Bullhead catfish are an excellent game fish species. They are scavenging bottom feeders that are found throughout the North American continent. Their favorite habitats are fair sized freshwater lakes and slow moving rivers that have a rich build up of a mud on the bottom from decades of decaying plant and animal life. It does not seem to matter the depth of the body of water as long as the bottom is muddy and full of organic muck.
The best time to fish for bullhead catfish will be during the nighttime hours. Although I have taken 10-pound bullheads during midday under a blazing sun, I was always surprised at the catches. Catfish in general, especially bullhead catfish, prefer darker areas where they can use their ultra-sensitive lateral lines as well as a fantastic sense of smell to locate food. Speaking of the bullhead’s fantastic sense of smell brings us to what type of food is best used as bait for the bottom-feeding cats.
Any type of meat or meat product can be used as bait for bullhead fishing. Armed with a mouth that is as wide as the widest part of the entire fish, the bullhead is not a finicky eater. One of the best bait rigs that you can use will be the simple hook and sinker rig. Since bullheads are bottom scavenger types it’s important to get the bait to the bottom and keep it there. This means adding just enough weight for that purpose.
To summarize: Remember that these fish like it dark, muddy and on the bottom!
