Paddlefish aka
Spoonbill

If you’re fishing for a big catch, you won’t catch many fish bigger than a trophy paddlefish. Any paddlefish less than 30 pounds is nothing to write home about. The prehistoric fish routinely weigh over 50 pounds and they are measured in feet, not inches.

Paddlefish range throughout the U.S., from Montana to Louisiana. While some states have seen dramatic decreases in paddlefish, fisheries surveys in Oklahoma indicate that populations have increased in the past few years! In Oklahoma, they are found mainly in the Grand, Neosho and Arkansas River systems. In 1992 fisheries biologists began an effort to re-introduce paddlefish to some of the waters they once roamed. Dams on several rivers had blocked the annual movements of paddlefish in several river systems. Hatchery professionals raised young paddlefish at fish hatcheries in Byron and Tishomingo and then released them in Kaw, Oologah, Texoma, and Hugo lakes.

During their early spring spawning run, this prehistoric prize can be caught by snagging with a stout surf rod, heavy test line, and a large barbless treble hook. Top paddlefish spots include locations on the Neosho River like:  Riverview City Park in Miami, Conner and Twin Bridges (above Grand Lake), the Kaw Lake tailwaters, Ft. Gibson Lake and Oologah Lake.

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