A Prehistoric Conservation Effort
When it comes to unusual, it doesn’t get much stranger than the paddlefish. One of Oklahoma’s largest fish, the paddlefish feeds on tiny zooplankton (microscopic insects) and, like a shark, it has a completely cartilaginous skeletal system. But the paddlefish is more than just an oddity; it also provides many anglers heart-pumping excitement, more akin to saltwater action than freshwater fishing.
The paddlefish was alive when dinosaurs were rumbling around in the Jurassic Period. Recently, the Wildlife Department promulgated new rules to increase the protection for paddlefish to ensure this prehistoric fish will thrive through a few more Ice Ages. The new rules reduce the bag and possession limits from three to one daily and requires the use of barbless hooks. Any fish caught and kept must be immediately tagged with the taker’s name, address and fishing license number. Anglers are allowed to catch and release until they decide to keep a fish, a practice that was previously prohibited.
Brent Gordon, Northeast Region Fisheries Biologist for the Wildlife Department, is working to develop a management plan for this unique species. Gordon and his colleagues have placed tags on thousands of paddlefish in Grand and Ft. Gibson Lakes, and tags are currently being placed on paddlefish in Hudson Lake in an effort to get a better understanding of the status of the paddlefish population. This research is being paid for through the federally-administered State Wildlife Grant.
What does a paddlefish tag look like?
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Tag colors |
Have you ever caught a tagged paddlefish? If you have caught a paddlefish you can check the number to find out when it was tagged, where it was tagged and length of the fish when it was tagged.
What do I do if I catch a fish with a tag?
If you happen to catch a fish with a tag, we want to know! On each tag is a letter followed by a series of numbers along with a phone number. We prefer that if you catch a fish and plan to release it, that you leave the tag in place, record the tag information and contact us with the information at your earliest convenience. If you harvest the fish, please feel free to keep the tag, but again we ask for you to contact us with the tag information at your earliest convenience. This information is valuable, as it give us information regarding harvest. We would like to know where and when the fish was caught, if it was harvested or released, and if the tag was removed if released. Other valuable information about the fish such as weight, length (measured from the front of the eye to the fork of the tail), sex (only if harvested), or abnormalities is also useful.
Please contact Brent Gordon Fisheries Biologist (918) 299- 2334 or email bgordon07@sbcglobal.net regarding tag information.