait contest for sure. Or use a bobber to float the bait slightly above the bottom. Surely they will catch plenty of catfish, right? Maybe I’ve been using the wrong bait. It seems to me it varies from night to night which bait they prefer. Flathead is probably the least discriminatory of all the fish eating most baits which move into their strike zone. What I prefer to do is to use a poddy trap, as you will tend to catch quite a few at a time. Using anything from a 2/0 to 6/0 hook depending on the size of bait, ganged hooks for whole pilchards, long shanks for prawns. Using light tackle allows you to better savor your rock-'em-sock-'em battles with these little warriors. I think some people maybe confused on what it is. Keep in mind however that particular spots might work well at the start of the run-out, while others may be better on the last of tide. ORIGINAL POST. Bullheads are very hardy on the hook and in the bait tank. While I feel that live minnows and chubs work best, you can fish dead or frozen fish as well for good results. One thing you’ll hear often is “flathead catfish only eat live fish”. Fish on or near the bottom, using a small sinker to carry your bait down. If you can get big baits use them. The bullheads stay alive much longer and will seek the same areas to hide as their flathead cousins which is right where you want them to go. Discussion Starter • #1 • May 31, 2013. I would no more recommend using fluffy chicks for bait than I would suggest using puppies or kittens, a practice that is not only highly illegal but highly unethical. But always check local regs. Since the beginning of July I try to bring both creek chub and bullies on my outings. While I was reeling in the bullhead, all of a sudden my pole would double. You will not find bullheads in any baitshop. No, indeed.