What is this aquatic critter?

[fireman32]

It has little legs, never seen one before.

 

[bilgerat]

the missing link!!!

 

[Big7]

Salamander. Good bait if it ain't a protected species.

 

[bear claw]

I believe. Cryptobranchus alleganiensis aka hellbender.

 

[Big7]

Redneck Translation: Spring Lizard.

 

[fireman32]

I figured it was a salamander, just wasn’t sure.

 

[DannyW]

Redneck Translation: Spring Lizard.

Wow...I guess so but all the ones I've seen were brown to black in color.

When I was a teenager, me and a buddy came up with a get-rich-quick scheme. We would go up to north Ga, catch a bucket full of lizards, and then sell them to bait stores around Lake Lanier. Didn't take but a couple trips for us to realize that between the gas and our time that we were only making about .50 cents an hour.

Does anyone still use spring lizards for bass?

 

[Big7]

Wow...I guess so but all the ones I've seen were brown to black in color.

When I was a teenager, me and a buddy came up with a get-rich-quick scheme. We would go up to north Ga, catch a bucket full of lizards, and then sell them to bait stores around Lake Lanier. Didn't take but a couple trips for us to realize that between the gas and our time that we were only making about .50 cents an hour.

Does anyone still use spring lizards for bass?

I used them back in the 80's.
Haven't seen any at the bait store since then.

They are resilient. Usually good for 2 or 3 catches each.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I believe. Cryptobranchus alleganiensis aka hellbender.

Not a hellbender. Those suckers are about two feet long and big around as your wrist. They're still fairly common around here.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Grandpa always said to never drink out of a spring that didn't have lizards in it.

 

[bear claw]

Not a hellbender. Those suckers are about two feet long and big around as your wrist. They're still fairly common around here.

View attachment 1091164

First time I ever seen a hellbender was up there in the mountains trout fishing.

 

[Pig Predator]

I think yall have mud puppies, dogfish or mud dogs, something like that and they only get 6 inches long on average. Also the mud dog only has 4 fingers on its hind feet whereas hellbenders have 5.

 

[treemanjohn]

If they bite you they won't let go until the sun goes down