Paddlefish in Ontario

[Patches]

Just wondering if anyone has seen, caught or heard any stories about paddlefish in the great lakes. I have heard they are extinct in the Great Lakes, but maybe someone here knows different. Or maybe you've heard a story from your Father or Grandfather about them. And is there any effort being made to bring them back to the Great Lakes?

[mpt]

None in the Great Lakes. They ply the large southern rivers. The Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio river systems. There was a paddlefish recently caught in an Indiana river not known to support them. They are a great fish

[Coach B]

There is a proff at the school I work that is one of the nation's experts on paddlefish. I'll ask him to see if they once were. I know out west they're now harvesting them in fish farms since they produce great meat and are boneless. There are a few found around this area. looks like madhuskie knows what he's talking about by the picture.

[mattyk]

We have them here in Kenutcky in the Ohio River. Lots of people fish for them here. There was a report a few weeks ago of a sting operation by conservation officers from Indiana who caught people illigeally snaging paddle fish and killing the fish for their roe. They are really prehistroic looking fish.

[OhioFisherman]

Never saw or heard of one being caught in Erie, dad never mentioned seeing one either. He fished Erie all his life and had stories of sturgeon rotting on shore because people caught then and thru them on shore when he was young.

 

Never saw one anywhere else I have fished either.

[Coach B]

I just talked with my guy and he said that the last confirmed report of paddle fish was in Lake Erie in the 1920's and that they were also found in Canada until around that time in isolated spots. They were over-harvested and did not survive.

[Patches]

If they did disappear due to over harvest, maybe that would make them a good species to try to bring back. Any thoughts?

[mattyk]

I actually caught one yesterday here in louisville. If you want to see a picture of it check out my ohio river report part 2. I think it would be a good idea to restore any native species that has disappeared.

[Patches]

I think it would be a good idea to restore any native species that has disappeared.

 

 

I agree. Anyone from the MNR post here?

[wask]

I actually caught one yesterday here in louisville. If you want to see a picture of it check out my ohio river report part 2. I think it would be a good idea to restore any native species that has disappeared.

 

 

I agree, sounds like a good idea.

 

I used to work for a Newspaper in WV, and people caught Paddelfish out of the Ohio, but they were not too common. They had a bunch die because of a draught and lack of oxygen.

 

Strangely enough, I used to live in Louisville too at 22nd and Bank Streets, close to the river, just don't get caught fishing late at night in that area of town. Might not be safe, haha.

 

I live in Ontario now though..

[mpt]

I don't want to step on any toes here but I always wanted a mount of a paddlefish. Went to school as a fisheries biologist in a different life and now I decided to try for one. Found out the Missouri River system holds the most paddlefish and Missouri or N Dakota were the places to go. Missouri is closer to me so I keyed in on it. Found a guide on the Truman Ressivoir and caught my dream fish. They are plankton eaters so trolling treble hooks was the common method. The fight was only fair for such a big fish and the flesh is pretty strong for me, I'm used to walleye. I'm really happy I caught one.

[ccmtcanada]

I don't want to step on any toes here but I always wanted a mount of a paddlefish. Went to school as a fisheries biologist in a different life and now I decided to try for one. Found out the Missouri River system holds the most paddlefish and Missouri or N Dakota were the places to go. Missouri is closer to me so I keyed in on it. Found a guide on the Truman Ressivoir and caught my dream fish. They are plankton eaters so trolling treble hooks was the common method. The fight was only fair for such a big fish and the flesh is pretty strong for me, I'm used to walleye. I'm really happy I caught one.

 

SWEEET looking mount!! Congrats...you knew what you wanted and went through lots of planning and organization to get it...the hard work paid off.

[mattyk]

very nice looking mount!

[wacky tambaqui]

http://ecometrix.ca/fishdb/fish_detail.php?FID=7

 

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/s...addlefish_e.asp

 

http://www.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.php?doc_type=map&id=59

 

I did some seaching and I couldn't find much about Paddlefish in Ontario but the maps in the links seem to point to Paddlefish having been seen or caught at Thunder Bay, Espanola, the southrn-most part of Lake Huron, and what may be the Mississagi River basin east of Sault Ste Marie.

 

Bringing them back would be an interesting concept but I hear the Paddlefish is a plankton feeder, the same thing the introduced Zebra Mussel feeds on. There could be competition and trouble for the fish if anybody tried to re-intro them to the Great Lakes.

 

Ideas anybody?

[Greencoachdog]

If they did disappear due to over harvest, maybe that would make them a good species to try to bring back. Any thoughts?

 

 

I also agree with that!

 

We call them Spoonbill Catfish down here and they're protected and few and far between. 0 limit

 

We have an Alabama Sturgeon I would like to see brought back too.

[tjsa]

If it was true that a paddlefish was caught in Lake Helen, a very big widening of Nipigon River, no one has caught one up here, or sampled one in net surveys for many, many years. Just asked my MNR bud about them, he has never heard of one up here, or even rumors/innuendo of someone catching one.

[Anton Kanagasuntheri]

Hmm I googled it.. wow what an amazing fish.. looks like a hammer head shark with a fat tummy..

 

http://www.scenicsports.com/paddlefish/index.html