Fishing Waterdogs

Question
I would like to try to fish with some water dogs i saw some at a local bait shop and was wondering if they would be good catfish bait  and how to rig them ether for catfish if possible or for bass. things i would like to know is were to hook them and what tackle i would need and any technique on fishing with them. any help would be much appreciated

Answer
Hello Phillip,

Sorry for the delay in the answer to your question but I'm on the road in Texas and just fished Lake Travis for a few hours this morning...White bass busting everywhere but I could only scratch a couple dink largemouth. Wow was it a beautiful morning to be on the water!

Waterdogs! Great question! The good ol' waterdog is a GREAT bass bait. Not because the bass have a frequent opportunity to feed on them...most bass have never seen ANY type of salamander but because they are big, meaty, crawl and swim underwater...they look like easy dinner!

Understand that the "waterdog" in the southwestern U.S. is normally the larval stage of the Tiger Salamander. The larval stage is when they have external gills and live exclusively underwater. At this stage, they make the best bait and the stronger and more well developed the gills they have, the more hardy they are on the hook. That is a very important thing to remember when you visit your local bait shop...strong, well developed gills. The shops can only keep those bad boys healthy if they keep their bait tanks chilled. If they don't the waterdogs rapidly "turn" or metamorphose into salamanders, losing those external gills, which causes the critter to expire more quickly while you are fishing with him and waiting for a big bass to inhale him. So pick strong ones! By the way, once they change from newt to salamander, they can run pretty quickly and although they can still swim and will still catch fish, at that stage, they breath air (although they still absorb some oxygen through their skin and internal lung-like structure) and will drown.

In Southern California, specifically San Diego county, the most common way the waterdog is fished is to "flyline" them. In order to fish them in this manner, I would recommend using Gamakatsu octopus, circle hook, inline point, in the black chrome (ns) or red finish. The proper size should be about a size 1, 1/0 or 2/0 depending on the size of the waterdog. (Some 'dogs can be as large as 10" long!).

There are many ways to hook the waterdog but most people will either lip hook them or, with the smaller sized hooks,(sz 1), hook them at the base of the tail on the right or left side just adjacent to the hind legs. Remember that the deeper you hook the bait, the better it will remain on the hook for casting but in also damages the waterdog more severely and they won't stay feisty and swim well for long. The MOST important conideration other than the hook type and placement is to remember to cast very gently...they don't live long slapping the water three or four times!

Line choice? Match the cover you will be fishing as well as the water clarity. Heavy cover; heavy line. Gin clear water; lighter line. I love traditional monofilament for the characteristics it has but the invisibility of fluorocarbon is pretty incredible. Just use a line you're comfortable with. Big bait = big bass...

As for using the waterdogs for catching catfish? That is a huge YES! Flatheads, blues and channels LOVE THEM! You may find the need to use some weight to keep them in the zone the big cats hang out in but remember that flatheads and channel cats are true predators and are a bit more aggressive (depending on the environment) than the blue cats...but the blues are the true giants. If you choose not to flyline the waterdogs, I have found that fishing with lighter slip weights :eggs or bullets, usually resting right against the hook, work well. The 'dogs do not like to work against the resistance so they will stay down and not fight it. This technique should help you if you find an area where you are faced with deep water or perhaps some with current (the Colorado river areas like Topock)etc.

So Phillip, I hope you find this information helpful. Best of luck fishing those waterdogs...HOLD ON TIGHT! Have fun! Thanks for the question