can you identify a fish for me ???

[frozen_feet]

my buddy caught this critter on a tip-up last night and we are not sure what it is , it was 10-12 inches long brown with black dots has four feet  and a paddle tail 

[topher7694]

without a picture, it sounds like a mud puppy...

[frozen_feet]

thanks topher i never seen one

[Kevin23]

Next time take it home and put it in a sink full of water. Your wife/girlfriend will get a kick out of it. 

[frozen_feet]

yea my wife was freaking out when she did see it  lol  how big do they usually get ??

[Hardwaterfisherman]

12 inches is about the max for the mudpuppy or waterdog as they are also called. They are a salamander that spends their entire life in the aquatic stage (as all others have a juvenile aquatic stage) They Have a full set of internal lungs ironically since of course they serve no perpose in the water. They (like fish) have gills however they are filamentous and protrude from either side of the head. Pretty neat Little critters... Never lined one, only see them while diving

[elkhunter57]

hook the little guy up if its legal where your at, you could be pleasantly surprised. the largest pike I ever seen taken was caught on a watter dog.