This site:

http://thechemungcanal.com/canal-boats.html

explains about bullhead canal boats, way down the page.

I admit I was skeptical at first, because where I live, a bullhead is a kind of fish.

   Her husband comes to see with a fifth of wine
   ....
   and a bucket full of bullheads he had caught that day
   on Monana Bay with a hand-held line.

Apparently fishing with a hand-held line is especially low class.

Now I have to find out where the Chemung canal is.