Trout receive the bulk of the angling media's attention in April, and rightfully so, but another less “glamourous” species gets far more attention from many anglers in the springtime than the outdoor press gives it credit for. That species is the bullhead.
It's said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while the trout family, and especially the brook and rainbow trout, are the fashion models of the fish family, the bullhead is the ugly sister. It's neither colorful nor pretty. It's a fathead with whisker-like barbels protruding from its wide lips. Top this off with its beady eyes and a trio of sharp barbed fins that can easily draw blood when carelessly handled, and you'd surmise most anglers would leave well enough alone. On the contrary, bullheads have a far larger fan club than you'd suspect for such an unglamorous looking fish.
Bullheads usually become active shortly after ice-out, and the months of April and May are prime times to catch a batch from almost any still or slow-moving water that has a muddy or silt bottom. Just about every pond, lake and slow-moving portions or bays of our rivers contain bullheads. The beauty is that they can be caught by shore anglers just as easily as by boat anglers. Fishing gear need not be expensive or fancy, with everything from a long cane pole to a basic casting outfit sufficing. No lures or flies needed either – just a hook, sinker and night crawler for the offering.
While they're caught during the daylight hours, they are usually more active during night. A few decades ago, it was commonplace to be driving by a local lake pond, or river and see dozens of latterns twinkling along shore or out in the water aboard anchored boats. While such sights are less common now in our area, a nighttime drive along the bays and setbacks of the St. Lawrence River will reveal the continuing popularity of bullheading in that region. Because bulleads are considered a “skin fish,” meaning their tiny scales are microscopic, their skins are removed when they're cleaned. Their flesh is usually a reddish color and, when cooked, tastes similar to the red meat contained in lobster claws. As with most fish, the best eating are the smaller to medium size fish, as the largest ones begin to taste a bit stronger. Normally the best tasting are those between 8 and 14 inches long. In some waters where they've become overpopulated, even smaller, stunted bullheads of 6-8 inches are very tasty.
Years ago, a trio of North Country woodsmen who caught bullheads to sell to restaurants, taught me their easy and quick method for cleaning them. These guys, who caught literally hundreds a night, could completely clean a bullhead in about 10 seconds. Their method works best on fish not over a foot long, but I've been grateful I learned it every time I have a bucketful of bullheads to clean.
As gamefish go, bullheads normally don't put up a strong fight when hooked. Rather, they “roll” as they're brought in, but it's still fun to catch them. Unlike their close cousins, the catfish, whose tail fins are forked, bullheads have square tail fins. A bullhead's body is stockier than catfish's, and its head is larger. Depending on the water clarity and bottom material, bullheads coloration can be a black or brown upper body and a white or yellow belly. Their whiskers or barbels are scent sensitive, allowing them to “smell” food from some distance away. Female bullheads are very prolific egg layers, hatching hundreds of young annually. The male bullhead guards the nest and, once hatched, the young usually travel with the male in a massive school, appearing like a black, moving shadow on the bottom.
A fascinating phenomenon involving bullheads is how they get into new ponds that were previously void of any fish. One theory is waterfowl and wading birds in the shallows of a nearby waters get fertilized bullhead eggs clinging to their feet or feathers and then fly to the pond, and the eggs are dislodged when they land on the water and later hatch. This has never been documented, but it's amazing how a freshly made farm pond that's supposedly never been stocked with fish will eventually see a population of bullheads appear in its waters.
Fish species such as trout and bass may get most of the media ink in outdoor-oriented publications and TV shows, but when it comes to real-life fishing, the less publicized ones like bullhead attract a much larger following than is represented there. Maybe there should be a “Bullheads Unlimited” organization. Heck, some good PR never hurt anyone's image, even an ugly fish that tastes good.

Leopold Education Project at Rogers Center
A Leopold Education Project (LEP) will be held Friday, April 18, 9 AM to 4 PM at Rogers Center. The LEP is an innovative, interdisciplinary, education program based on the classic writings of the renowned conservationist, Aldo Leopold. The LEP was developed to teach the public about humanityís ties to the natural world. Designed for educators interested in teaching others about our relationship to the natural world through the writings of Aldo Leopold. Cost is $5 for lunch. Participants will receive a Lessons in a Land Ethic Teacherís Guide, Activity Task Cards and A Sand County Almanac. Registration is limited to 20 people. The event is sponsored by the NYSDEC.