The Yellow Bullhead is a small species of catfish that thrives in clear, weedy waters. It tends to be fatter and deeper-bodied than the other species of bullheads. They are tenacious fighters on light tackle and will aggressively engulf anything that smells good to them. Yellow bullheads of over a pound are fairly common, but they don't grow as large as the brown. This is a highly underutilized sportfish, and a fun target for anglers of all ages.
Other Names: Butter Cat, Greaser, Yellow Catfish, White-whiskered Bullhead, Horned Pout, Creek Cat, Polliwog, Northern Yellow Bullhead, Mississippi Bullhead.
Barbels and Spiny Fins: All bullheads have eight barbels around the mouth - which are used for tasting and smelling the water. The barbels are harmless. However, bullheads also have three sharp spines one at the front of each pectoral and the dorsal fin. Watch out for those spines! The spines can deliver a painful sting - they are coated in an irritant toxin that can cause pain and swelling around the wound. Immersing the wound in water that is as hot as the wounded person can tolerate will detoxify the irritant and relieve the pain.