New Missouri State Record

[roadwarrior]

https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/illinois-man-paddlefish-fishing-record-missouri

[MN Fisher]

Looks like what it is - a prehistoric monster...he'll remember that catch the rest of his life.

 

Wish I could read the article - but Fox doesn't like me using my ****er.

 

It'd be interesting catching one of those - but they're a protected species here in MN...no open season.

[Dwight Hottle]

I can't imagine what that tastes like? 

[TnRiver46]

47 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

I can't imagine what that tastes like? 

Pretty darn good from what I’ve heard. The eggs are sold for big money 

[Dwight Hottle]

14 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Pretty darn good from what I’ve heard. The eggs are sold for big money 

 

So are sturgeon eggs (caviar) but the carcasses were always dumped after stripping the eggs. On the infamous Presque Isle bay on Lake Eire there is an area called the sturgeon hole where they disposed of all the carcasses back in the day. 

[gim]

There is an very limited open season in South Dakota along the Platte river.  I have a co-worker who has fished for them there a few times.  Its really a different style of fishing since they are filter feeders.  He tossed a big treble hook into the river and just simply ripped it back, trying to snag one.  He caught a couple too, but neither one was real big.  He said he kind of felt bad about it after the fact because the trebles literally rip into the fish's flesh.

 

There is a demand for caviar.  Only the large females carry that.  I'm sure the meat is similar tasting as bowfin filets.  ?

 

Poaching (for caviar), over fishing, and habitat destruction is what caused sturgeon and paddlefish populations to crash years ago.  Very restrictive seasons, minimal harvest, and habitat improvement is what has caused them to bounce back from the brink.

[GreenPig]

That'd be fun on BFS.

[roadwarrior]

I remember guys "snagging" below the dam at the Lake Of The Ozarks.

Talk about some work!  Not for me.

 

 

[TnRiver46]

33 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

 

So are sturgeon eggs (caviar) but the carcasses were always dumped after stripping the eggs. On the infamous Presque Isle bay on Lake Eire there is an area called the sturgeon hole where they disposed of all the carcasses back in the day. 

The paddlefish meat is also excellent according to my buddies that have caught them. I’ve had sturgeon filets before at a fancy hotel, very good flaky white meat 

[Bluebasser86]

Couldn't imagine. I've only ever caught 2 of them and both were tiny compared to that fish. 

4 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

I remember guys "snagging" below the dam at the Lake Of The Ozarks.

Talk about some work!  Not for me.

 

 

We had a tournament scheduled out of Drake Harbor on the Osage River below Bagnell Dam on LOZ on OPENING WEEKEND of snagging season once. What a nightmare that was to navigate all those boats. 

[DitchPanda]

I've had the meat a few times and its actually pretty good. Its a much meatier texture than most fresh water fish...closer in my estimation to something like mahi mahi.

[Jmilburn76]

That thing is a monster! I was thinking the one caught out Old Hickory was about the same size but apparently was only 70 lbs even though it was 6' long.

[soflabasser]

Congratulations to the angler for catching the new Missouri State Record paddlefish.