# Freshwater Billfish!



## mrjbigfoot

One of my work buddies down in Arkansas sent me some pictures of a big old Spoonbill/Paddlefish/Catfish that he caught. Check these out:




























:B


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## mrjbigfoot

PS - In Arkansas, you're allowed to keep 2 Paddlefish per/day & they are very good eating!

http://www.agfc.com/fishing/rules-regulations-fishing/statewide-limits-fishing.aspx


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## acklac7

Are you sure he "caught" it ??..I believe Paddlefish are planktivores: only way to "catch" one is by hooking it outside the mouth (snagging). Im nearly certain they are endangerd in Ohio, but I think you can harvest them from the Ohio river in Kentucky..Never knew they were good eating!

AND FOR CHRIST'S SAKE LOOK AT ARKANSAS'S SNAGGING GUIDELINES!!! SICKENING!!!!



AGFC.COM said:


> Snagging - fishing with conventional rods and reels where the fish is impaled by the forceful retrieval of one or more hooks. Snagging *SPORTFISH* from a bank may only be done within 100 yards below a dam. Any *SPORT FISH* snagged must be kept, applied to the daily limit and may not be sold. Half the sport fish daily limit may be taken by snagging, or the lesser whole number nearest one-half the limit, when the limit is an odd number, although a full limit of catfish and paddlefish may be taken. Snagging must cease whenever a limit of any species is attained.



*GLAD I LIVE IN OHIO*


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## steelheader007

acklac7 said:


> Are you sure he "caught" it ??..I believe Paddlefish are planktivores: only way to "catch" one is by hooking it outside the mouth (snagging). Im nearly certain they are endangerd in Ohio, but I think you can harvest them from the Ohio river in Kentucky..Never knew they were good eating!
> 
> AND FOR CHRIST'S SAKE LOOK AT ARKANSAS'S SNAGGING GUIDELINES!!! SICKENING!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *GLAD I LIVE IN OHIO*



Yes its bad, and yes you are correct abou the Paddle Fishes diet. Arkansas also allows snatching "snagging trying to make it sound better" of huge cats when they run the river for the spawn. Heck even ESPN covered it a few years back they did not need to glorify it!


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## mrjbigfoot

Yeah, I think you nailed that on the head. I believe that it's common practice down there to snag them, for eating purposes, sort of the same way they go out & jug fish and/or grapple big cats with their hands for eating purposes. In Ohio, it's not legal and we don't have many paddlefish either. I've seen where they even use jugs & a wire noose type rig to catch paddlefish but they have a lot more of them than we do. So, it's a cultural thing in the South.


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## riverKing

incredible fish, that thing looks 80-100lbs

now i dont see what the problem you have with arkansas
"AND FOR CHRIST'S SAKE LOOK AT ARKANSAS'S SNAGGING GUIDELINES!!! SICKENING!!!!"
here in ohio we are allowed to keep and use for bait up to six bass, no size limit, out of any river save the 3 or 4 with a 15in minimum, same with any other sportfish. i can keep any striper or hybrid i catch out of any river other than the ohio, meaning i can keep 80 legally. or lets go to kiser and do the same thing. or i can go to cowan and due to the fact that there is no enforcement of the game laws in ohio unless you are on the maumee you can watch a crappie fisherman who can hardly speak keep 3 or 4 of what he calls "pike" he caught while crappie fishing
ohio is sickening, arkanas doesnt have near the number of fisherman they also have much higher populations of paddlefish, and considering there stocking efforts work so well i think 2 a year isnt outrageous, ky does the same thing and you can go down to mehldal and watch in the early spring, and watch the game wardens bust people as soon as they make a cast after getting two. Without stocking paddlefish would die off because we have already dammed almost all of thier spawning grounds, that fish survives because of stocking, they spawn less than saugeye. maybe we could make fish like bluecats 2 a years, to many? how bout all of our trophy fish, save sturgeon, if it was just 2 a year in ten years we would probably start breaking records. if you want to get mad about crap laws and stocking lets worry about our state first 
down from the soapbox
sorry for the rant


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## mrjbigfoot

The Arkansas limit on Paddlefish is 2 per Day  (not 2 per year) and yes, they have an abundance of them but it's not as easy as some may think to just go snag & reel them in. Guys will fish an entire weekend to get just one fish like he caught and/or a group of 2 or three guys will be lucky to get one a piece. I have no problem with how they catch them and/or that they keep and eat them. Paddlefish aren't a Sportfish...

He caught the fish, in the pictures, below the Lake Sequoyah Spill Way just east of Fayetteville and his plan is to get back out there this weekend and try to get another one (hopefully 1) fast cause they will soon spawn and head back to Beaver lake.


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## acklac7

riverKing said:


> if you want to get mad about crap laws and stocking lets worry about our state first
> 
> sorry for the rant


Sorry if I came off like I LOVED Ohio for it's enviornmental/Wildlife laws. While I do commend the ODNR in some areas I can say they DEFINITELY need improvement in others...

Here's where I was coming from: Say your down at any spillway, Griggs, deer creek, Alum etc..And there are guys lined up with 1 ounce weights and treble hooks just snagging the crap out of anything & everything in the water. Then one of these guys snags a 10lb Saugeye right in the back, hauls her in, then puts it on a stringer RIGHT IN FRONT OF A GAME WARDEN...Then casts out and proceeds to snag even more fish!! And it's all legal!! THATS why Im glad I live in Ohio!! LOL



riverKing said:


> due to the fact that there is no enforcement of the game laws in ohio unless you are on the maumee


Try calling 1-800 POACHER or your local game warden next time you see someone doing something illegal..While they (WEO's) may not hide in the bushes to bust people (like they do at the Muamee) they WILL come out when called...The worst thing you can do is sit back and watch...Make a call next time! Several people on this board have done so and have had DNR come down within an hour, arrest the offenders, seize there gear, and force them to dump out all there fish. 






mrjbigfoot said:


> I have no problem with how they catch them and/or that they keep and eat them. Paddlefish aren't a Sportfish...


Same sentiment here, for the most part. Although they are a neat, native species. My beef is with the snagging of sportfish....How many other states alow that!!?? Can't be too many..


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## sparkman

Snagging is also legal in KY. I have seen people line the bank below KY dam and had filled 5 gallon buckets with spoonbills. Some of them field dressed them and threw the remains into the river. They said they are great eating. It sure did not look sporting to me.


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