paddlefish – Syndication Server

Angler retrieves critical implement from campsite before record catch

Tyler Hughes landed a 131-pound paddlefish from the Yellowstone River during the 15-day paddlefish snagging season in early May.

After a morning of fruitless casting along the Yellowstone River in North Dakota, Tyler Hughes realized he had forgotten a critical implement he would need if he were to snag a large paddlefish.

Turns out, he definitely needed the long-handled gaff he had forgotten and was no doubt happy he had jumped into his truck and retrieved it from his campsite. Because 30 minutes after he returned, he snagged a giant paddlefish, as reported by Outdoor Life.

“At 11 a.m. I hooked something big that I thought was a rock or log,” he told Outdoor Life. “But then it started moving, and I knew I’d hooked a big paddlefish.”

The snagging season for paddlefish was May 1-15, and Hughes snagged his giant on May 3.

“The fish took all 250 yards of my braided line, and the knot connecting it to my 30-pound test monofilament backing line was headed out of the rod guides,” Hughes told Outdoor Life. “I knew I had to get the mono back onto the reel because the river is full of snags and the fish would break the mono for sure.”

After a 15-minute battle, Hughes managed to get the paddlefish to shore where friends gaffed the fish and dragged it up the bank. A second gaff, presumably brought by one of the friends, was used along with Hughes’ gaff, as shown in the video posted by Outdoor Life.

The paddlefish was taken to a weigh station where state officials verified the weight of 131 pounds. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced that Hughes’ fish tied the state record from 2016 by Grant Werkmeister, adding that “the two fish are the heaviest caught and documented in North Dakota.”

Photo courtesy of Tyler Hughes.

Catch of record-size carp ‘like pulling the plug out of the river’

An Oklahoma angler hoping to snag a giant paddlefish on Saturday instead hooked and landed a bighead carp that weighed 20 pounds more than the existing world record.

An Oklahoma angler hoping to snag a giant paddlefish on Saturday instead landed a bighead carp that weighed 20 pounds more than the existing world record.

The 110-pound carp was caught by Gabe Brannick during a High Water Guide Service expedition on the Neosho River.

“These fish pack a lot of fight and this one was like pulling the plug out of the river,” High Water Guide Service exclaimed on Facebook.

The International Game Fish Assn. lists as the world record a 90-pound bighead carp caught at Tennessee’s Guntersville Lake in 2005.

Brannick’s carp won’t qualify for a world record because it was snagged instead of baited. (Snagging is the common method for catching paddlefish.)

But Zach Fort, owner of High Water Guide Service, told FTW Outdoors that he’s trying to persuade the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to have Brannick’s carp listed as a state record.

Bighead carp, native to eastern China, are an invasive species. At present, they are not included on Oklahoma’s list of fishing records.

However, Elaine A. Gainer, Aquatic Nuisance Species/Fish Kill Coordinator for the ODWC, confirmed to FTW Outdoors that she’s “working with higher-ups to see if I can get the green light to recognize bighead carp in our state records.”

Gainer said her team receives sporadic reports of bighead carp catches at this time of year, mostly from anglers who were targeting paddlefish. (Anglers are asked not to release bighead carp because they compete with and threaten paddlefish and other native species.)

If Oklahoma did recognize bighead carp records, Gainer added, “the 110-pounder from this weekend would absolutely take the cake for the record here in Oklahoma.”

–Top image shows Gabe Brannick posing with his 110-pound bighead carp

Anglers praised for removing massive carp from Oklahoma lake

An Oklahoma charter-fishing business was lauded by the state this week for snagging and removing a “massive” bighead carp from Grand Lake.

An Oklahoma charter-fishing business was lauded by the state this week for snagging and removing an enormous bighead carp from Grand Lake.

“Shout out to High Water Guide Service for reeling in this massive 63.7-pound male bighead carp!” the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation exclaimed Wednesday on Facebook. “They’ve gotten us a few now and we simply can’t appreciate it enough. Bighead carp captured out of this system will be used for ongoing research on this population.”

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Bighead carp, native to southern and central China, are highly invasive and threaten native species in U.S. lakes and rivers in which they’ve established a presence.

Bighead carp were brought to the United States by an Arkansas farmer in 1973 to improve water quality and increase fish production in aquaculture ponds. But they began to spread into public waters in the early 1980s.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, they are” currently spread throughout the Mississippi River, Missouri River and Ohio River systems within or along the border of 23 states.”

The ODWC pleaded with anglers, “If you find a bighead carp in the Grand Lake system, DO NOT RETURN IT BACK INTO THE WATER and REPORT IT [to the agency].”

High Water Guide Service, which specializes in paddlefish expeditions, on Wednesday posted video footage showing the carp alongside the boat and being muscled over the rail.

“What a blast to be able to land this fish,” the company exclaimed on Facebook. “The best way to describe this fish is its like a giant shad. They are disgusting, but a hell of a fight!”

Bighead carp are targeted by anglers around the world. The all-tackle world record is the 2005 catch of a 90-pound bighead carp at Guntersville Lake in Tennessee.

Paddlefish world record shattered with catch of 164-pound ‘beast’

An Oklahoma angler set a state and apparent world record after snagging and landing a 164-pound paddlefish Tuesday at Keystone Lake.

An Oklahoma angler established a state and world record Tuesday by landing a 164-pound paddlefish at Keystone Lake.

Grant Rader (pictured at left in both images) snagged the massive prehistoric-looking fish on his 18th birthday, during a trip with Jeremiah Mefford of Reel Good Time Guide Service.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation broke the news Wednesday via Facebook, writing, “We have a new WORLD- and state-record paddlefish that was snagged at Keystone Lake on June 22. The beast weighed 164 pounds! Congrats to Grant Rader of Wichita, Kan., on his great catch!”

Grant Rader (left) poses with record paddlefish. Guide Jeremiah Mefford is pictured at center

It’s worth noting that the International Game Fish Assn., which recognizes fishing records that do not involve snagging as a method of capture, does not include paddlefish on its list of world records.

Mefford, a previous state record holder for his catch of a 143-pound paddlefish at Keystone Lake in June 2020, told For The Win Outdoors that Rader’s catch breaks the world mark of 151.9 pounds. That also was a Keystone Lake catch.

Paddlefish, among the largest and longest-lived freshwater fish in North America, eat plankton so snagging is the most effective angling method.

Although the species dates back 125 million years, paddlefish are fragile and need to swim constantly. Fishing regulations are strict in states where paddlefish exist. (Their native range includes the Mississippi River basin from New York to Montana and south to the Gulf of Mexico.)

In Oklahoma, anglers can only use barbless hooks, which allow for easy releases, and can harvest only two paddlefish per year.

–Paddlefish images are courtesy of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Anglers towed half-mile by giant paddlefish; ‘Is that a dinosaur?’

A pair of Tennessee anglers last week hooked a giant paddlefish that towed their boat more than a half-mile before it could be landed.

The anglers, identified by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency only as Matt and Jason, hoisted the 5-foot, 55-pound paddlefish long enough to snap a few photos before releasing it back into the Caney Fork River.

They anglers had been fishing for striped bass when they snagged the paddlefish.

The TWRA began its Saturday Facebook post with the introduction, “Is that a dinosaur?” That was in reference to the fish’s primitive appearance and the fact that American paddlefish are prehistoric, dating back millions of years.

They’re endemic to the Mississippi River Basin and inhabit systems throughout the Mississippi Valley and Gulf slope.

According to the TWRA they can measure more than 5 feet and weigh 200-plus pounds.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American paddlefish are endangered or threatened in most states within their historic range. The fish, which are highly migratory, can live 50-plus years.

Their diet consists mostly of plankton, small plants and animals.

–Images courtesy of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Wife is ‘real’ angler, but husband lands record paddlefish

An Oklahoma man who said his wife is the “real fisherwoman” set a state record Sunday by landing a 146-pound, 11-ounce paddlefish.

An Oklahoma man who said his wife is the “real fisherwoman” of the family set a state record Sunday by landing a 146-pound, 11-ounce paddlefish.

James Lukehart’s catch also eclipsed the unofficial rod-and-reel world record – a 144-pound paddlefish pulled from a Kansas pond in 2018 – by nearly three pounds.

(Paddlefish, which eat plankton, are caught with snagging techniques and world records are kept mostly by scientists.)

Lukehart was fishing with his wife, Caitlin, on Keystone Lake, site of several recent impressive paddlefish catches. In fact, the Lukeharts’ guide, Jeremiah Mefford, held the previous state record.

Mefford, who runs Reel Good Time Guide Service, told For The Win Outdoors that watching Lukehart beat the record he set in May “was the best feeling ever,” and added: “I would watch it 100 times again.”

Both paddlefish were carefully released with the assistance of a state biologist. (Paddlefish are fragile and regulations are strict. Anglers must use barbless hooks and can harvest only two paddlefish per year.)

Lukehart, who is from Edmond, told The Oklahoman that he likes to hunt and that his wife is the “real fisherwoman.” The couple had hoped merely to catch a paddlefish they could cook in the smoker.

Caitlin caught an 82-pound paddlefish that “we thought was enormous,” Lukehart said. He later hooked the true giant, measuring 70.5 inches and boasting a 45-inch girth.

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“We got out there in the morning and kind of joked around about catching a state record,” Lukehart recalled. “I had no idea that there was even a world-record fish out there. And let alone did I know I was fishing with the guy who had the state record. Until I caught it, I had no idea.”

The fish made several long runs before it could be handled safely alongside the boat.

According to the Tulsa World, Lukehart waded with the paddlefish to keep water moving through its gills until Jason Schooley, senior fisheries biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, arrived to collect a weight and measurements.

Schooley stayed with the fish until he felt it could swim off on its own. The swimming pattern was then monitored from the boat via sonar equipment, and the fish seemed to be OK.

–Images showing James Lukehart and his record paddlefish are courtesy of Reel Good Time Guide Service

Guide finally gets to fish, smashes paddlefish record

An Oklahoma fishing guide had a lot going for him recently when he landed a 143-pound paddlefish that fought shattered the state record.

An Oklahoma fishing guide had a lot going for him recently when he landed a 143-pound paddlefish that fought like “a small car” and shattered the state record.

To start with, Jeremiah Mefford was at Keystone Lake with family instead of clients, so he was free to fish rather than guide.

His wife and son had already released several paddlefish and they “both decided to let me reel one in and of course I’m OK with that,” Mefford, who operates Reel Good Time Guide Service, wrote on social media. “Little did I know it was a true monster!”

Given the size of the fish, Mefford was fortunate that it was a Saturday instead of a Friday or Monday, when all paddlefish must be immediately released.

Fishing for paddlefish is strictly regulated and this rule has cost at least one of Mefford’s clients to miss out on a record catch.

Also working in Mefford’s favor, as they fished over Memorial Day weekend, was the swift arrival of two Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation biologists. This allowed the paddlefish to be weighed and safely released, instead of being harvested for the sake of a record.

Paddlefish, although they date back 125 million years, are fragile and need to swim constantly, so keeping them in a confined space over a long period is basically sentencing them to death.

ODWC biologist Jason Schooley told the Sand Springs Leader that he and another biologist “immediately headed to the lake with the scale, cradle, and additional equipment… We had the fish weighed within 68 minutes of receiving the call, and I felt that was about a best-case-scenario response time.”

The fish was resuscitated in shallow water before it was set free. Schooley said the paddlefish “plainly swam into deeper water, remained upright, and we followed its directed swimming for a few minutes [via sonar] until we were convinced that the fish was likely to survive the experience.”

Paddlefish are plankton eaters so snagging is the most effective angling method. Anglers can only use barbless hooks, which allow for easy releases. Anglers are allowed to harvest only two paddlefish per year.

Mefford said the 143-pound fish was surprisingly strong, and choppy water made the fight even more difficult.

“Hooked into a small car and the fight was on,” he wrote. “This fish had my arms worn out and I was not quite sure if it was from my lack of working out or was it a GIANT? After fighting the fish for several minutes it surfaced about 40’ from the boat and we got our first glimpse.

“As it wore out and got closer all I could think was wow, we did it again.”

Mefford kept the fish in a live well while he waited for the biologists to arrive. It weighed 146 pounds on his boat scale, but the official weight, on a certified digital scale, was 143 pounds.

The previous Oklahoma record was the catch of a 132-pound, 8-ounce paddlefish in 2018 on the Arkansas River.

–Images showing Jeremiah Mefford (and son Brody) are courtesy of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Angler picks wrong day to land record-size paddlefish

An Oklahoma angler’s recent catch of a giant paddlefish would have shattered the state record had it been caught on a different day.

An Oklahoma angler’s catch of a 157-pound paddlefish last Friday would have shattered the state record had it been caught on just about any other day.

Justin Hamlin landed the odd-looking behemoth while fishing on Keystone Lake with Capt. Jeremiah Mefford of Reel Good Time Guide Service.

The paddlefish tipped a boat scale at 157 pounds. But state regulations designed to protect the fishery require that all paddlefish caught on Fridays and Mondays must be released.

Justin Hamlin with 157-pound paddlefish. Photo: Reel Good Time Guide Service

Hamlin, therefore, was not able to have his catch officially weighed or certified by a state biologist, and the state record still stands at 132 pounds, 8 ounces, for a 2018 catch on the Arkansas River.

However, that does not diminish the experience for the captain or angler.

“I think my heart was close to beating out of my chest,” Mefford told For The Win Outdoors. “I’m an avid deer hunter and it was like seeing a dream buck come out right in front of you. The difference was this fish was landed and we did not have to talk about the one that got away.”

Justin Hamlin wrestles with catch before it’s released. Photo: Reel Good Time Guide Service

Mefford added: “Heartbroken not to have it official, but Justin had a great attitude about it, and appreciation for the laws.”

Paddlefish are plankton eaters so snagging is the most effective angling method. Oklahoma regulations allow anglers to keep one per day except on Mondays and Fridays, when all fish “must be released immediately.”

Anglers can only use barbless hooks, which allow for easy releases.

Keystone Lake-record paddlefish stands at 125.6 pounds. Photo: Reel Good Time Guide Service

Mefford said Hamlin snagged his 5-foot-long paddlefish with a large treble hook attached to 80-pound-test line. The fight lasted about 10 minutes.

The Keystone Lake record for paddlefish stands at 125.6 pounds, Mefford said.

American paddlefish, closely related to sturgeon, are native to the Mississippi River Basin and fossil records date back millions of years.

–Photos showing Justin Hamlin with his record-size paddlefish and the Keystone Lake record paddlefish (bottom image) are courtesy of Reel Good Time Guide Service