Bullhead have two dorsal fins including one adipose fin, tail only slightly notched, barbels around mouth. They have a shorter stockier body than a Channel Cat. Brown bullheads reach sexual maturity at three years of age, and their life span does not exceed six to eight years. The average adult brown bullhead is only eight to 14 inches long and weighs about 1 pound
The Channel Catfish also have two dorsal fins including one adipose fin, forked tail, barbels around the mouth, However they have a slender body with speckled sides. Sexual maturity comes later than Bullhead at five to eight years of age, but these fish live a great deal longer, some as long as 25 years. In the Great Lakes, this advanced age can be accompanied by a body size of 30 pounds.
Channel cats prefer cooler, deeper, cleaner water than bullheads, and water with a sand or gravel bottom.
Brown bullheads are nocturnal bottom feeders. They consume algae, plants, mollusks, insects, fish eggs and fish. Channel cats feed both day and night, although they are best fished from dusk through early night. They take a large part of their food from the bottom, but they also feed at the surface.
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