Mudpuppies

[alexkarasoulos]

Anyone have any tips or locations where to catch one? I am very intrigued, only known from the CT River and 2 berkshire county lakes, I am not a fisherman but someone who studies reptiles/amphibians. The mudpuppy is the only amphibian species I have yet to find in New England and is proving to be quite elusive, they are dormant in the summer but become active in the winter so many icefisherman catch them but in my experience they seem to be quite diffucult to catch.

Please let me know where I could find one and what bait/methods have worked in the past, I would also love to actually go icefishing this winter once the season begins if they know some spots where they have caught them before. Thank you in advance, if anyone wants they can email me at [email protected]

[PikeKing23]

Hartford boat launch on CT river. Fish the cove to the right inside the jetti. Worms on the bottom.

[alexkarasoulos]

Why thank you so much! It is deeply appreciated, out of curiosity do you have luck all year or only in the winter?

- Best wishes, Alex.

[PikeKing23]

Only seems to be when the water gets cold. You should be able to find them in any deep pool in the CT River right now.

[alexkarasoulos]

Alright thank you, no one has quite cracked the code on their seasonal migrations here yet. In most of their range (Wisconsin, Michgan, Ontario, etc.) they are found in deep parts in the summer then flood the shallows in the winter but in both the Hudson River (Upstate New York) and the CT River their migration pattern seems to be sporatic.

[pmaloney86]

I’ve seen them caught in the oxbow as well. Seems the ct river coves would be your best bet.

[alexkarasoulos]

I’ve seen them caught in the oxbow as well. Seems the ct river coves would be your best bet.

This oxbow? https://www.google.com/maps/place/42%C2%B017'23.1%22N+72%C2%B038'20.6%22W/@42.2877182,-72.6456236,15.33z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x40dbecdb46039f24!7e2!8m2!3d42.2897571!4d-72.6390538

One was reported there from the 1950's but I didn't know they still existed there, thanks for the tip! And specific place where you were? They used to be spotted on the south side near the Manhan River.

[mikez]

Anyone have any tips or locations where to catch one? I am very intrigued, only known from the CT River and 2 berkshire county lakes, I am not a fisherman but someone who studies reptiles/amphibians. The mudpuppy is the only amphibian species I have yet to find in New England and is proving to be quite elusive, they are dormant in the summer but become active in the winter so many icefisherman catch them but in my experience they seem to be quite diffucult to catch.

Please let me know where I could find one and what bait/methods have worked in the past, I would also love to actually go icefishing this winter once the season begins if they know some spots where they have caught them before. Thank you in advance, if anyone wants they can email me at [email protected]

Hi Alex, in the past, friends of mine have found them below one of the dams (turners falls?) When there was a draw down. They walk around looking for rocks to flip in the exposed mud flats and puddles.
I recall a couple years ago there was a notice for volunteers to come down and find them during draw down.
I'll try and find out where they went and get back to you elsewhere.

[alexkarasoulos]

I'm aware of the Turner Falls dam drawdown though not to discredit others but I would like to find them differently. Though next year I'd love to go, in happens in September. Though just upstream at Barton's Cove people have icefished mudpuppies but not in good amounts.

[pmaloney86]

This oxbow? https://www.google.com/maps/place/42%C2%B017'23.1%22N+72%C2%B038'20.6%22W/@42.2877182,-72.6456236,15.33z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x40dbecdb46039f24!7e2!8m2!3d42.2897571!4d-72.6390538

One was reported there from the 1950's but I didn't know they still existed there, thanks for the tip! And specific place where you were? They used to be spotted on the south side near the Manhan River.

We were pretty close to the power lines near 91.  It is a pretty popular ice fishing spot.  It is however a cove of a river there is some level of caution required.

[Steve H.]

Not sure why anyone would ice fish for salamanders. Just sayin'.

[Iceassin]

Not sure why anyone would ice fish for salamanders. Just sayin'.

Pretty sure the OP said research.

[Rebelss]

The Addams family might.

[REDGIANT]

Always end up catching a few, every ice fishing season, by accident at the Oxbow.  Usually get them while fishing a nighcrawler on the bottom.  When they come up they tend to make a barking noise similar to a sea robin.

[bogtrotter]

But what I really want to know is - - Do they taste like hush puppies?

[mikez]

I'm aware of the Turner Falls dam drawdown though not to discredit others but I would like to find them differently. Though next year I'd love to go, in happens in September. Though just upstream at Barton's Cove people have icefished mudpuppies but not in good amounts.

Ok, if the obvious way is too easy, there's plenty of river to explore.
Seems to me hook and line is an unnecessarily injurious way to check off a line on your life list.
Why not just hit the river during low water and start flipping rocks?
My impression is they are not rare.

[Steve H.]

But what I really want to know is - - Do they taste like hush puppies?

[Steve H.]

Pretty sure the OP said research.

Then jig 'em up!

[alexkarasoulos]

Ok, if the obvious way is too easy, there's plenty of river to explore.
Seems to me hook and line is an unnecessarily injurious way to check off a line on your life list.
Why not just hit the river during low water and start flipping rocks?
My impression is they are not rare.

Not too easy but rather I'd like to explore other populations because none of the MA populations are known well besides the one at Turner's Falls. Because some people down in CT have grown fond of mudpuppies and have now found out some interesting things about their population density and a theory that the ones from the lower CT river area are potentially native. And not necessarily just hooking them, I probably won't even fish them, I plan on shining at night and just taking a photo that way, it is how a lot of Canadian people find them.

[alexkarasoulos]

But what I really want to know is - - Do they taste like hush puppies?

To my knowledge they aren't really tasty though some people enjoy it.

[alexkarasoulos]

We were pretty close to the power lines near 91.  It is a pretty popular ice fishing spot.  It is however a cove of a river there is some level of caution required.

I'll probably be fishing from the shore anyways since I'm going in only a couple days and the water isn't frozen yet. Thank you so much!

[mikez]

I'll probably be fishing from the shore anyways since I'm going in only a couple days and the water isn't frozen yet. Thank you so much!

Let me know if you do go.
I have all the ice fishing equipment and experience.

[mikez]

Not too easy but rather I'd like to explore other populations because none of the MA populations are known well besides the one at Turner's Falls. Because some people down in CT have grown fond of mudpuppies and have now found out some interesting things about their population density and a theory that the ones from the lower CT river area are potentially native. And not necessarily just hooking them, I probably won't even fish them, I plan on shining at night and just taking a photo that way, it is how a lot of Canadian people find them.

One or two old museum entries  from the 1800s or not, it makes no sense that the lower river ones are native and the ones 50 miles upstream are introduced. Unless you're suggesting long Island sound as the means of dispersal?

[alexkarasoulos]

Well because the Housatonic and Hudson Rivers have well-established populations that are thought to be native. And that the lower CT river ones came from the Housatonic/Hudson populations while the northern populations came from Amherest College.

[alexkarasoulos]

Let me know if you do go.
I have all the ice fishing equipment and experience.

I'm going to be scouting some places this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as well as look for some Marbled Salamander larvae anyways out west, then I'll do some proper ice-fishing in january/february and I'll be sure to let you know then

[dr cusk]

Long pond in the belgrades of Maine is a good spot.  Colby college prof in the 30’s had a ton of them accidentally escape his little research project (google it) and they have flourished in there since.
Ice fishing would be your best bet.  Crawlers or Dead shiners on or near the bottom within 100’ of the shoreline should do the trick.