Spoon Bill Above Hazelgreen

[solus_vero]

A few years back I took my wife and a boat load of camping gear up the Gasconade river. We put in at Hazelgreen but before we got to the point where the Osage Fork drops into the Gasconade a VERY large fish slammed into the side of my boat. I got a real good look at the fish and there is no doubt in my mind it was a spoonbill.

Has anyone else seen / caught a spoonbill that far up the Gasconade?

From what I understand about spoonbill and the way they feed, I don't think this is a good thing for the health of the river. Do you ?

[FishinCricket]

Hey, there... Buddy!

My guess is that the river is too shallow for spoonbill.. But I've been wrong before, haven't I?

[Zach Beach]

I know that spoonbill like to run up the rivers to spawn in the shallows, also know some people that snag the Marais Des Cygnes. Once they spawn they move back down the rivers to find deep holes, either in a lake or the deepest hole they can find on the river. So its quite possible that it was a spoonbill, or maybe just a gar. Kind of depends on the size of the nose of the fish, if you got a good look at it or not.

[Al Agnew]

Paddlefish often show up in the larger Ozark streams. There are quite a few in Current River. Black River below Clearwater Dam holds some. I wouldn't be TOO surprised if there are a few that run up the Gasconade.

[BobK]

Paddlefish often show up in the larger Ozark streams. There are quite a few in Current River. Black River below Clearwater Dam holds some. I wouldn't be TOO surprised if there are a few that run up the Gasconade.

I have never seen any paddlefish on the Gasconade in my 35 years fishing the river but have seen several huge gars.

That would be pretty cool to catch one on the river. Although I would never keep it but would like a picture or two taken with it.

[jak1717]

I have never seen any paddlefish on the Gasconade in my 35 years fishing the river but have seen several huge gars.

That would be pretty cool to catch one on the river. Although I would never keep it but would like a picture or two taken with it.

I see them every year gigging the gasconade above 89 access (rollins Ferry)

[fishgypsy]

It wouldn't surprise me if it was a paddlefish you encountered. They can run upstream an awful long way, and MDC's been known to throw some into Ozark streams if they have excess fish after stocking LOZ, Truman, and Table Rock.

I've seen some, fish in the 40-60 pound range, in the Jacks Fork River, in deep pools between riffles so shallow my canoe was dragging. Pretty unreal a fish that big can move through a river system like that.

As for whether they're an indicator of system health, I couldn't tell you for certain. They eat plankton, which of itself is an indicator of a fertile stream/water body, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

[fishinwrench]

They routinely run 10+ miles up the Lake O tribs. and will hold in some extremely shallow water. They seem practically blind, as you can walk over and kick them before they'll move.

[Seth]

We seen a couple small spoons at Helds island last time we went gigging this year. Years ago we used to do pretty well snagging them at Gasconade City where the Gasconade meets the Missouri River. Haven't tried it down there in several years though. I'd say it probably was a paddlefish. There's been a number of times that those things will run along side the boat at night when your motoring down river. It's startling when your going down the river and one flops right besides you and sprays water on you!

[fishgypsy]

They routinely run 10+ miles up the Lake O tribs. and will hold in some extremely shallow water. They seem practically blind, as you can walk over and kick them before they'll move.

I'd have to agree. I used to work at Blind Pony, where they're raised, and you could climb into the raceways pick them up barehanded. They'd swim up and bump into your waders, then have to do a three or four point turn before moseying off in another direction. It was like a massive living pong game. Pretty funny.