Paddle fish

[steelslaver]

Went paddle fishing on the Yellowstone river. The quota is 1000 fish. I got this little guy, the biggest caught in our group was 55# and the largest while we were there was 81#. Had some rod and real fun, might go up on the Missouri for sturgeon, cats and walleye before I leave to spend my summer on a salmon seiner in Southeast Alaska. Yea, I take a rod there too for some halibut, cod and will hit some streams for some recreational salmon.

 

[long colt frazier]

We have them below lock and damn #1 on the White River but we call them spoonbill cats.
Mark

 

[mtgianni]

Nice fish, the season sure has been shortened since 06.

 

[islamoradamark]

we dont have anything like that in south florida thanks for the fishing pics nice catch

 

[shaggist]

Is that a good-eating fish? If not, why kill it and then throw it away. If you are not catching it to feed yourself, return it alive and it will provide fun and recreation for the next guy.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Went paddle fishing on the Yellowstone river. The quota is 1000 fish. I got this little guy, the biggest caught in our group was 55# and the largest while we were there was 81#.

Ah! You caught one of our Texas minnows. I wonder how he got so far away from The Great State of Texas?


Nice catch, by the way.

Regards,

Dave

 

[mtgianni]

Is that a good-eating fish? If not, why kill it and then throw it away. If you are not catching it to feed yourself, return it alive and it will provide fun and recreation for the next guy.

Some of the tastiest fillets you will ever eat. They don't bite but are snagged and hauled in for a strong fight. FWP used to take the eggs for harvest and hatch out a good number. They also give you caviar recipes.

 

[steelslaver]

Is that a good-eating fish? If not, why kill it and then throw it away. If you are not catching it to feed yourself, return it alive and it will provide fun and recreation for the next guy.

I could catch one every year, but have not gone after one since I caught a 91# 21 years ago. I went this time with my brother and 2 guys and their wives from the local Amish settlement. Mostly it was about meeting new people, fishing and running my jet boat.

Your concern is unfounded. They are very good eating. The fish and game is on site and collects data on the fish caught both on catch and release days and on catch and keep days. On a keep day you must keep the first fish you land. There is a station where kept fish are first weight then measured, a piece of jaw is taken for aging. Then if you donate the roe your fish will be cleaned free. The roe is sold as caviar and the proceeds used for river recreation sites. I spend about a hour talking with the fish biologist on site and the species is fairly well understood and at this time has a fairly large breeding population in the reservoirs down stream. The species that is in serious trouble in our river systems is Pallid sturgeon. None can be kept, and the main problem is death of smolt in the dead zones at the area where they reenter the reservoirs.

I have killed actual millions of fish as a commercial fisherman in Alaska, a state that has done an excellent job of maintaining its fish stocks. Their fish populations are going up not down. I very seldom keep anything I get with sport equipment. What I do keep I eat. I even release trash fish like carp and goldeyes, unless they are an invasive species.

By the way in our rivers walleyes, small mouth, rainbow trout are NOT natives.

 

[CH47gunner]

I have killed actual millions of fish as a commercial fisherman in Alaska, a state that has done an excellent job of maintaining its fish stocks. Their fish populations are going up not down. I very seldom keep anything I get with sport equipment. What I do keep I eat. I even release trash fish like carp and goldeyes, unless they are an invasive species.

By the way in our rivers walleyes, small mouth, rainbow trout are NOT natives.

Used to catch a bunch of goldeyes & carp at the Fort Peck Reservoir when I lived in Glasgow.
Squawfish are the only ones I toss up on the bank.

 

[meaneyedcatz]

Never been but it would be exciting. It is popular in Missouri below Bagnell dam on the Osage.

 

[woodsltc]

Is that a good-eating fish? If not, why kill it and then throw it away. If you are not catching it to feed yourself, return it alive and it will provide fun and recreation for the next guy.

Such a pessimist view. Why did you just assume that they were going to throw it away???

Great tasting filets........and fun to catch.

Don

 

[shouldazagged]

Carp are regarded as "trash fish" by many in this country, while in much of the world they are prized as food and sport fish. In the UK there are highly specialized carp fishermen who are fanatical in pursuit of big specimens.

I often ate them as a kid. If they come from clean water and are properly cleaned--it's important to remove the strip of dark meat along the side--they can be very good eating.

Spoonbills, as paddlefish are called in these parts, are highly prized and fished for the roe. As mentioned above, it's made into caviar, which reportedly is excellent.

 

[geddylee10002000]

Steelslaver,

I noticed you were on the slough side of Intake. Did you drive on the slough road or take 16 and take the ferry across? Hopefully you donated your roe if applicable. BTW, nice fish. BTW, born and raised in Glendive and been to Intake countless times. Lot of work snagging. Here in MO we are lazy. Run the boats with outriggers.

 

[Jboutfishn]

Such a pessimist view. Why did you just assume that they were going to throw it away???

Great tasting filets........and fun to catch.

Don

Not pessimistic at all. Read the "if not" in shaggist post. I catch and release everything unless it is specifically caught for the BBQ.

 

[steelslaver]

Steelslaver,

I noticed you were on the slough side of Intake. Did you drive on the slough road or take 16 and take the ferry across? Hopefully you donated your roe if applicable. BTW, nice fish. BTW, born and raised in Glendive and been to Intake countless times. Lot of work snagging. Here in MO we are lazy. Run the boats with outriggers.

We camped on the intake side, but I have a 21' jet boat with a built 408 Ford (bored and stroked 351W with aluminum heads, roller cam and rockers) and just ran back and forth across the river. Went over the dam a few times just for fun and ran into Glendive with the boat once.

Mine was a male so no roe. The 2 others caught by our party were females and they donated the roe as most people do.