Bullhead vs Channel cats for SHTF fishing pond?

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Do we have bullhead cats in NC?
They only get 12"-14" so no where near channel, flathead or blue cat size.
They reproduce well and can survive some really bad water conditions.

Channel cats are readily available and cheap but don't reproduce well.
Basically put and take.
Channels do have a 10-15 year lifespan but will die long before a bullhead if water gets bad.

Maybe both. Bullheads can be the backup plan.
 
We used to catch a bunch of bullheads out of Sandy creek in Randolph county when I was a kid but haven't caught any (nor fished that area) in a long time. I like the both species idea.
 
I ate a lot of bullheads growing up. I mean a lot of freaking bullheads. But we only had them in the Spring. Once the water warmed up they weren't good to eat. And these were fish caught up on the St Lawrence River in NY. I'm guessing the water temps here are typically a little warmer. :D

I'd do some research. My Dad's cousin was the one that caught the fish and he was a little crazed so maybe my info isn't correct. But we never had them in the Summer. That was his rule.
 
We used to fish/eat bullheads up in NY, pulled then out of Lake Champlain as I recall.
 
Yes, we have bullheads in NC. They are a native species, unlike some of the other catfish species.
 
I'll add that bullheads got bigger than 14" in the pond where I grew up. We caught some that had to be closer to 18" to 20".

Someone put channel cats in that pond later on. They got a lot bigger.
 
I eat a lot of "weird" stuff according to some folks. The dirtier/earthier it is the more I like it. My daydreams on a slow day consist of raw oysters, frog legs, crawdads, catfish from muddy waters, pickled/smoked eel, and snapping turtles from the yard.

That being said, I have never been able to find a way to cook bullheads to make them good 90% of the year. The 10% exception being when it is REALLY cold and then we smoke them.
 
I eat a lot of "weird" stuff according to some folks. The dirtier/earthier it is the more I like it. My daydreams on a slow day consist of raw oysters, frog legs, crawdads, catfish from muddy waters, pickled/smoked eel, and snapping turtles from the yard.

That being said, I have never been able to find a way to cook bullheads to make them good 90% of the year. The 10% exception being when it is REALLY cold and then we smoke them.

Thanks.
If Bill won't eat it....well, you know.
Looks like I'm sticking to ladder stocking channel cats.
 
I eat a lot of "weird" stuff according to some folks. The dirtier/earthier it is the more I like it. My daydreams on a slow day consist of raw oysters, frog legs, crawdads, catfish from muddy waters, pickled/smoked eel, and snapping turtles from the yard.

That being said, I have never been able to find a way to cook bullheads to make them good 90% of the year. The 10% exception being when it is REALLY cold and then we smoke them.

Yep, cold water bullheads are good. We used to just cut the heads off, gut them, bread them and fry. It was such a staple of our diet at my grandmother's house that my dad had someone create a huge sheet metal splash guard for behind the fryer so he didn't trash the kitchen and stove when we cooked them. When I was dating my wife she tried them and couldn't get past the part where you used the fork tines to pull the meat off the ribs. Grossed her out. But her parents grew up in Cleveland so they were probably smart not to eat fish from that area. :p
 
I just put 2 & 2 together.
Yankees call bullheads "hornpout."
I grew up fishing cold water lakes in Maine, we ate them on occasion.
(When the trout were not biting)

Basically, they were regarded as trash fish. Very white flesh. Reminded me of frog leg.
 
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I put a channel cat in my failed Koi pond. that sucker lived in there for nearly 7 or 8 years and I never fed it anything. I think a big coon finally got em.
 
I just put 2 & 2 together.
Yankees call bullheads "hornpout."
I grew up fishing cold water lakes in Maine, we ate them on occasion.
(When the trout were not biting)

Basically, they were regarded as trash fish. Very white flesh. Reminded me of frog leg.

Never heard or cornpout. We ate bullheads. Must be a stinking New England thing or something. :p
 
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