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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94
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OP
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94 |
What would be the most effective way of catching bullhead cats for complete removal. I catch a few daily by hook. I have a 3ft hoop trap and use chees bait and catch nothing but bluegill in it. Can someone please help me with targeting the bullheads
3rd acre fertilized fed and aerated
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,112 Likes: 478
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,112 Likes: 478 |
Complete removal? The only practical way is to renovate the pond - rotenone. Sometimes drawing down the water to low pool will make the task easier, quicker, and less costly. Angling, trapping, seining, and electroshocking will never remove even close to all bullheads. Even with good efforts, expect 10-20% to remain uncaptured.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94
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OP
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94 |
I can deal with 20% of what's there now. But the numbers I have now are a nuisance.
3rd acre fertilized fed and aerated
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,748 Likes: 33
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,748 Likes: 33 |
I would completely kill the pond. Restock and hope the other fish are established before they come back.
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94
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OP
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94 |
I believe the bullheads entered the pond while it was still under construction before the sides were built up. A heavy rain connected the nearby ditches to the pond and I believe thats how the BH and GSF were introduced. I dont see that ever happening again. So far the greenies havent been a problem. And I am able to remove young ones by trapping. But no such luck with the bullheads. But the pond is doing well, The BG and LMB are doing well. But I can only image how much better the pond would be without the unwanted fish. But because my BG are doing so well I am not willing to start over
3rd acre fertilized fed and aerated
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,791 Likes: 14
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,791 Likes: 14 |
What kind of LMB population do you have? Any catfish? Perhaps predators can help you.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 191
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 191 |
I believe the bullheads entered the pond while it was still under construction before the sides were built up. A heavy rain connected the nearby ditches to the pond and I believe thats how the BH and GSF were introduced. I dont see that ever happening again. So far the greenies havent been a problem. And I am able to remove young ones by trapping. But no such luck with the bullheads. But the pond is doing well, The BG and LMB are doing well. But I can only image how much better the pond would be without the unwanted fish. But because my BG are doing so well I am not willing to start over If you have a LMB population they will eat BH. I have used dog food in traps to catch BH and have very good luck with that. But as everyone is saying you will have to do a complete start over to get rid of them. I don't think you have to, they add to the food chain for LMB and they will control them.
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94
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OP
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94 |
I stocked 75 bass originally by instructions of the hatchery to control the BH and GSF. The bass seemed to grow fast and seemed to put the GSF in check. I dont catch very many of them anymore. When they spawn I trap fingerlings and remove them. As time went on the bass stopped growing and and were skinny. So I began to remove some bass. The pond seem to be in balance now as far the growth of everything in there. And I do have Channel Cats. 100 were originally stocked. My only concern is BH removal. At one time I was catching 10 a day 7 days a week. Now I catch a few here and there. I hope that means that the population has diminished. And maybe thats the reason I am not catching any in my trap. But I do see them come to feed with the Bluegill
3rd acre fertilized fed and aerated
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 114
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 114 |
Could you not use trot lines? Sorry, I'm ignorant in these matters...but I catch alot of catfish on trot lines...just my opinion. My trot line theory is the more the merrier.
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94
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OP
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94 |
I use trot lines, I catch one or two at a time. At one time I was removing more at a time but those numbers have diminished. What do you use as bait. I try everything I have researched as bait. I think bullheads are smarter than they look
3rd acre fertilized fed and aerated
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,112 Likes: 478
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,112 Likes: 478 |
Your lack of catching and trapping them is an indication that their numbers are quite a bit lower. With a stong bass population the BH should never be a big problem. Lots of adult fish even BG will eat the BH fry when they are schooling and then when they are less than 2" long.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 04/03/12 10:23 AM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94
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OP
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94 |
Thanks Bill, I was thinking that may be the case but wasnt sure. All of you inputs are greatly appreciated
3rd acre fertilized fed and aerated
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,840
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,840 |
I would have to agree that the numbers are pretty low, as if you had an infestation I think you would catch more, they will hit just about anything. I remember we fish an old muddy pond one time and as soon as your bait would hit the water you had a BH.
The problem with these is that they are such a pain to get off the hook.
Plus I think your traps would be full of them as well.
What size of BH are you catching and could you post some pics of them?
Do you happen to eat BH?
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 948 Likes: 37
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 948 Likes: 37 |
If you search the archives long enough, you can probably find where I had a major infestation of BH in a 17 acre pond. I was catching them on lures and etc. Frustrated big time. Bill or someone here advised that LMB will eventually get them in check and they were right. Don't catch them often anymore and never see the swarms of small ones like used to see.
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,689 Likes: 281
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,689 Likes: 281 |
You can make a tremendous dent in the Bullhead by fishing them out. The only thing that stinks is that it's kind of like work to do it.
I just came from my pond, and at our pier where we hand feed, I arrived and the bullies were the first thing that showed up before I even threw feed. I wished I had a shotgun and multiple shells.
So I had another purpose at my pond (transporting some bluegill to stock a neighborhood retention pond), and convinced myself to fish those hundred or so bullhead out. I could have taken 30 per hour. Too lazy, to a degree.
But again, it's just work.
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94
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OP
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94 |
Thanks, the thing thats been working the fastest for me is jug fishing with worms
3rd acre fertilized fed and aerated
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,748 Likes: 33
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,748 Likes: 33 |
I have caught them by throwing just a hook out and reeling it in.
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