Missouri Outdoor » Paddlefish http://missourioutdoor.com Missouri hunting, fishing, and outdoor's Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:04:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Conservation Agents Find a Truckload of Paddlefish http://missourioutdoor.com/fishing/paddlefish-fishing/conservation-agents-find-a-truckload-of-paddlefish/ http://missourioutdoor.com/fishing/paddlefish-fishing/conservation-agents-find-a-truckload-of-paddlefish/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 17:31:39 +0000 Brent http://missourioutdoor.com/?p=5161 ');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62)); Your Ad Here During the morning of Tuesday, April 22nd, Conservation Agents uncovered numerous paddlefish related violations at a residence in rural Barry County. Upon arriving at the residence, Conservation Agents found a group of individuals [...]]]>

During the morning of Tuesday, April 22nd, Conservation Agents uncovered numerous paddlefish related violations at a residence in rural Barry County.
Upon arriving at the residence, Conservation Agents found a group of individuals in the process of butchering 61 paddlefish that had been harvested from Table Rock Lake the previous evening.
Conservation Agents conducted an inspection of the fish and uncovered in excess of 30 violations of the Wildlife Code in regards to their take and/or possession. Some of the violations that were uncovered included possessing over the limit of paddlefish, possession of under-length paddlefish, failing to keep fish separate or identifiable, and receiving improperly labeled fish or wildlife. As a result of the investigation, Conservation Agents issued a total of 12 citations to members of the group.
Conservation Agent Dan Akin, a ten year veteran agent assigned to Stone County, stated, “I’ve never seen any one group of fishermen take that many paddlefish.”
Conservation Agent Travis McLain added, “It was a lot of fish. It was a shame that other sportsmen won’t get a chance at these fish.”
The harvest of paddlefish is strictly regulated. Paddlefish may only be taken in accordance with specified sport fishing methods from March 15th through April 30th. The daily limit for paddlefish is 2 with a possession limit of 4 fish. All fish taken by one angler must be kept separate or distinctly identifiable from fish taken by another, and any fish given away or received must be labeled with the name, address, species, date taken, and permit number of the taker.
These regulations are necessary to ensure that limits are not exceeded, fish populations remain healthy, and that high quality angling experiences are available for everyone to enjoy.
For more information, contact Conservation Agent Travis R. McLain at (417) 847-4784 or by e-mail at travis.mclain@mdc.mo.gov .

Go to Source


Email this post Email this post

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it,
tell a friend
about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.]]> http://missourioutdoor.com/fishing/paddlefish-fishing/conservation-agents-find-a-truckload-of-paddlefish/feed/ 0 Paddlefish http://missourioutdoor.com/fishing/paddlefish/ http://missourioutdoor.com/fishing/paddlefish/#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:12:30 +0000 Brent http://missourioutdoor.com/?p=36 ');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62)); Your Ad Here The population of anglers that loyally pursue the elusive and oddly configured paddlefish is minimal, but don’t question the enthusiasm with which they hunt this prehistoric fish. Wrapping themselves in layer upon layer [...]]]>

The population of anglers that loyally pursue the elusive and oddly configured paddlefish is minimal, but don’t question the enthusiasm with which they hunt this prehistoric fish.

Wrapping themselves in layer upon layer of heavy clothing which adds to the considerable challenge of heaving treble hooks seemingly big enough to raise the Titanic that are weighted with anchor-sized lead sinkers. Paddlefish anglers come out in awful weather to spend hours laboriously jerking their lines through murky spring floodwaters without even being able to see the object of their quest.

The fire of their enthusiasm is stoked by the knowledge that somewhere “down there” could be a 130 pound fish with the tail of a shark and paddle-shaped nose. Diehard paddlefish anglers live for the shoulder-wrenching moment when such a fish blunders into a hook. When that happens, the angler is in for a long and tiring fight.

The payoff can be big, though. Like sharks, paddlefish have no bones. Instead, their skeleton is made of cartilage. A 100 pound paddlefish can yield 30 pounds of firm white flesh. It is a gourmet’s delight when cooked in a smoker.

Records kept by the Missouri Department of Conservation show that roughly 1.6 percent of Missouri anglers target paddlefish. This exclusive club has the run of thousands of acre of waters, but most paddlefish snagging takes place in well-defined areas.

The most popular places to snag paddlefish are the upper reaches of Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Lake and Table Rock Lake. The construction of dams has effectively eliminated natural reproduction of paddlefish in the Osage River Basin, but the big fish still swim upstream in the spring, when the spawning urge strikes them. They congregate below dams and in the upper arms of reservoirs, and knowledgeable anglers are usually there to greet them.

Paddlefish on the Mississippi River above St. Louis follow this pattern, gathering below locks and dams. On the Mississippi River below St. Louis and on the Missouri River, anglers find paddlefish behind wing dikes, where deep, slow-moving water creates attractive resting and feeding areas.

Source Missouri Game and Fish vol. 2008 no.3

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Email this post Email this post

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it,
tell a friend
about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.]]> http://missourioutdoor.com/fishing/paddlefish/feed/ 0