How much would you pay for a doz bullheads?

If a person would stock bullheads in a bait shop, what would you pay and how far would you drive?

I would probably pay up to 8-10bucks a doz.
drive time depends. I would be hard pressed on short notice to drive far. But I wouldnt rule it out if it was less than 30 miles away.
Why….. do you have a line on a store that provides bullies. I would consider it. till I get my 2.5 year old son on track to catch them for me.
thanks
Larry

I would pay fifty dollars a dozen..that is if they are high quality bullheads..

That being said, I have a ton of high quality bullheads…anybody want some?

If I couldn’t catch my own , I would definitely buy bullheads from a bait store if they were available. I would probably buy them before I bought suckers for use as flathead bait, just because of their hardiness. With the continuous expansion of invasive species and the subsequent loss of bait harvesting waters most of us may end up creating a demand for bait store bullheads.

I’m not sure that bullheads as a multi-species bait presentation is a very well researched technique. I’ve been able to catch some smaller bullies lately, in the 3″ to 4″ range, and they look like a good multi-species bait. Think about it:
– They are extremely hardy and easy to maintain.
– They are very active when hooked and presented as bait.
– Many of us have caught good sized walleyes on larger flathead sized bullheads, so it stands to reason the smaller sized bullies would be effective too.
– A good bait store might be able to generate a demand for smaller bullheads if they start to get used and then they get good fishing results. Could be the next “Banjo Minnow”.

The cons to the bullhead issue is that they can be pretty painful to handle. The inexperienced angler will probably buy them one time and after getting stung a half dozen times dump his bullies first chance he gets.

As far as price goes, if they could keep the price in the same range as suckers, a bait store might be able to sell quite a few.

I’d pay between $5-$8/doz on a week night, but I wouldn’t drive far. On a weekend though, that price would be pretty high since I can catch a dozen most days in about an hour. However if they were nice big ones and I just didn’t feel like extra work, I still might pay.

Thanks for the comments…

Larry, I don’t have anything in mind…but if there was a large number of folk that was interested..I would be talking to some bait store owners…

Kinda thinking out loud.

Personally I hate fishing for them…and I don’t really care to net them either…but it’s the lesser of the two evils.

Available time plays a role here too.

Thanks again for the comments.

Generally, I don’t mind fishing for them if time is not an issue. If I find a school, I think it’s a quick, fun little excursion and precursor to the big trip. There are times when it would be great to just go pick up 6 or 12. I guess if they were priced the same as big suckers I would pay for them. They should be easy for a bait store to keep. too. I wouldn’t drive too far out of my way, but the Minneapolis area is a definite yes.

What size bullheads are best? What is the ideal size you catfish guys look for? I get tons of them when I am scooping cats.

7 inches. That’s the maximum length that MN allows us to transport alive.

Scot..I’m happy with bh’f from 5 to 7 inches.

We have a problem.. bullheads cant be sold by bait stores right now in Minnesota.. would have to jump that hurdle 1st. I know of at least one that would be happy to sell bullheads.

I would like to see a price around $6-$7 per dozen if they were sold.. they are not that hard to obtain once the water warms up, easy to keep alive..and I dont think there are enough catfishermen to cause a shortage like on the large suckers.

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We have a problem.. bullheads cant be sold by bait stores right now in Minnesota.. would have to jump that hurdle 1st. I know of at least one that would be happy to sell bullheads.

I would like to see a price around $6-$7 per dozen if they were sold.. they are not that hard to obtain once the water warms up, easy to keep alive..and I dont think there are enough catfishermen to cause a shortage like on the large suckers.

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Are you sure? because every once in a while I find them mixed in with my crappie minnows! What about sticklebacks? Are they illegal to seell too, because I have found those darn critters too.

I am sure. What you find in your crappie minnows and fat heads are usually madtoms or stonecats… trey do their best to weed them out.

Sticklebacks are not my favorite either.. when I used to trap, at times they were 80% of the catch.. not much fun sorting that mess out!

Stonecats are very rare. I doubt many people have ever seen one alive. Madtoms or Willowcats are very common. But, the ones you find with your fatheads are usually yellow bullheads. They have a white belly and are easy to identify.

Dave, I thought that too until just recently. They are what they look like….baby bullheads.

Little know fact…they work good for bait too..if your fishing for things other than flats.

I read the laws that you sent to me Brian and it does appear that bullheads can be sold by minnow retailers the way it is worded. I talked to the local bait shop yesterday and he is going to give the DNR a call today to verify that it is legal to sell them 7″ and under.

If they are legal to sale 7″ an under, he is interested in keeping some bullheads in stock in the very-near future!

What a guy, now we just have to get him to catch a catfish

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If a person would stock bullheads in a bait shop, what would you pay and how far would you drive?

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Hey BK:

I would pay $250 and use all 12 on a fishing trip guided by you, like the way we did it last summer!!!!!!

If he ever stocks them, tell him to hide them! Maybe have a secret room and password. I don’t know about you guys, but when I am fishing and the public comes up and bothers me
, they are always shocked by the bait. I can’t come up with a good excuse other than I am trying to catch turtles, eels or gars!

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Hey BK:

I would pay $250 and use all 12 on a fishing trip guided by you, like the way we did it last summer!!!!!!

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*cough* meet me in the alley next to Lock and Dam #2. Make sure no one follows you. You aren’t a cop, are you?

All this talk of $$$ and bullheads has got me wondering if I should become a pro bullhead fisherman / guide and pick up a commercial bait license.

Yea;

But last year, fishing with Briank and his bullheads……..We boated a 36lb, 20+lb, 15lb, 11lb, 6lb, and a turd, plus lost 3 other tunas……….All in about 5 hours of fishing……..

So, again I would pay Briank $250 for a dozen of his bullheads anytime!!! They just have to be used in his boat, with his gear…….

Yes Gary, those bully’s were priceless…

OOOOPPSSS! Wrong picture…(I love that one! )

Look at the rod tip on this guy!

Here’s the full report…

Good company and good catten!

I still chuckle when I read this report…click here.

Well..

I just talked to Moores bait in Minneapolis and he just got done talking to the DNR on selling bullheads as bait. It is 100% legal as long as they fit in the minnow length classification (7″ now, ? in the future).

He does intend to stock bullheads in the very near future as soon as he can designate a tank for bullheads. Right now he is overstocked with bait for the opener. I would make an educated guess that there should be a tank swirling with prime bullies within a couple weeks.

That’s cool, Dave! How does he plan on getting them? Hire neighborhood kids to catch them at Nokomis?

No.. cant do that. Im not sure if that would be legal for anyone to get bait without a minnow license for the purpose of selling.. and nokomis is infested water do to milfoil and its not legal to transport live fish from there.

Ideas are in the works..

That is really good news as it will help out on the summer evenings you just don’t have time to catch bullies and you used up the last of your supply on the last trip.