So Dak bull heads

SovDog

SovDog

Steelhead
So I've been going over to eastern South Dakota for work lately. For whatever reason it never occurred to me to bring a rod before, but I'm told that the fishing hole in town below the old mill dam holds bull head and small mouth, maybe a pike or two. I've caught smallies before on streamers but never bull head. Anyone on this forum have experience with these? Was planning to bring my 9' 6 wt SH with some running line and a skagit head with a few different tips from floating to S4, and my streamer box with buggers, clousers, muddlers, and a few other cone heads and dumbell eyes. Maybe a small popper or two. What am I missing here? Thanks in advance!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zak
SovDog said:
So I've been going over to eastern South Dakota for work lately. For whatever reason it never occurred to me to bring a rod before, but I'm told that the fishing hole in town below the old mill dam holds bull head and small mouth, maybe a pike or two. I've caught smallies before on streamers but never bull head. Anyone on this forum have experience with these? Was planning to bring my 9' 6 wt SH with some running line and a skagit head with a few different tips from floating to S4, and my streamer box with buggers, clousers, muddlers, and a few other cone heads and dumbell eyes. Maybe a small popper or two. What am I missing here? Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Bullhead catfish? Are they like hornpout?

Edit: yup.
1743832148328.png

I used to catch them on live worms. I wonder if they'd go for the stuff that catches carp, or if they are mostly smelling out their food.
 
I ran across that blog which kind of gave me the idea. Looks like he also uses indicators so maybe I'll bring a WF line spooled as well. Thanks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zak
I pick up brown bullhead as by catch up in the reservoir. A size 8 3xl black bugger deep (S6) seems best. Find the creek channels or structure. Big, ugly and stinky I hate to touch them, but they pull hard and I'm not too disappointed when they show up.
 

Attachments

  • 20230827_yuck.jpg
    20230827_yuck.jpg
    471.1 KB · Views: 15
Last edited:
Generally speaking, brown bullheads and their cousin's diet is mostly insects with chironomids often being the most common consumed insect. My choice of flies and presentation would a chironomid or micro leeches suspend a foot or so often the bottom under an indicator. They tend to be nocturnal in their feeding so thing of fishing evenings or dark days. Early season I would look for shallow bays/backwaters that warmer than the main part of the water.

An off-beat strategy as the bullheads spawn (water temperature in the low 70s) they sometimes will use holes in the back/undercut banks. cervices under a boulder/etc. as a spawning site. The male will guard the nest site and attack intruders to the nest site. A small jig or other active approach in front of the hole or nest site will be bit.
 
For my clam rig I like a 9’ 6 wt with a vintage style caged clicker reel, mono running line to an OPST 275 gr commando head, an 8’ SA int/S4 tip, and about 3-4’ of 0x tippit. Wooley buggers and egg sucking leaches seem to work well where I fish.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top