UTER
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Polyodon spathula · also spoonbill
How to catch Paddlefish
Paddlefish feed in 45–75°F water and bite best at 50–65°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 5 waters.
60 pts · trophy at 50"Feeds 45–75°FBest 50–65°FIn season nowRiverReservoir
About
The spoonbill: a plankton-straining, paddle-snouted relic of the Missouri and Mississippi basins that never bites — it is snagged, in short spring seasons, when it runs upriver to spawn below the dams. A hundred pounds is possible.
How to fish it
Snagging with a heavy rod and a big treble sweeping the bottom of the river channel below the dam during the spring run. Tags and seasons are strict in every state.
What it eats
nothing on a hook — plankton only
What to fish it with
the sizes that fish itLeader10–20 lb fluorocarbon
Hook#2–3/0
Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
Braid10–30 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereRules differ by state — check Missouri Department of Conservation, North Dakota Game & Fish or Montana FWP before you keep one.
The current rule →Where it is, month by month
PPeakSSpawningAArriving·AroundLLeaving
Fresh water by state