Missouri Sportsmen's Information Network Dinosaurs of The Deep Paddlefish

Paddlefish season opens March 15 Lure of paddlefish snagging will draw hundreds to Missouri impoundments

JOIN THE BOARD.  NEW FORUM JUST FOR SNAGGING SEASON!

JEFFERSON CITY --With small eyes that peer over a two-foot long spoonbill snout at one end and a thresher shark's tail at the other end, it's unlikely many would describe the paddlefish as attractive. But for hundreds of Missouri anglers there is nothing more beautiful than the sight of a seven-foot long, 100-plus pound paddlefish at the end of a snag line.

The paddlefish is a sort of living fossil. More closely related to sharks than to Missouri's other fish, it has a skeleton of cartilage. Its food consists of tiny aquatic plants and animals. Paddlefish collect these by swimming around with their mouths open and filtering water though their gills. They make the most of this diet, reaching weights of more than 100 pounds.

The paddlefish snagging season runs from March 15 through April 30. The daily limit is two. In most waters, paddlefish must be released immediately if they measure less than 24 inches from eye to fork of tail. The minimum length limit is 34 inches on Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake and Truman Lake and their tributaries. The Osage River between Bagnell Dam and the U.S. Highway 54 bridge is closed to snagging, snaring and grabbing from March 15 through April 30.

Anglers must stop snagging, snaring or grabbing for any species of fish after taking a daily limit of two paddlefish on Truman Lake and Lake of the Ozarks and their tributaries and on the Osage River below Highway 54.
Full details of paddlefish regulations are listed in the 2002 Summary of Fishing Regulations, which is available free wherever fishing permits are sold.

The challenge of hauling in a large fish is just part of the thrill of paddlefish snagging. Paddlefish aren't interested in any kind of lure or bait that can be put on a hook. Consequently, anglers must snag the big fish by randomly jerking lines with treble hooks in the water. Snagging is only effective when paddlefish are concentrated in a few areas. This occurs in the spring, when the fish move upstream in response to their spawning urge.

Even though paddlefish still obey their urge to spawn, dams, pollution and habitat destruction on the Osage River now prevent successful spawning. Missouri's paddlefish population depends on stocking by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). MDC spawns paddlefish artificially at Blind Pony Hatchery near Sweet Springs.

- Arleasha Mays -
 
 

NEW STATE RECORD PADDLEFISH GEORGE WAYNE RUSSELL vs. THE DINOSAUR OF THE DEEP By: Allen “horntagger” Morris MISSOURI – UNEXPECTED Have you ever heard someone from Missouri say, if you don’t like the weather wait just a second and it will change? That also goes for the hunting and fishing in Missouri. Just wait around and the next thing coming out of the woods or the water is new world or state record. The unexpected, that is just one of the reasons Missouri is one of the best hunting and fishing states around.  Missouri is one of the very few states, that David Smith from Perryville, Missouri can be bow fishing like always in Southeast Missouri on June 22nd, 2001 and shoots a 115 lbs, 76 inches long and 34 inches wide Alligator Gar and becomes the new and only state record holder on this list.

Photo courtesy of  Bridgeport Resort

The paddlefish also known, as spoonbill is primitive, with a cartilage skeleton rather than bone. It swims about continuously in open water, feeding on micro crustaceans and insect larvae, which it filters from the water with its gill rakers. Paddlefish are long-lived; 20-year-olds are common, and some live 30 years or more. They commonly exceed five feet in length and weights of 60 pounds. 

The snagging season for paddlefish for 2002 in Missouri started on March 15^th, with a limit of  2 per person. The method commonly used by fisherman is called blind snagging, in which the fisherman uses treble hooks dragging near the bottom, hoping to snag the big one.

GEORGE WAYNE RUSSELL

Weather it is hunting or fishing, I have always said going with someone that is hunting or fishing for the first time, is always an adventure. Snagging paddlefish for the first time is no exception, especially in Missouri.

Brother-in-laws Jim Skiles and Paul Pruitt have been trying to get George Wayne Russell from Desoto, Missouri to go snagging for Paddlefish for the last three years.

This time the 52 years of age Missouri fisherman, took them up on their offer.

On Thursday, March 14^th, 2002 George, Jim and Paul started catching white bass on Table Rock Lake and doing some pre-season scouting with the depth finder for tomorrow, opening day of snagging paddlefish. When this one section of the Table Rock Lake, caught their interest, with quite a few big fish showing up on the depth finder.

GEORGE WAYNE RUSSELL vs. THE DINOSAUR OF THE DEEP
 
 

George, Jim and Paul got an early start on March 15th, with the double treble hook tied on and the 12 oz. sinker setup headed to the bottom at around 6:30 that morning. They started blind snagging, trolling slowly in waters 9 to 50 feet deep, in the area they had spotted the large fish the day before. With temperatures in the low 40’s and scattered rain throughout the morning, and nothing presenting itself, it started out slow.  George who fishes off and on throughout the year in Missouri, on the small lake behind his house, at 8:00 a.m. while trolling at a depth of 28 feet finally had a jerk on his fishing rod.  George had snagged his very first paddlefish, after about 30 minutes of working the Penn fishing rod and putting the 92lb test line to the limit. George finally got the paddlefish to the side of the boat. With help from Jim and Paul they got a handling hook in its mouth to hold the fish next to the boat.

They tied the spoonbill and the tail off on the side of the boat. At this time none of them knew how big the fish actually was. After the group had caught 3 more fish, with weights from 40 to 89 lbs, they headed to the dock.

But, what they did not know was the first paddlefish of the morning, was about to change the record books. When it took two of them to get it on to the dock that was the first time they knew they had a behemoth of a fish.

NEW STATE RECORD PADDLEFISH
 
 
 

George had a 100 lb scale but when they hooked up the fish, the scale bottomed out. Some guys watching told them about a gas station down the road that had some scales, so they headed up the road.  After they got it on the scales the paddlefish weight in at 139 lbs. They headed back to Bridgeport Resort in the Cape Fair area of Table Rock Lake where they were staying and called the local Missouri Department of Conservation agent. The Missouri Department of Conservation agent met with them and the paddlefish officially weighed in at 139 lbs 4 oz.  If you would like to see this DINOSAUR OF THE DEEP, next time you go to Springfield, Missouri check out the Wonders of Wildlife museum and look for the name George Wayne Russell and you will see the new state paddlefish record.  Congratulations go out to George and this once in lifetime trophy fish. There is nothing like hunting and fishing in Missouri, hope to see you in the woods or on the water. Horntagger.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS --Loss of over 43,000 fish valued at $3.2 million makes the recent month-long fish kill at Bagnell Dam on the Lake of the Ozarks among Missouri's most damaging, according to a Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) interim investigation report issued today.

Large numbers of dead fish began surfacing in the lake and the Osage River on May 23. The Conservation Department Fisheries Division staff says there are several ways in which operations at the dam kill fish.

"Fish are killed when trapped against the steel bars designed to keep large debris, like logs, out of the power generation turbines. Those that pass through the steel bars and enter the turbines are chopped up," says Bill Turner, MDC Policy Coordinator.

Fish are also killed as they are battered in the spillway area of the dam when excess water is released into the Osage River. These fish are following their instincts to go with the flow of the water and are being injured and killed from the impact of the high velocity water.

While the fish kill affected 23 different species in the lake and river, its greatest impact was on paddlefish. "Over 4,300 paddlefish were killed and many of these were large fish at least 15 to 20 years of age, the size anglers dream of catching," says Turner. The fish is a sort of living fossil that somewhat resembles a shark. Its most prominent feature is a long paddle-shaped snout that can comprise one-third of its length. The fish also has a cartilage skeleton, fleshy skin instead of scales and a deeply forked tail. Paddlefish commonly exceed 5 feet in length and weights of 60 pounds.

Paddlefish are only found in two river systems worldwide. The North American variety occurs only in the Mississippi River Valley, the other species occurs in the Yangtze Valley in China. Missouri's paddlefish population depends on stocking, as dams on the Osage River prevent them from successfully spawning. In the past AmerenUE operated a fish hatchery to supplement stocking of the lake. And they now make annual financial contributions to MDC hatchery operations.
"This fish kill will have a serious, long term effect on the paddlefish population," says Turner. "It will take many years to restore the large number of fish killed over the last few weeks."

In the coming months, MDC staff will try to assess the impacts of the kill on future paddlefish seasons.

"The Conservation Department has worked hard over the past two years to advise AmerenUE on how to address fish kill problems and other damages caused by operations at Bagnell Dam," says Conservation Department Director John D. Hoskins.

Bagnell Dam is owned by AmerenUE. The company operates the facility under a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Bagnell Dam provides electricity to customers throughout Missouri and Illinois. AmerenUE has stated that they are committed to developing a long term solution to this problem and have met with MDC and private consultants to address the issue.

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AmerenUE, MDC cross legal swords over fish kill responsibility JEFFERSON CITY -- In a move that took conservation officials by surprise, AmerenUE has filed an action in federal court to limit its liability for a 45-day- long fish kill at Bagnell Dam on the Osage River. Today, the Missouri Department of

Conservation (MDC) said it had little choice but to file a state claim in the Miller County Circuit Court for the loss to Missouri's resources.

The fish kill started May 23, when Ameren began releasing water from the dam, which creates Lake of the Ozarks. High-velocity water killed 43,937 fish valued at $3,255,580.

More than 20 fish species were affected, but the rare species known as paddlefish suffered most dramatically. Paddlefish accounted for $3, 224,307 of the total loss.

Bagnell and Truman dams hamper natural paddlefish reproduction by blocking the fish's spawning migrations. The Conservation Department rears paddlefish artificially in hatcheries to maintain the population.

Up to the date of the federal filing, MDC and Ameren were engaged in talks to determine how to protect the lake's fishery and compensate for the loss of fish. According to Conservation Commission Chair Howard Wood, "We were looking for a win-win situation that would provide an incentive for Ameren to solve the problem of fish kills at the dam and also fulfill the department's duty to pursue the loss. The Commission had no choice but to proceed with a suit for damages once Ameren challenged the department's authority to seek a legal remedy for the fish kill."

The suit filed by Ameren asks the federal court to declare that the Federal Power Act governs dam operations and supercedes MDC authority to impose liability for damages. The suit also asks the federal court to bar MDC from bringing any action against Ameren to enforce Missouri state law regarding fisheries resources and to enter a judgment against MDC for any costs Ameren incurs in the litigation.

Ameren has previously expressed interest in finding a long-term solution to repeated fish kills at Bagnell Dam. MDC Director John Hoskins said, "We are anxious to find out if this litigation signals a change in Ameren's commitment to this goal."

Hoskins emphasized the importance of minimizing economic losses in the Lake of the Ozarks region. "We are talking about a lot more than 43,000 dead fish," he said. "Tourism and fishing-related businesses pump millions of dollars into this region and support thousands of mid-Missouri families."

Wood was emphatic about potential implications to the department's authority, "The Conservation Commission must protect the resources entrusted to the department's care. We think the stakes are too large to relinquish future decisions about Lake of the Ozarks and the Osage River to federal utility regulators in Washington, D.C."

Ameren has applied for renewal of its current license to operate the dam. That license expires in February 2006. Should the application be granted, the new license is expected to be valid for a term of 30 years.

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Tony Hancock Crew

 
 

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