Paddlefish Fishing Guide

The American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) is one of only two surviving paddlefish species in the world — the other being the Chinese paddlefish (now presumed extinct) — and has remained essentially unchanged for at least 300 million years. The extraordinary rostrum (paddle) is not used to probe the bottom but is packed with electroreceptors that detect the electrical fields produced by concentrations of zooplankton — the fish's primary food. Adults are filter feeders that swim with mouths agape, straining microscopic organisms from the water — a feeding strategy radically different from any other large North American freshwater fish. Paddlefish can reach 7 feet in length and 200 pounds and can live over 30 years. Because they do not take conventional bait, snagging with large treble hooks drifted through the water column is the primary harvest method where legal.

Paddlefish is a freshwater species.

Habitat

Large, free-flowing rivers and associated backwaters of the Mississippi drainage, from Montana south to the Gulf Coast; historically abundant, now reduced to fragmented populations by dams that blocked spawning migrations. Requires long, uninterrupted river reaches for spawning migrations and feeding.

Diet

Primarily filter-feeding on zooplankton (copepods, Daphnia, and other small crustaceans) by swimming with the mouth open and straining water through long gill rakers. The electroreceptors in the rostrum detect zooplankton concentrations rather than individual prey items — an extraordinary and unique feeding adaptation.

Fishing Techniques

• Snag fishing with large weighted treble hooks
• Drift fishing heavy rigs in river current
• Snagging below dams during spawning runs

Best Seasons

Spring

Size & Records

Average weight: 40 lbs. World record: 144 lbs (Kansas River, Kansas, USA (2012)).