Snagging report for April 15

I spoke on the phone Monday with Trish Yasger, the MDC paddlefish expert. Nice lady.

She said that snaggers are catching decent sized females up to 70 lbs. and males up to 50 lbs. in the Osage as far up as Taberville.

The 111 lb. female Trish reported was caught near Osceola. She said it was a long fish and did not look like it was all gut like some big fish do.

She said the spoonbills are really scattered and have been all season.

With season drawing to a close, she said her final written report will be this Tuesday.

Trish said the best spoonbilling has been in the Osage below Warsaw. The problem is finding a place to launch with many ramps closed because of virus concerns.

I wound up talking to Trish because I called Dain’s Fish Farm and they are now closed on Mondays, not that Trish was second choice. I just didn’t think she’d be available.

She told me about a dam on the Missouri River up in South Dakota, I think, where spoonbillers take them with bow and arrow and by snagging. Bow and arrow are not legal here because spoonbill are game fish.

I may try to call Trish next Monday to get you a late report. Season closes April 30.

While we were talking, Trish told me about going to the aquarium in Chicago. She said the lady tour guide was really going to educate her about spoonbills. Trish just let her talk. We had a similar experience at that same aquarium when Adrian and Davis were younger. The guide named Sandy told us spoonbills were almost extinct and only get to weighing about 40 lbs. He about had kittens when Davis told him he had taken one that weighed 50 or 60 lbs. We told him MDC stocks them in lakes and has snagging seasons.

Trish confirmed Monday that the state record is 136 lbs.