Missouri Paddlefish

[Barbelboy]

What a trip. Left Saturday at 3 AM, on the water and first fish in the boat by 3 PM. Weather was great, fishing was better. We ended up with 15 paddlefish and over 100 catfish (blues and channels). The largest paddle was 72 lbs. We figure between the 15 fish it was over 700 lbs of fish. simply awesome

[pushbutton]

Looks like a good time!!!! They are certainly beasts. Assuming you eat them? Taste like chicken?

[Scott K]

Wow! What do you do with the fish? Are they good eating?

Any big catfish caught?

[Barbelboy]

Yes they are good eating. Similar to sturgeon I'd say their consistancy is like a pork chop. Excellent to smoke, grill, BBQ and even fry (though I have to work on that recipe).

No big cats, maybe 10 lbs was the largest. But the quantity was fun. We were catching them off the dock with slip bobbers like sunfish. It was very entertaining. I tried in the river in traditional spots, but with limited success so I stuck with what was working.

[MidCoast]

How do you catch Paddlefish?

[JBMasterAngler]

Was that lake of the ozarks? That's on the tail end of my bucket list, giving paddlefishin' a try sounds like it'd a blast. I suppose snagging and C&R don't mix though?

[goblueM]

How do you catch Paddlefish?

They eat plankton, so you have to use tiny tiny lures the size of a micron

Nah, I'm kidding - you snag them with big treble hooks

[Stick500]

Are they gathered in a certain part of the lake/river to spawn? Or do they just have a regular hang-out place?

[Capt. Quicksteel]

That same boat he's lying in with all the Paddlefish will be at the Sturgeon Excursion. You'll be able to identify him by the SMELL!

[Barbelboy]

I scrubbed the living daylights out of it. That way I don't have to listen to you complain! And I'm not giving your rod holders or net back until after the excursion!

Yes it is LOZ, but many bodies of water in MO have paddlefish stocked in them. There is no natural reproduction in that specific body of water, but when the water temp starts to rise and the river is flowing because of the spring rains they start to make a "spawning" run. Though LOZ is 90 miles long and they can be found anywhere along there.

We use a musky rod, a penn 209 spooled with 80lb braid, an 18 ounce sinker and 3 10/0 treble hooks. One guy drives, two guys snag. After 3 days of jerking on that rig you'll think you need shoulder surgery.

Catch and release is possible. They are big fish with lots of muscle so the hooks don't penetrate very deeply and if handled properly are easily returned to the water.