Hellbender proposed Endangered

[Jmac]

Endangered status proposed for eastern hellbenders

The eastern hellbender, a salamander recently named Pennsylvania’s state amphibian, is now on its way to becoming a federally endangered species. The long-awaited designation could help fund conservation efforts in

www.bayjournal.com

What does this mean for trout stocking with likely coming federal involvement in managing hellbenders in PA wilds? Can the feds mandate PFBC(or others) not stock over this newly to be declared endangered species?

 

[Prospector]

I sure don’t see them anymore. As a kid in the 70’s, I probably saw 2-4 per year. I can’t remember the last one I’ve seen. Has to be 15 years at least.

I remember my buddy went fishing in Lake Erie about 20 yrs ago and there was a major hellbender die off. He said they saw more than 50 floating.

 

[TerrellBFly]

French Creek is loaded with Hellbenders if you know where to look. *Cough* Venango *Cough*

 

[caddisflyer]

There is one stream in PA that I see at least one Hellbender every time I go there, And it is a heavily stocked stream.

 

[5footfenwick]

 

[troutbert]

How do you spot these things? Do you just see them laying in the shallows out in the open? I thought they mostly hid under rocks.

 

[wildtrout2]

View attachment 1641239437

I had no idea they were as big as they are! Love that net. 😉

 

[bigjohn358]

They are quite common in Kettle Creek and Lycoming Creek and both are heavily stocked streams. I like hellbenders so much I named my rod building company Hellbender Custom Rods. They definitely deserve protection BUT I do not believe stocking trout over them is that big of an issue considering the streams I see them thriving in are also some of the most heavily stocked streams you can find.

 

[Bamboozle]

I never saw one to my knowledge but based on my past reactions to water snakes, snapping turtles and beavers swimming within a foot of me, I imagine I'd crap my pants if I saw one that close to my foot. 😉

 

[Swattie87]

I had one swim between my legs on “The Pine” one time. Fairly high up, between Ansonia and Gaines. Assumed I kicked it out from the rocks. Did that highstepping dance thing til I figured out what it was.

 

[gibsygoldtop]

I see at least one in Northcentral rivers almost yearly. And as mentioned, they are all on stocked sections.

 

[RLeep2]

How do you spot these things? Do you just see them laying in the shallows out in the open? I thought they mostly hid under rocks.

Probably the best opportunity to see hellbenders is during the annual spawn/mating season in late summer. They often congregate in shallow riffles during low light periods at these times. I've been seeing mating hellbenders all my life up here in the NW. Around the end of August, give or take a week or two..

 

[wildtrout2]

Are there certain types of streams that are more likely to have them than others? I saw something that I couldn't identify on the Hammersley a few years ago, that was much smaller than the one posted by 5footfenwick, but was similar looking. Could that have been what I saw on that stream?

 

[bigjohn358]

First one I ever saw was when I was a teen in the 90s fishing Kettle Creek. I pinned it down with my rod tip and my brother came over and netted it. We thought it was the coolest slimiest thing ever! I've seen them in Kettle looking off of Leidy bridge. I have a friend who had a few stockies on a stringer and a hellbender was having a snack on one of them at Leidy. I even caught one on a nymph 2 years ago fishing Lycoming Creek. I bet I've seen a dozen or so on Kettle over the years and 5 or 6 on Lycoming Creek. Pretty much all the north central limestone streams have them. They like clean waters that have large rocks or ledges that they can get under.

 

[Mike]

Diet is not exclusively crayfish, but primarily crayfish, so they need a decent population of those and lots of rocks suitable for overhead cover. A prevalence of embedded rocks, bedrock, rubble, gravel, sand, and silt doesn’t meet the needs. My understanding is that the best sampling site for hellbenders of the multiple sampling sites on Kettle Ck is a direct stocking point that has been used for decades both preseason and inseason.

 

[Forestfishin]

Are there certain types of streams that are more likely to have them than others? I saw something that I couldn't identify on the Hammersley a few years ago, that was much smaller than the one posted by 5footfenwick, but was similar looking. Could that have been what I saw on that stream?

When I was 11 or 12 in the early 80s me and my buddy were fishing Indian creek (I believe but definitely similar sized stream in laurel highlands if not) late spring or early summer. Was using bait and thought I had a snag. I was able to pull it up so figured it was small log or something but then saw it’s mouth and legs as it come out of the water. Freaked us out. Had no idea what it was and his dad was back at the car. We debated what to do and finally cut the line. It was probably about 18 inches I’d bet.

When I first saw a picture of one years later I instantly remembered that day. No mistaking that that ugly creature. Haven’t seen one since then but would like to now after learning a little about them.

 

[5footfenwick]

How do you spot these things? Do you just see them laying in the shallows out in the open? I thought they mostly hid under rocks.

I think they mostly do hide under rocks and I think that’s why we don’t see them more often.

The few (or less) I see per year are usually just luck. I look down and see happen to notice a giant salamander. Usually the ones I spot are just out in the open, sometimes pretty close to where I’m standing while wading. Perhaps hunting food or maybe switching to a new rock to live under?

I do have a habit of always looking down for glass or litter to pick up from the stream bed so admittedly I’m constantly looking down, may be why I see a few?

 

[troutbert]

A guy who helped do surveys for hellbenders said there are good numbers of them in Tionesta Creek.

 

[wildtrout2]

Is there a basic water temp they prefer, or are they flexible in that regard?

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Board,

Years ago, and I mean like 40 years ago, my brother Terry and I saw them occasionally while fishing on top of the wing dam on the Delaware River at New Hope. Early June was prime catfishing season on the Delaware and while we walked the wing dam they would sometimes pop up from the rubble below the dam. They did it more often if you tossed a Brinkmann's minnow into a likely holding spot. 😉

I last saw one probably 15 years ago this May behind the Brown Township FD on Pine Creek. It was during the toad mating season. When I arrived, the water was literally boiling with risers, but I saw no bugs. I tried dries, winged wets, and soft hackles to no avail before I figured out that I was casting to a pod of 100's of mating toads. Walking the bank, I saw there was a hellbender just basking in an eddy below a gravel bar.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂