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Caught this with a net off shore. I have caught other baby bullheads that are pure black in color, but this one seems to be a light brown. Here is the best pic I could take. He hides a lot, so I can't take a better one right now.

I am thinking it could be a yellow bullhead, but I am not sure.
Thanks,
Steve

From the size of the adipose fin, I think it's more likely a tadpole madtom. A better picture should confirm the ID.

I was just looking at them, and I does look like either the tadpol or brown madtom....i'll try and take a better pic if i can get it. anything I should lookfor that will tell them apart? the cat-elog pics of them are not the best either.

this one did sting my mom in the finger, and she said her whole hand hurt all day!

It's unlikely to be a brown madtom, since these are not found so far north. Judging from your mom's experience, I'd say that's a madtom alright.

Do madtoms occur in Lakes that are fed by the Mississippi? We caught something like that that we thought was a bullhead. But in a tank full of bullheads you could tell that it was not one.

This depends on the species, but tadpole madtoms occur in many habitats, even lakes.

Check the tailfin, easiest part.

a bullhead has a regular "run off the mail" tailfin, separate from the other fins.

the Madtom has a weird tail, it goes "round the edges" of the tail, like a tadpole or an Axoltl-salamander.

Thank you! I never heard of a Madtom before joining this site. Glad I was able to catch one... i'll try again next year to get a few more It is definitly a Tadpole Madtom!

Thanks again,
Steve