Paddle Fish Fishing

[CARP HUNTER 23]

I have never been fishing for paddle fish before but i really want to first of all i need to locate them for all i know i dont even know if they are in central Indiana!! If they are what bait would i use and where would i look for them in the river. Your help is greatly appreciated.

[Tubakka]

Just gotta watch your regs man. I used to incidental a few, and quickly release them, while trying to take care of the big head carp problem in the Big Muddy in Southern Illinois. Used to snag in the pool below Kinkaid lake and caught a few nice paddlefish. Swam right off as soon as I released them, and didn't mean to. I got ALOT more bigheads, and killed them vengefully, after hooking them, but the paddlefish fought distinctively harder. The biggest I personally got was about 20 pounds or so, but I had one to shore one time that was about 40 that took a run and busted my bass rod I was using to snag. Should've been using something bigger. If youc an find an area where there is regulated fishing and harvest, that's best. it's usualyl below the TVA dams or larger dams on the Missouri. There was a 140 pounder snagged some time ago around the upper end of Center Hill lake that a fisheries professor of mine personally handled. Scary big. There's a great article on it in the latest in fisherman. Check it out. It also highlights a few fisheries around the coutnry. JUst be sure..CHECK THE REGS>

[andy r]

I get them occasionaly here in Missouri, but it's not realy fishing at all. It's snagging and i find them just off the river channels usualy in 10 to 30 ft of water in the spring. they do put up a fight but thats the same as any snagged fish. you need large trebles tied in-line above your weight. just cast out and jerk your wieght accross the bottom. if your in a boat you might need about 8 to 10 ounces of weight and troll down the river using a jerking motion. when you snag a fish its great, but I have lost more than enough gear to the bottom. not worth my time. but if you give it a shot good luck.

Andy

[Tubakka]

I disagree that it's not fishing. I mean, perhaps a little unsporting, but then thinking about that you have to contact the fish, the fish isn't contacting you willingly...it all kinda evens out. It takes crazy luck and odds to actually latch onto a fish blindcasting, though it happens quite often when they're in bulk. I just am fascinated with hooking into a fish of over 50-100 pounds or more. That to me is the sport...it's not in the hooking, but in the fighting. Still...it's controversial.

[dahlberg]

hi guys,
Paddlers eat plankton so those who target them do it by snagging.
In many places it's legal (within the regs of course) and I'm not going to pass moral judgement.
If I was stuck on a desert island and paddlefish were the only fish I guess I'd do some snagging, but short of that I'd rather fish for fish that actually bite.
best,
L