Snagging Opener

[Seth]

9 minutes ago, Champ188 said:

You guys are way madder at those spoonbills than I've ever been at any fish to get out there and run that skinny, stumpy water at night. Hope you are exercising extreme care.

Years of experience, a jet boat, Lakemaster chip and making a day time run up the river to mark every stump near the channel helps. It really doesn't get bad until you reach the bend below Walnut Spring access. There is one stick up about a 1/2 mile down that could get a guy running up, but that's about it as long as you stay in the channel and not too close to the bluff walls. Those suckers are lined with trees.

[Champ188]

1 minute ago, Seth said:

Years of experience, a jet boat, Lakemaster chip and making a day time run up the river to mark every stump near the channel helps. It really doesn't get bad until you reach the bend below Walnut Spring access. There is one stick up about a 1/2 mile down that could get a guy running up, but that's about it as long as you stay in the channel and not too close to the bluff walls. Those suckers are lined with trees.

Sounds like you've done your homework and you're undoubtedly a skilled outdoorsman. Just don't want to read/hear any bad news about anyone, but especially our great members here. Get out there and enjoy.

[Seth]

Just now, Champ188 said:

Sounds like you've done your homework and you're undoubtedly a skilled outdoorsman. Just don't want to read/hear any bad news about anyone, but especially our great members here. Get out there and enjoy.

If I hadn't been able to make a run in the daylight, I wouldn't have even attempted it. I had a close call there a few years ago. The water was plenty high, but there was a gigantic root wad just up from point 15 where it shallows up and starts bending to the right and I nearly ran right in to it! I guess the water was really high at some point the previous year and it pushed that big thing down the river. It's not there any more so I guess it may have been a floater. Since then, I've made sure to go down early and make sure I make a run up the river to check for new obstacles. That could have been a bad deal!

[96 CHAMP]

Real nice fish, I have never ate them but here they are good.

[Seth]

6 minutes ago, 96 CHAMP said:

Real nice fish, I have never ate them but here they are good.

I keep a few small ones for myself each year, but I personally don't care much for the larger fish. To me, they have a "different" taste. There are always a bunch of people that want them though so I give a few away every year to those folks. The people that are really gung ho about them usually grill or smoke them.

[Johnsfolly]

3 hours ago, Seth said:

I also caught my first tagged fish. My buddy caught one too. We kept six the first night, but never messed with keeping any the second night.

Seth

Great job on getting to the fish and landing some great ones! That is pretty cool that you landed a couple of tagged fish! I would be interested to find out their history from the MDC. I have never gone snagging, but I definitely want to hold that unique fish. The only other species of paddlefish is/was found in China and its likely to be extinct, possibly leaving the North American paddlefish as the only one of its kind. So I am a bit jealous.

[Seth]

5 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

Seth

Great job on getting to the fish and landing some great ones! That is pretty cool that you landed a couple of tagged fish! I would be interested to find out their history from the MDC. I have never gone snagging, but I definitely want to hold that unique fish. The only other species of paddlefish is/was found in China and its likely to be extinct, possibly leaving the North American paddlefish as the only one of its kind. So I am a bit jealous.

As majestic as they seem, they really aren't any different than the stocker rainbows that you catch at Taneycomo or a trout park aside from appearanc e and the size difference. They don't reproduce naturally in any of the reservoirs, or at least not in any sizable numbers, so they are raised in a hatchery and stocked. If you were up in Montana and the dakotas where they run up the Missouri, then you are probably catching native fish. I could be wrong on that though. I'd imagine they would naturally spawn up there since it's a free flowing river.

[Champ188]

27 minutes ago, Seth said:

If I hadn't been able to make a run in the daylight, I wouldn't have even attempted it. I had a close call there a few years ago. The water was plenty high, but there was a gigantic root wad just up from point 15 where it shallows up and starts bending to the right and I nearly ran right in to it! I guess the water was really high at some point the previous year and it pushed that big thing down the river. It's not there any more so I guess it may have been a floater. Since then, I've made sure to go down early and make sure I make a run up the river to check for new obstacles. That could have been a bad deal!

Aside from familiarizing your eyes with everything, making a daytime run also allows you to draw yourself a GPS trail.

[Seth]

1 minute ago, Champ188 said:

Aside from familiarizing your eyes with everything, making a daytime run also allows you to draw yourself a GPS trail.

Exactly!

[Johnsfolly]

23 minutes ago, Seth said:

As majestic as they seem, they really aren't any different than the stocker rainbows that you catch at Taneycomo or a trout park aside from appearanc e and the size difference. They don't reproduce naturally in any of the reservoirs, or at least not in any sizable numbers, so they are raised in a hatchery and stocked.

Since we were the ones to screwed up their rivers and prevented them from having the ability for natural spawning, we at least should keep the species going.