Range: Throughout Nova Scotia Freshwater systems. Major populations in and the Annapolis Valley region.
Common caught Size: 10" - 14" (one pound average - tend to not exceed 3 pounds)
Eating Size: N/A
Record: 5 pound 5 oz
Bag Limit: 25
Season: April 1 - September 30 Consult your fishing regulations for additional and specific information. You can download and view the current regulations here:
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Appearance: The chin barbels on browns are pigmented the same as their body . The sides of brown bullheads have a distinct, irregular brownish mottling over a light background. The belly is creamy white. They have square tails and 20 to 24 anal ray fins. Young bullheads appear black to grey.

Habitat: Brown bullhead inhabit warm and even stagnant waters as well as sluggish runs over muddy bottoms. They occur in farm ponds, pools, creeks, small to large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Unlike other bullhead, they are found in large and deep waters, although they are able to withstand low oxygen concentrations and are known to bury themselves in mud to survive such conditions.

Angling: Bullhead are a frisky but not especially strong fish at the end of line; they tend to spin when landed and may be problematic to subdue. The spines at the base of the dorsal and pectoral fins can "lock" into an erect position, which evidently helps protect the fish from predators by making it much harder to swallow. When handling bullhead, anglers must be careful to grasp the fish by positioning the finger behind these fins to avoid being painfully stuck by these sharp protrusions.

Bullhead are not held in great esteem from a sporting standpoint and are primarily pursued for their table virtues. Thus, most bullhead that are caught are kept for consumption. This influences angling methods to some degree, as does their primarily bottom-scrounging nature. Most targeted bullhead fishing is done with some form of bait, either by bank and shore-based anglers, or from small boats in backwater environs.

Bullhead are disdained by many anglers for several reasons: like all catfish, bullhead are rather ugly; they are not a dainty insect feeder like trout but a scrounger; the spines of their pectoral and dorsal fins can inflict painful wounds that heal slowly; they tend to swallow bait and be caught deep, making unhooking difficult; and they are very tough to clean for the table.

Judgments about appearance and feeding behavior are subjective. Many fish, in addition to bullhead, have to be handled carefully to minimize injury. If you intend to keep a catfish for consumption, then it doesn't matter if it is hooked deeply; if you don't want to keep it, then you have to detect a "strike" early on and set the hook sooner to avoid hooking the fish deeply. And once you learn how to properly clean a small catfish, and do it a few times, that chore won't seem so onerous.

Bullhead are a willing fish for anglers early in the season, in northern climes as soon as the ice goes out. The best early-season angling is usually at the mouth of small tributaries to lakes and ponds. If the flow is moderate, bullhead will ascend creeks and streams and can be quite abundant. In the spring, when the water is warming, bullhead are caught all day long. Later, in the summer or when the water has warmed sufficiently, bullhead become nocturnal and are best caught after dark.

Bullhead and other small catfish are caught by anglers stillfishing with all sorts of baits. Nightcrawlers are the top natural baits for bullhead, and it is often worthwhile to put two on a hook, as bullhead possess a large mouth and a hefty appetite. Use a float or bobber on a bottom rig, with split shot and a long-shanked No. 1 or 1/0 hook, and get the bait just on or near the lake bottom. If fishing without a float or bobber, use a bell sinker with a couple of hooks spaced above it; some shore-based anglers use this setup for handlining because it can be cast a fair distance.

Bullhead are susceptible to a variety of other offerings, including many aimed at their larger catfish cousins and possessing scented characteristics. These include rancid cheese, doughballs, liver, fish, chunks of meat or fish, chicken entrails, congealed chicken blood, and an endless array of items that fall under the category of "stinkbait".

For the purposes of sport, most light to medium tackle is suitable, including 5- to 6-foot rods of light to medium action; 6- to 8-pound-test line is the norm.

The Brown Bullhead

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Although the Brown Bullhead is not sought after much in Nova Scotia s a true sports fish - It is staple fare for young kids growing up in the Windsor/West Hants are due to its bundance and willingness to bite. Many a night has been spent at a campfire near the shore fishing for Bullheads for fun.