Paddle fish

[EastTx]

Had a buddy catch this in the Trinity River yesterday. Looked like something from the prehistoric era. Caught on a catalpa worm and released. They didn't weigh it but guesstimated it at 45 to 50 lbs.

[KHoes203]

Sweet!!! And they look like they are prehistoric because they are!!

[Kodiakk]

Very cool. I'd love to catch one just to say I did!

[30-30]

Very cool! It's a shame they're so uncommon now.

[acearrow]

Have caught a couple in the Red River before. Those fellows can really fight.

[gator89]

Cool catch I didn't know we had paddlefish in our rivers. For some reason I though they were up north.

[pigstika1978]

Awesome catch

[fo_teef]

There were thousands of them spawning above the Lock & Dam near Crockett a few years ago. They were so thick below the wickets that the guys couldn't catch shad for bait with their cast nets because they'd catch one or two paddlefish each cast! Very cool catch, looks bigger than 50 pounds to me.. looks 80ish.

[Shake N' Bake]

That's cool!

[gatorgar]

Maybe not 80, but over 60 for sure. Great catch. That is the one TX fish (freshwater) that I have not caught yet, and I really want one

Congrats to the angler!

[hunter_chick5]

Sweet!! Nice catch! Congrats to your buddy!

[BALLS-OUT]

Where did they find catalpa worms??? I have been looking and it seems all of the east Texas trees don't have any.

[EastTx]

Where did they find catalpa worms??? I have been looking and it seems all of the east Texas trees don't have any.

Frozen from last year.

[cheez]

Had a buddy catch this in the Trinity River yesterday. Looked like something from the prehistoric era. Caught on a catalpa worm and released. They didn't weigh it but guesstimated it at 45 to 50 lbs.
[ATTACH]470230[/ATTACH]

I'm glad you posted. It is very possible that I helped raise and/or stock that fish! Nearly all of the ones we (TPWD) stocked had a coded wire tag implanted in them but I would be surprised if the tag was retained after all this time.

Cool catch I didn't know we had paddlefish in our rivers. For some reason I though they were up north.

They are native to Texas, just not very common. They are listed as "threatened" in Texas thus our effort to re-introduce them years ago. Ten or twelve year project of raising and stocking some of the dumbest fish you'd ever see. They are generally filter feeders but some of the larger ones will sight feed. They have no bones, only cartilage similar to sharks.

There were thousands of them spawning above the Lock & Dam near Crockett a few years ago. They were so thick below the wickets that the guys couldn't catch shad for bait with their cast nets because they'd catch one or two paddlefish each cast! Very cool catch, looks bigger than 50 pounds to me.. looks 80ish.

This is interesting to me as well. It sounds like our efforts may not have been in vain Them suckers were a pain to grow.

[GarGuy]

I also witnessed the mass of spoonies at the Loc three years ago. There were a bunch between 50-80lb. FYI..I saw a large school last week in the Trinity also. These were ABOVE lake livingston. there are a bunch of 20lbers below the dam too.