# 2/25/13: House & Matulemj "Paddlefish Party"!!!



## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

Today turned out to be one crazy day out on the water with Matulemj. You just never know what you are going to pull out of these rivers...

CONDITIONS:
Sunny, High of 47°, Increasing winds 10-15mph from the East/Northeast.
Water temperatures reading 39°@ surface and 43° inside my kayak.
Water clarity was 12-24inches, green stain to the river.

REPORT:
After Saturday's madness with the 11-pound striper, Matulemj and I had big hopes to find some striped fish out there but we ended up finding everything but the big ones! The day started off with a drum, which seems to be my thing. This one had the typical sad drum face which always makes me smile:










We started seeing a lot of white bass activity at the surface which was a first for the year. I hope that is a sign of what's to come. We caught a few that were in the 14-18inch slot like this guy:









We also caught a few 16-20inch hybrids below them that I have to think were following them around or feeding on the same thing that the white bass were targeting. Here's one of the more respectable ones for the day:










At times the wind died down enough to throw some more creative lures. I absolutely love the SmackTackle Flitter-2 and so did the white bass and wipers. They were absolutely inhaling the thing:

























I even caught 2 crappie and a drum on it:








Then I almost lost it on a pretty respectable gar:









The highlight of the day was seeing a huge stack of big fish on my fishfinder and in a classic fishing moment that will go down in my mind as one of the best ever, I called over to MJ to come over and hit the spot with me and his comment to me was "I'm going to catch one first!" to which I replied, "Bring it!"...and at that exact moment, we both hooked up with 2 of the biggest freshwater fish I have ever seen caught in my life. It took us almost a half hour to reel them in and when it was all said and done, MJ and I had scored the first "Paddlefish Double-Header" that I can recall ever hearing about!

Here's mine:










My fish totals for the day weren't bad:
7 white bass, 2 hybrids, 2 crappie, 3 drum, 4 gar...and 1 big paddlefish.

I can't wait to see MJ's pictures...


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## deltaoscar (Apr 4, 2009)

Man House that is really cool. I would love to catch one of those paddlefish, they are awesome looking fish. I have fish envy. 

Curious as to how and where it was hooked?


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

nice fish guys...that paddle fish is awesome!


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## Matulemj (May 29, 2012)

I've caught lake trout that were 20+ lbs, flatheads that were 20+ lbs, but I have NEVER fought a freshwater fish as long as I had to with this thing. It sucked because HOUSE couldn't help me land it because he had his hands full with his own monster! I tried to put it in the net, but its "paddle" was too long and wouldn't fit. That thing took me where ever it wanted to go on my kayak. When I thought I was going to be able to land it, my reel would go screaming again and again and I had to just sit there and go along with the ride. Definitely the biggest freshwater fish I've ever caught. So cool.

We didn't get to weigh them because I'm pretty sure they are endangered and we wanted to get them back in the water as quickly as possible. I'll let HOUSE guess the weight, but I would say they were pushing 40lbs easily.

We were able to get into some hybrids, but no true lunkers this time. I only got one over 20"










We got into some pretty big white bass. We saw a lot more activity then we have in the last couple months. I would say that the white bass run is going to be right around the corner.










I also got into some junk fish. Some carpsuckers and some drum:










My numbers: 4 Hybrids, 9 White Bass, 1 Carpsucker, 1 Drum, 2 Paddlefish

It was a great day to be out on the river. Spring is right around the corner.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Truly epic guys! Those paddlefish are incredible!


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

I can't wait to see reports from you guys, I hope when I grow up some day I can get a kayak and fish like you guys.


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## Smittyfisher (Dec 11, 2012)

Paddle fish! How did you guys hook them you know they are filter feeders? Great day to be on the water way to go.


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## E_Lin (Jun 30, 2011)

You guys are amazing.
I really have to get myself a yak.


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## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

Awesome tripbut you guys are killin me!! 
All Ive gotten so far this year are a couple carp, a couple buffalo and a few measly saugeyes!
Congratulations! 
Its supposed to rain all day today but I think Im going to hit the GMR anyway.


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

I love the photos of the paddlefish! This post is like an episode of River Monsters.


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## Nubes (Dec 3, 2012)

LOL!! Thats crazy! Did you snag the paddle fish or did they inhale the bait sweeping the bottom?? Looks truly epic!


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

We were snagging them with our blade baits in 35fow. I wish I could have taken a screen shot of my fishfinder...they were piled up like logs right on the bottom in a channel cut. I think we hooked up with about 10 of them, but only landed the 3. You should ask MJ about getting spooled by one of them! I wasn't supposed to say anything


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## buzzing byrd (Feb 27, 2008)

great job and great report, making for some good reading on a rainy Tuesday.
Keep on puttin the smack down on them bigguns.


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## Nubes (Dec 3, 2012)

HOUSE said:


> We were snagging them with our blade baits in 35fow. I wish I could have taken a screen shot of my fishfinder...they were piled up like logs right on the bottom in a channel cut. I think we hooked up with about 10 of them, but only landed the 3. You should ask MJ about getting spooled by one of them! I wasn't supposed to say anything




LOL! Man you've made the OH river your bit** this year! LOL youve got it dialed in


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## IGbullshark (Aug 10, 2012)

i hope i can have a quarter of the success that you guys have had! congrats guys!


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

Yes I love that Flitterbait! Who's talkin Smack now! Way to go on another multi species trip!


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

we should have a Paddlefish Party at Grand Valley sometime, with some caviar and martinis


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## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

kingofamberley said:


> we should have a Paddlefish Party at Grand Valley sometime, with some caviar and martinis


Why did a vision of a miata pop into my head?  

I am a little less refine. A beer and wings/burger is more of my style.

Surprised you caught a paddlefish much less 3 of them. Thought they were rather rare. Interesting they appear to be a schooling type fish based on your outing experience. Are they another species affected by the damming of the Ohio river, similar to the sturgeon?


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## FishHead78 (Dec 4, 2012)

Great job, thanks for the pics and writeup. I really hope to land a paddle someday! You're right about them being protected as a 'threatened species' in Ohio... Paddlefish on ODNR Species Guide


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

Those are gorgeous fish. Looks like it was a blast. Your not kidding about the fight I caught one about the size of yours below markland dam a few years ago on light spinning tackle and I was wore out by the time I landed it. The luck of the fuzzy hat strikes again.


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## Matulemj (May 29, 2012)

ARReflections said:


> Why did a vision of a miata pop into my head?
> 
> I am a little less refine. A beer and wings/burger is more of my style.
> 
> Surprised you caught a paddlefish much less 3 of them. Thought they were rather rare. Interesting they appear to be a schooling type fish based on your outing experience. Are they another species affected by the damming of the Ohio river, similar to the sturgeon?


Yes. They used to be found in Erie and in the Ohio up to Pennsylvania. Now their range is much more limited. I thought they were rare too, but when we were catching them, the guys on the shore watching us get dragged all over on our kayaks acted like it was no big deal, they see them all the time.

The first one I ever saw in person was a few weeks ago, then "Garrettmyers" caught one last week, HOUSE's buddy caught a handful 3 days ago, then we caught 3 yesterday. So either we are getting really lucky, or this particular spot is just stacked with them. Really the only way you are going to land one is to snag it though.


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

ARReflections said:


> Why did a vision of a miata pop into my head?
> 
> I am a little less refine. A beer and wings/burger is more of my style.
> 
> Surprised you caught a paddlefish much less 3 of them. Thought they were rather rare. Interesting they appear to be a schooling type fish based on your outing experience. Are they another species affected by the damming of the Ohio river, similar to the sturgeon?


Paddlefish get more rare the farther north you go. In Kentucky you can snag and keep them. Out west it is popular as well in states like Oklahoma. They school up a lot in the winter/spring. We catch a lot of them in the cast net when we are trying to get shad in the spring in the creeks and marinas. They are fun to catch and definitley put up a good fight...always harder to bring in a fish that is stuck in the side or the tail ecspecially at that size. Can't imagine doing it from a kayak as well though. We have a lot of fun down in Kentucky snagging asian carp and paddlefish below the dams.

You guys have had some great trips so far and we are only 2 months into the year. Your on pace to have a very good year it looks like! Keep on catching and keep on sharing with the rest of us!


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## MIKE*A (Apr 12, 2009)

Way to go guys! Thanks for sharing!

Mike


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## treytd32 (Jun 12, 2009)

shoulda kept one to use for the yak :Banane26:


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## 1bowhntr (Mar 17, 2011)

hey mj was houses buddy in a red yak me and a buddy of mine was fishing sunday on the ohio river and not only did we catch two paddle fish but the guys in the yaks caught three that i know of and was hooked up with aleast four or five others i think that we lost two ourself.


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## Bostonwhaler10 (Apr 30, 2012)

I have to bring my yak and tag along with you guys sometime, that is incredible


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## lovelandfly (Mar 11, 2010)

That's a great story House! Great job

:B


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