# mud puppy



## mudpuppie (Apr 23, 2010)

They can be caught all over the state. Please put 'em back....lots of times idiots just throw 'em on the ice to die. No need for that.


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## jmccallie (Jan 22, 2012)

mudpuppie said:


> They can be caught all over the state. Please put 'em back....lots of times idiots just throw 'em on the ice to die. No need for that.


Yep, I am use to catching them now. I do always unhook them and put them back.... Have noticed that when still fishing where my bait is just sitting on bottom, a lot of these guys seem to swallow the hook and never even set off any warnings (bells and tip ups). To weed them out in the summer time, I moved up to bigger hooks so that these little guys cant swallow the hook. And more likely to survive if they just get hooked in the mouth... Its like the guys fishing in Florida, seen so many people catch little rays and instead of un hooking them they just cut the line and throw them on the piers or sand:sad: I dont understand killing something and not using any part of it?


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## Rainman68 (Apr 29, 2011)

foxfire69 said:


> *They are a protected species now I believe whereas we used to fish with them for Bass and Pike when I was young!* I witnessed a guy come falling out of his darkhouse on Lake Cadillac one year screaming and all shook up, he had a mudpuppy come into his darkhouse and he hadn't ever seen one before...he dropped his new flashlight into the hole and I could see it was still turned on but...it layed on the bottom in 15 ft of water!! They are a neat species resembling a prehistoric creature!


Yes they are protected. 

About 30 years ago, I used to net them out of a small pond and sell them to a local bait shop. They were bought up by the bass pro wannabes back them.


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## troutguy26 (Apr 28, 2011)

Very neat creatures for sure. Those guys are little ive seen some monster ones come outta the muskegon river. Usually guys fishing bottom and it is hilarious to see someone who has never seen one before.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

I guess you could say mudpuppy's are "protected" _now_,,, since they're out of season... But if you catch 'em in the summer and fall, you can keep 'em all day long.


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## catfishtom210 (Jan 8, 2003)

It is a trip the first time you see one... made me thing of an underwater gila monster! I don't think mudpuppies and waterdogs (what the bass fisherman were hot on for a while) are the same but both are salamanders. Mudpuppies have both lungs and gills, not sure about other salamanders. That furry looking collar on em is the gills. 

Years ago a buddy caught one and brought it home for his aquarium. It climbed out and when his wife got home there was something blocking the door. She shoved hard and smashed the poor thing. Then I caught one on LSC (still freaked me out even though I had seen one before) and brought him home. I had him in a 40 gallon long with no lid. He climbed out during the night and I found him on the floor. He had a notch in his tail and his mucous coat had dried a lot but he was ok after I put him back in and covered the tank. Good thing the cats didn't find him! I had him for about a year. He used to gulp air at the top and then burp out bubbles as he swam.


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## Brooktrout17 (Dec 12, 2011)

This is the picture of the mud puppy we caught last night. Freaked me out at first also haha. We decided to release it after we read some replies on here. Thanks, glad we did. Pretty cool to see. We also caught a grass pickerel last night. We didnt know they were in the lake we were fishing, first I've seen come through the ice.


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## foxfire69 (Sep 10, 2006)

William H Bonney said:


> I guess you could say mudpuppy's are "protected" _now_,,, since they're out of season... But if you catch 'em in the summer and fall, you can keep 'em all day long.


Mr. Bonney is correct!

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10364_52261_52262-211233--,00.html

You must have an all-species fishing license.


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## jmccallie (Jan 22, 2012)

foxfire69 said:


> Mr. Bonney is correct!
> 
> http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10364_52261_52262-211233--,00.html
> 
> You must have an all-species fishing license.


What would you keep one for, besides the aquarium? Do people eat those things???


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## Brooktrout17 (Dec 12, 2011)

Grizzyaries said:


> I am from kalamazoo and I have seen thoes slimey things all over Sugarloaf Lk early April at night when Im scouting out gar and dogs for the spearing opener with the jenset n flood lights on my boat. Don't let em bite ya , it's like putting your finger in a bullheads mouth....a good attention getter.....ha ha ha
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Wow, we held ours with our bare hands! Didnt really know they can bite! :lol:


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

I caught one while smelt fishing on Higgins Last year.


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## gsplover (Nov 17, 2011)

My buddies and I have caught them on Green Lake out smelt fishing a few dozen times, they are a surprise when they come up out of the ice to say the least


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## wilsonm (Dec 28, 2010)

I caught one in the trout stream behind the house when I was about 10. It was about 12 inches long and totally freaked me out.


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