Catfish Baits Cont.

COMMON NAME: ROCK BASS

OTHER NAMES: GOGGLE-EYE, RED-EYE SCIENTIFIC NAME: RANGE AND HABITAT: Widespread throughout Ohio; prefers clearer streams with coarse gravel and boulders. Common in Lake Erie near reefs, large boulders, and around docks. FOOD: Aquatic insects, crayfish, small fish ADULT SIZE: Normally 7-10 inches IDENTIFICATION: Body is thick and heavy with a dark slate or olive green color with bronze and coppery iridescence. Mouth is large with the upper jaw extending past the middle of the eye. Eyes are sometimes various shades of red. Usually has 6 anal fin spines. FISHING TIPS: Small natural and artifical baits fished near large boulders, stumps, vegetation, or docks. Small spinner lures, hellgrammites, small crayfish, leeches, worms, and minnows are ideal baits.

COMMON NAME: SMALLMOUTH BUFFALO

OTHER NAMES: NONE SCIENTIFIC NAME: RANGE AND HABITAT: Found in the Ohio River and the lower reaches of its major tributaries. Prefers deep, clearer waters with moderate current. FOOD: The smallmouth buffalo is a bottom feeder, consuming mostly insect larvae and algae. ADULT SIZE: Usually 15-28 inches and 2-15 pounds. Can grow to 25 pounds. IDENTIFICATION: A deep-bodied, thick fish, with a long continuous dorsal fin. Usually dark gray or bronze-gray, sometimes with a slight bluish overcast. Fins have no spines. The relatively small mouth is on the bottom of the head. FISHING TIPS: Anglers do not frequently catch this species due to its small mouth, even though the smallmouth buffalo is very abundant in the Ohio River. Most are taken accidentally while fishing live bait on the bottom. Commercial fishermen in the lower Ohio and Mississippi rivers harvest thousands of smallmouth, bigmouth, and black buffalo; they are reported to be a fine food fish.

COMMON NAME: BULLHEAD

OTHER NAMES: YELLOW, BLACK, or BROWN BULLHEAD SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ameiurus spp. RANGE AND HABITAT: Bullheads are relatively common throughout the state and can be found in a variety of habitats. Black bullheads are able to tolerate more turbid water than brown or yellow bullheads. Brown bullheads are commonly found in water areas with little or no vegetation and having relatively clean, clear water. They are most numerous in the northern third of Ohio. Yellow bullheads are most numerous in areas with heavy vegetation. The largest populations are in west central Ohio. FOOD: Insect larvae, small crayfish, snails, and dead fish. Bullheads feed primarily by taste and smell and are most active at night ADULT SIZE: Normally 10-12 inches and weigh less than 1 pound. Brown bullheads generally are the largest of the bullhead species. IDENTIFICATION: Bullheads are often difficult to identify. All 3 catfishes are scaleless and have similar body color, varying from yellow-olive-brown to brownish-black; all have yellow to white bodies. FISHING TIPS: Bullheads bite readily and can be caught using simple, inexpensive equipment. A variety of baits work well such as nightcrawlers, chicken livers, or red worms fished near the bottom.