Caught my first Paddlefish this weekend at Grand Lake in NE Oklahoma. What a cool fish!

Is it legal to keep them in Oklahoma? They are a cool fish. We used to catch them in La.


When fried, the meat taste like it has sugar sprinkled on it.

In Oklahoma, you can keep one per day, two per year. It's really interesting how the state has a boat that goes around the lake picking up fish to take to the research center. That's where they weigh and clean the fish for you, bag up your fillets, conduct research on the carcass, and also extract the caviar to sell internationally to Japan. The proceeds they make off the caviar go back into the preservation of the lake as I understand it.

Pretty good size for a fish that feeds only on plankton. I read that they will not spawn until 7 to 10 years of age. Must live a fairly long life.

Do they age them when they are collecting data? I'd like to know how old one that size is.

Bet that was hell of a fight with it snagged

I'm pretty sure they examine their otoliths to determine their age. Because of the method you have to use to fish for them, it can get awfully boring and tiring after a while if nothing has happened, which was the case here, then BOOM, line starts screaming like a Volkswagen hit it.

Interesting how they handle them. I wonder what they get for the caviar. I saw one caught last weekend in Louisiana. Measured 58".

Wow!

That's awesome. In the summer time those things jump in the middle of all three lakes on the Grand River chain (Grand, Hudson, and Ft Gibson) I'd hate to hit a 60 pounder going 70 mph! I've came close enough where I got spreayed from their splash before. Pretty crazy to see

They jump? like sturgeon?