What is this thing?

[Quillback]

Snagged it while fishing for bass on Beaver lake.  I did a search on Arkansas salamanders, but couldn't find any matches.  Some variety of mud puppy is my guess.

[Dutch]

It looks like a really big mud puppy to me.  I’m sure the guy who knows everything will be along in a while to give you the low down.

[BilletHead]

54 minutes ago, Quillback said:

Snagged it while fishing for bass on Beaver lake.  I did a search on Arkansas salamanders, but couldn't find any matches.  Some variety of mud puppy is my guess.

           We called them mud puppies. The one that knows all will probably set us straight. While wintertime channel cat fishing with river worms and shad guts, we caught many.

[jdmidwest]

Hellbender?

[Johnsfolly]

1 hour ago, Quillback said:

Snagged it while fishing for bass on Beaver lake.  I did a search on Arkansas salamanders, but couldn't find any matches.  Some variety of mud puppy is my guess.

Those exposed gills indicates that it is a mud puppy, probably a Necturus species.

[dtrs5kprs]

Very cool.

I've only seen one on Table Rock in 25 years. 

[dtrs5kprs]

Not sure if that will help or not. 

[fishinwrench]

Has the body features of the mudpuppy's we occasionally caught in the Salt river tribs when I was a kid, but I've never seen one that color.   

Possibly pale ( by comparison) from living in clearer water.

[JestersHK]

Nice catch buddy, very cool indeed,  but  did you name it and give it a belly rub,  or was it straight into the fryer with it

 

[Quillback]

3 hours ago, JestersHK said:

Nice catch buddy, very cool indeed,  but  did you name it and give it a belly rub,  or was it straight into the fryer with it

 

I was nice to it, felt a little guilty about sticking a couple of trebs in it.  Your question does make me wonder if anyone has actually eaten one of those things.