Bullhead Fishing
These scaled-down versions of their larger cousins are perhaps the most often caught catfish in many areas, including Ontario. Your tackle can lean a little toward the lighter side, since seldom do bullheads reach bigger than frypan size. The only major difference you have to be aware of is their somewhat smallish mouths. Choose long-shanked number eight or ten hooks, and try to bury them as much as possible inside your bait. There's even the argument that a very large single hook covered with bait can catch bullheads in that the fish will bite on it more than they will try to swallow it. They'll hold onto the bait until they realize they're out of the water, by which time they're in the boat. Don't worry about weights too much with bullheads. They're such tenacious critters, in their zeal to grab any easy meal they seldom seem to notice the little bits of lead required to keep your baits on bottom. Some anglers don't even bother with hooks. It makes it convenient for them to avoid handling the fish, keeping their hands safe and clean.
One such hookless wonder consists of a velcro strip, the fuzzy half soaked in whatever smelly, festering goo you think is the most attractive to the fish. Simply tie it on the end of your line, put some sort of a sinker on it, and throw it out. If a fish goes for it, its tiny little teeth get stuck in the rig and you can flip the fish out into the boat.
A more conventional method calls for the traditional bullhead bait -- the nightcrawler -- but without a hook. This rig is known as a worm ball. you take a long piece of good, thick monofilament line (around 25 or 30 pound-test) and a long needle. You then thread a large worm onto the needle and push it down onto the line. Repeat the process with up to a dozen worms, and you'll end up with a loop of monofilament line totally covered in worms. Tie the ends of the line together to form a large loop, which is then twisted on itself several times to form a loose ball. Add some kind of weight, and tie the whole thing onto any fairly stiff rod. Drop the rig in the water, and when you feel a tug lift it up. Holding on will be a bullhead which will, with good timing, let go and fall into your boat or pail! The easiest and more standard way, of course, is to use the slip-sinker rig with a single dew worm as described in carp fishing.
One idea for fishing bullhead when you're using a single hook and worm and sliding sinker is not to tie the hook right on the end of the line, but to put a snap swivel and then use snelled hooks. If a hook is really swallowed, you can just unhook the snell, hook on a new hook, and continue fishing. You can always retrieve your hook when you clean the fish.
One thing you will notice, though, is that after you've caught your first bullhead from a particular stretch of water, there will always seem to be another one not too far away eager to take your next presentation. Bullheads are gregarious fish, sharing locales, even though there's no indication that they actually travel in schools. The action can get quite hectic if you happen to come across a well-populated hole ... which leads to an important word of caution.
At one time, it was believed only bullheads had a venomous gland connected to their dorsal spine. Now we know that all catfish do also. And even though the venom is not particularly dangerous, it still can cause pain and mild infection. So, too, can a sting from either of the spines at the forward end of their pectoral fins. All catfish have an unusual ability to sustain prolonged periods of time out of water. They still can have just enough life left in them to inflict a painful wound while you're preparing them for the frying pan. If you're unlucky enough to learn just how painful a catfish sting can be, try soaking the injured area in diluted household ammonia. It's about the only effective solution known.
