bull head catfish questions??

[MN_Rebel]

they do over populate and turn the lake bottom over and make muddy conditions witch blocks out sun light and damages plant root systems. the combination causes lower oxygen levels and murky water. not to mention depleting the food sources for other fish. more less they get over populated. i just watched on the news the other day that the Minnesota DNR netted thousands of them from area lakes for management reasons.

if you really want exact reasons call the Minnesota DNR they will fill you in there cool like that.

It only happens in small lakes that have winterkills/summerkills.....

 

[sharkfan13]

They're considered bad in my lake because everyone is afraid they'll step on them and get a spine through the foot. Although there's debate whether we have madtoms or bullheads

 

[sandtiger]

Though this is an old thread I felt compelled to chime in. Bullhead catfish have co-existed with our other natives for millions of years and long before humans set foot in North America. With no one managing their numbers then how is it that the nation's ecosystems weren't all overrun with bullhead? How is it that other native animals and plants managed to survive with bullheads on the scene? Bullheads are a natural part of our ecosystem. The only places I would consider them a nuisance is where they have been introduced just as any other species can become a nuisance outside its native range. Where they are native if they are a nuisance it is likely the fault of humans for either removing a native predator or changing the ecosystem in some way. Just my two cents.

 

[Spazzoni]

Bullheads are a common part of an ecosystem. Certainly not bad, just not as liked as blues and channels by sportsman.