Cool video! I've wanted to try ice fishing for quite some time now. I've got a friend in Ohio that I hope will put me on some ice at some point. Just got to make sure the weather will be decent so I don't get stuck up there!
i really enjoy the stuff in fisherman has put out. doug stange is a great fisherman... a fish magnet.
awesome cats Jim and Matt... you should post those monsters in the bragger board so they wont get lost in this discussion thread. give us guys something to target in the future. those will be tough to top.
Thanks, Ken. We've been blessed with some excellent small lakes that have some very nice channel cats in them. I think I posted some pics of some impressive blue cats from the Potomac and James Rivers in Jeffrey Abneys' 'Big and Ugly' discussion group.
Hello, I just had to join the Bullhead group, I grew up & worked in our fishing resort (over 50 years ago) my folks owned here in southern Minnesota, 10 miles from a small town called Waterville which claims to this day to be "The Bullhead Capital Of The World" . I remember seeing some people back then trading a few Walleye for a big bunch of fat bullheads (bullheads were king). Our customers were mostly from Iowa and everyone who fished usually could limit out (100 fish) on big bullheads. "The Good Old Day's".
Sounds great Gary . What size and style hook and size bait do you feel is most efficient for catching Bullheads considering release as well as keeping some for the pan ?
The last bulkhead I caught was about 5 years ago in a local pond.
I was fishing the outer corners of an indentation in a weedline, as I could reach them from shore. I was distracted by a school of shiners and when I looked back, my float was gone.
That black bullhead was at least three pounds and as long as my forearm. It was the biggest I had ever seen.
PSS Thanks for the memories Gary. My first recollection of bullhead were the little brownies caught in MN ponds are my family's home in Wyoming, MN.
They literally infested most waters and could always be caught. They were small, bite size, and voracious. For a kid, they were ideal.
John, To answer your question, back in the late 1950's everyone fishing bullheads that I knew used a large hook maybe size 1 or 0/1 and 3/4 to 1 1/2 oz. football style slip sinker with a wire swivel tied in the line about 18" up from the hook that served as a sinker stop, this way a bullhead could bite & pull the line without detecting a drag in it, we'd wait for 3 quick bites in a row then set the hook hard and pull him in. We used night crawlers for bait (blew them up fat with a needle air bottle) and back then everyone kept the bullheads, they would freeze them in 1/2 gallon milk cartons and water.
Gary I didn't Bullhead fish this year and besides the occasional Bullhead when I was a kid I didn't target them till up to 5 or so years ago . I ,like you , used a 1 or 1/0 baitholder hook .I use a sliding sinker pinched off by a small split shot and six lb. test on spinning rod and Reel, A hot dog chunk is my usual bait and a good size that covers the hook shank . My problem is they always swallowed the hook and I'm looking into circle hooks so I can release them . Certain waters I catch them in I don't want to keep and eat them .I would like to target them in another body of water I'm fond of keeping occasional fish from however .
Three Channel Cats Three landed three lost long casting with an 8' Slab Seeker Rod and slip float . Chartreuse Buck tail and Red Marabou jigs with worm did the trick.
Weird to say the 1st Channel Cat I ever caught was still my biggest ! An incidental catch of 30" 12#. Way back in the 70's at Pompton Lakes from shore on a measley worm i dug up from the bank where i was fishing . The catch was late morning hours I believe .
Yesterday the 8 Fish caught all took frozen Chicken Livers over Hotdogs .They are getting more expensive taste it seems . 5 Brown Bullheads ,2 Yellow Bullheads ,1Channel Cat. Painted Turtle took the hot Dog Chunk. BFOD :13" 1#8oz. Yellow Bullhead
I 've been missing a lot of fish but found that when using hot dog pieces for BHeads and Ccats the white perch are pecking away at the bait and tearing off the hook .
That looks like a "Black Bullhead" to me! I thought White Catfish were almost completely white? I've got a book that explains the differences, somewhere..... Hope I didn't loose it in the move up here to MI.
Allen , what part of the Country did you see "almost cmpletely white" White Catfish ? Dick Tabbert from Ohio said the same thing but this fish is a stocker living downthe road here in New Jersey .We all know color varies in regions and different waters .
Ok, my bad. I've never actually seen one. Just read about them, and thought they were almost completely white.
I do know that Blue Catfish, in deep and/or muddy water, will often be almost completely white, but when they are in shallow and/or clear water, will darken up to a deep slate blue color.
NOT TERRIBLY FAR FROM ME: NY Record :White Catfish 10 lb. 5 oz. 25.5 Joe Silicato Jig & Cut Bait New Croton Reservoir, Westchester Co. 5/17/98....Twice as big as my largest!
Bullheads and Catfish through the ice? I have only caught three .Everyone was on a Fathead Minnow . This 17" White Catfish took a Fathead tipped 64th oz. Jig I got him on a light rod Jigging a hole at 12'.
Three on this occasion Leo .That's unusual from my experience! I got a small Brown Bullhead in addition to this White Cat and my nephew got a small Channel Cat or perhaps it was a Brown Bullhead. Here's my lil' Bully:
The Floating Jig /Split Shot Rig with small piece of Hotdog or crawler piece. The other Rig I use is a sliding sinker pinched off with a small piece of shot. Sometimes I use a float to get the bait a foot or so off bottom. My three Bullhead /Channel Cat rigs. I fish them by an incoming Pipe. April and May usually are the first catches of Bullies.
Homemade Spinner Rigs with medium and Large Shiners have been keeping us on the Crappie. When the bait dies after a Crappie feed the Bullheads eat them up. Love Fall fishing!
Slip Sinker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K1So6wmcKE
in fisherman video ice fishing for channel cat w/gulp!
Nov 15, 2014
Jason Preslar
Nov 15, 2014
John Sheehan
real cool video ken! 33" big head male channel cat thru the ice! I would like that !
Nov 15, 2014
Slip Sinker
i really enjoy the stuff in fisherman has put out. doug stange is a great fisherman... a fish magnet.
awesome cats Jim and Matt... you should post those monsters in the bragger board so they wont get lost in this discussion thread. give us guys something to target in the future. those will be tough to top.
Nov 15, 2014
Jim Gronaw
Thanks, Ken. We've been blessed with some excellent small lakes that have some very nice channel cats in them. I think I posted some pics of some impressive blue cats from the Potomac and James Rivers in Jeffrey Abneys' 'Big and Ugly' discussion group.
Nov 15, 2014
Gary Kamatchus
Hello, I just had to join the Bullhead group, I grew up & worked in our fishing resort (over 50 years ago) my folks owned here in southern Minnesota, 10 miles from a small town called Waterville which claims to this day to be "The Bullhead Capital Of The World" . I remember seeing some people back then trading a few Walleye for a big bunch of fat bullheads (bullheads were king). Our customers were mostly from Iowa and everyone who fished usually could limit out (100 fish) on big bullheads. "The Good Old Day's".
Dec 31, 2015
John Sheehan
Sounds great Gary . What size and style hook and size bait do you feel is most efficient for catching Bullheads considering release as well as keeping some for the pan ?
Dec 31, 2015
David, aka, "McScruff"
I was fishing the outer corners of an indentation in a weedline, as I could reach them from shore. I was distracted by a school of shiners and when I looked back, my float was gone.
That black bullhead was at least three pounds and as long as my forearm. It was the biggest I had ever seen.
Dec 31, 2015
David, aka, "McScruff"
(Which are actually manure worms, but who's counting).
Dec 31, 2015
David, aka, "McScruff"
They literally infested most waters and could always be caught. They were small, bite size, and voracious. For a kid, they were ideal.
Dec 31, 2015
Gary Kamatchus
John, To answer your question, back in the late 1950's everyone fishing bullheads that I knew used a large hook maybe size 1 or 0/1 and 3/4 to 1 1/2 oz. football style slip sinker with a wire swivel tied in the line about 18" up from the hook that served as a sinker stop, this way a bullhead could bite & pull the line without detecting a drag in it, we'd wait for 3 quick bites in a row then set the hook hard and pull him in. We used night crawlers for bait (blew them up fat with a needle air bottle) and back then everyone kept the bullheads, they would freeze them in 1/2 gallon milk cartons and water.
Dec 31, 2015
carl hendrix
Gary;; your telling how old you are ! LOL-- but ; Im that old to !!!
Dec 31, 2015
John Sheehan
Gary I didn't Bullhead fish this year and besides the occasional Bullhead when I was a kid I didn't target them till up to 5 or so years ago . I ,like you , used a 1 or 1/0 baitholder hook .I use a sliding sinker pinched off by a small split shot and six lb. test on spinning rod and Reel, A hot dog chunk is my usual bait and a good size that covers the hook shank . My problem is they always swallowed the hook and I'm looking into circle hooks so I can release them . Certain waters I catch them in I don't want to keep and eat them .I would like to target them in another body of water I'm fond of keeping occasional fish from however .
Jan 1, 2016
Gary Kamatchus
Carl, Age is just a number that can't be changed so all we can do is enjoy it.
Jan 1, 2016
John Sheehan
A decent 2#,4oz. fat cat
Sep 28, 2016
John Sheehan
Nov 16, 2016
John Sheehan
Apr 18, 2017
John Sheehan
Apr 18, 2017
John Sheehan
Apr 18, 2017
John Sheehan
Three Channel Cats Three landed three lost long casting with an 8' Slab Seeker Rod and slip float . Chartreuse Buck tail and Red Marabou jigs with worm did the trick.
Apr 18, 2017
John Sheehan
A 12" Yellow Bullhead , a fine catch ! Grabbed a 3" Keitech Easy Shiner on a 16th oz. Mushroom head Jig .
Jul 29, 2017
John Sheehan
Aug 11, 2017
John Sheehan
Some small CC's too .
Aug 11, 2017
John Sheehan
http://bigbluegill.ning.com/photo/5-3-oz-20-channel-cat-3#!/photo/5-3-oz-20-channel-cat?context=user
Aug 19, 2017
John Sheehan
bottom 13" on Yum 3.5" Salted Tube Jig
Aug 19, 2017
John Sheehan
Aug 23, 2017
John Sheehan
Weird to say the 1st Channel Cat I ever caught was still my biggest ! An incidental catch of 30" 12#. Way back in the 70's at Pompton Lakes from shore on a measley worm i dug up from the bank where i was fishing . The catch was late morning hours I believe .
Aug 23, 2017
John Sheehan
Allen Morgans source for Catfish hooks: https://www.captainhookswarehouse.com/index.cfm?page=detail&hoo...
Sep 4, 2017
John Sheehan
Allen Morgan catching Catfish on the Arkansas River :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q2f0Ab7kAo
Sep 4, 2017
John Sheehan
Incredible prices on Hooks there Allen!
Sep 4, 2017
John Sheehan
Yesterday the 8 Fish caught all took frozen Chicken Livers over Hotdogs .They are getting more expensive taste it seems . 5 Brown Bullheads ,2 Yellow Bullheads ,1Channel Cat. Painted Turtle took the hot Dog Chunk. BFOD :13" 1#8oz. Yellow Bullhead
Sep 4, 2017
John Sheehan
I 've been missing a lot of fish but found that when using hot dog pieces for BHeads and Ccats the white perch are pecking away at the bait and tearing off the hook .
Sep 9, 2017
John Sheehan
I am now wondering if this is a White Catfish NOT a Channel Catfish I have been calling it .
Sep 9, 2017
John Sheehan
I am now convinced its a White Catfish because of its huge head and White Chin Barbels
Sep 9, 2017
Allen Morgan
That looks like a "Black Bullhead" to me! I thought White Catfish were almost completely white? I've got a book that explains the differences, somewhere..... Hope I didn't loose it in the move up here to MI.
Sep 9, 2017
John Sheehan
Allen:Black Bullhead has black Barbels .This one has creamy white Barbels as you can see in the pic..
http://identifyfish.blogspot.com/2010/11/white-catfish-ameiurus-cat... . "Big Head ,Squat Body , White chin Barbels . ,slightly forked Tail. olive gray or slate gray on the head and bluish gray or slate gray on its back and sides, tapering to a white belly."
Here's a smaller 17 " White Catfish I caught in the same spot Yesterday .It grabbed a Hot Dog Chunk:
Sep 10, 2017
John Sheehan
Allen , what part of the Country did you see "almost cmpletely white" White Catfish ? Dick Tabbert from Ohio said the same thing but this fish is a stocker living downthe road here in New Jersey .We all know color varies in regions and different waters .
Sep 10, 2017
John Sheehan
Unbelievable heads on these guys!
Sep 10, 2017
Allen Morgan
Ok, my bad. I've never actually seen one. Just read about them, and thought they were almost completely white.
I do know that Blue Catfish, in deep and/or muddy water, will often be almost completely white, but when they are in shallow and/or clear water, will darken up to a deep slate blue color.
Sep 10, 2017
carl hendrix
JOHN;; HAVE YO UFOUND ANY CIRCLE HOOKS YET ? WAS WONDERING; ON WHAT SIZE MIGHT BE GOOD FOR KITTIE FISH.... SIZE;; 3 ?? OR MAYBE A SIZE 4 ??
Sep 19, 2017
John Sheehan
NOT TERRIBLY FAR FROM ME: NY Record :White Catfish 10 lb. 5 oz. 25.5 Joe Silicato Jig & Cut Bait New Croton Reservoir, Westchester Co. 5/17/98....Twice as big as my largest!
Nov 21, 2017
John Sheehan
Carl I guess what ever Circle hook size,would compare with a #1 Baitholder hook which is what I've been using.
Nov 21, 2017
John Sheehan
Bullheads and Catfish through the ice? I have only caught three .Everyone was on a Fathead Minnow . This 17" White Catfish took a Fathead tipped 64th oz. Jig I got him on a light rod Jigging a hole at 12'.
Jan 11, 2018
Leo Nguyen
Looks like even the kitties are active in the freezing temperature. Hunger drives the body.
Jan 11, 2018
John Sheehan
Three on this occasion Leo .That's unusual from my experience! I got a small Brown Bullhead in addition to this White Cat and my nephew got a small Channel Cat or perhaps it was a Brown Bullhead. Here's my lil' Bully:
Jan 20, 2018
John Sheehan
6#11oz. Channel Cat hit a Trolled Crankbait in the Dog Days of Summer,
Feb 26, 2021
John Sheehan
http://bigbluegill.ning.com/photo/bullheads-turtles-and-catfish
May 8, 2021
John Sheehan
May 8, 2021
John Sheehan
The Floating Jig /Split Shot Rig with small piece of Hotdog or crawler piece. The other Rig I use is a sliding sinker pinched off with a small piece of shot. Sometimes I use a float to get the bait a foot or so off bottom. My three Bullhead /Channel Cat rigs. I fish them by an incoming Pipe. April and May usually are the first catches of Bullies.
Jan 18, 2022
John Sheehan
Homemade Spinner Rigs with medium and Large Shiners have been keeping us on the Crappie. When the bait dies after a Crappie feed the Bullheads eat them up. Love Fall fishing!
Nov 3, 2022