Spoonbill snaggin'

[Tiptonsooner]

Any of you hillbillies near Cheoteau? I was planning on heading up tomorrow to Cheoteau Bend. Was wondering what the Neosho river was looking like around the bridge on hwy 412??

[olevetonahill]

Any of you hillbillies near Cheoteau? I was planning on heading up tomorrow to Cheoteau Bend. Was wondering what the Neosho river was looking like around the bridge on hwy 412??

ur only 430 posts away

[Tiptonsooner]

ur only 430 posts away

I'm on fire now!!

[olevetonahill]

I'm on fire now!!

I need Ya under My still
your Cookin !;)

[OUTromBoNado]

My dad was headed over there this weekend to do some snagging. That's something I miss about being in Amarillo. Nothing like going snagging with my dad while listening the NCAA tourney on the radio.

[Tiptonsooner]

My dad was headed over there this weekend to do some snagging. That's something I miss about being in Amarillo. Nothing like going snagging with my dad while listening the NCAA tourney on the radio.

Exactly!!

[achiro]

I haven't been in a few years, really wanted to try and catch a few this year but not sure I am ready after the surgery yet. Let me know how you do, it may just motivate me enough to not care that it hurts! :D

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

OK Spoonbillers, somebody pls. answer these Q's.

1)What size are they running nowadays?
2)What pound test line do you use?
3)How difficult is it to stick one of those critters?
4)What's do they taste like? I think they are in the shark family.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Srsly, hillbillies, sincere Q's need answers! I've never conversed with anyone who has even actually seen one of these mysterious monsters, and, as far as I know, OK is the worldwide focal point of the Spoonbill-the Ground Zero! pls. enlighten us!

[achiro]

OK Spoonbillers, somebody pls. answer these Q's.

1)What size are they running nowadays?
2)What pound test line do you use?
3)How difficult is it to stick one of those critters?
4)What's do they taste like? I think they are in the shark family.
1. A new state record was caught a couple years ago and weighed 121 pounds, 112 was the record for years. The biggest I have ever caught was 102 pounds and was one of the last I caught.
2. Usually 30 pound test was my preference
3. Depends on where you are and how many fish are in the area you are snagging. Before all the regulation changes I caught close to 50 in one night in Miami.
4. if you clean them right, the meat is very similar to catfish(IMO)

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

1. A new state record was caught a couple years ago and weighed 121 pounds, 112 was the record for years. The biggest I have ever caught was 102 pounds and was one of the last I caught.
2. Usually 30 pound test was my preference
3. Depends on where you are and how many fish are in the area you are snagging. Before all the regulation changes I caught close to 50 in one night in Miami.
4. if you clean them right, the meat is very similar to catfish(IMO)TRULY AWESOME! Do they stay in the rivers? or do they inhabit the lakes, too? Has one ever taken a bait, or are they always just snagged? When do you go for those critters, and where are the best spots? PM me if you're not wanting to answer the more specific Q;s out in the open. I guess they are plankton feeders, no? Is the meat more like flathead or channel cat? (BTW, 50X100lbs. = a whole lot of fish meat-YIKES, didja open a restaurant?)

[achiro]

TRULY AWESOME! Do they stay in the rivers? or do they inhabit the lakes, too? Has one ever taken a bait, or are they always just snagged? When do you go for those critters, and where are the best spots? PM me if you're not wanting to answer the more specific Q;s out in the open. I guess they are plankton feeders, no? Is the meat more like flathead or channel cat? (BTW, 50X100lbs. = a whole lot of fish meat-YIKES, didja open a restaurant?)

I didn't keep 50, the limit at the time was either 3 or 4 and the rest were released. Also most of those that night were in the 40-50 pound range.
I was playing golf a few years ago at that public course on Tenkiller lake. I noticed fish jumping out of the water, got to looking and it was spoones, lots of them jumping all over the place, kind of cool.
I've heard of folks catching them on a bait but it's rare and not something you would do on purpose.
They live in the lakes and move up the rivers in the spring to spawn. Most are caught below dams because thats as far as they can go upstream and gather in large numbers.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I didn't keep 50, the limit at the time was either 3 or 4 and the rest were released. Also most of those that night were in the 40-50 pound range.
I was playing golf a few years ago at that public course on Tenkiller lake. I noticed fish jumping out of the water, got to looking and it was spoones, lots of them jumping all over the place, kind of cool.
I've heard of folks catching them on a bait but it's rare and not something you would do on purpose.
They live in the lakes and move up the rivers in the spring to spawn. Most are caught below dams because thats as far as they can go upstream and gather in large numbers.Thanks. So, I take it mid March is when they go up the rivers? Guess it's spawning , or do you know?Is this the only time of year you can find them?So, are you going? Sounds like a lot of fun. How long does the fish fight ? Figure 50 lbs. fish. Rod and reel or hand line?

We sometimes catch groupers to 100lbs. over here in the Gulf of California on handlines, but they are 250 lbs. test line, due to the rocks where the groupers live. We have to turn the fish immediately, or they can cut you off in the rocks.

[OUTromBoNado]

The best time to go is right after the first big rains in March and April because they Corps of Engineers have to release water from the dams. The spoonbill love the swift running water.

Even if they are not running a ton of water, any bridge is a good place (e.g., the 412 bridge at Chouteau Bend). The fish ride the pressure waves off the piers.

If I ever catch one of you a$$holes out there using 50lb-test line, I'll kick you in the junk. You can't break it off when you get hung up and since it's so tough, it lasts and gets caught around the boat props. That was my biggest complaint with the walleye festival at Canton.

I'm not really a fan of the barbless hook regulation, but I would LOVE to see a regulation of 20 or 30 lb test line put down for snagging.

[BoogercountySooner]

Booger is goin fishin fer them White Bass ya'll know em as Sandies all week next week on the upper White above Beaver lake. Hopefully the flood of 08 will subside a bit by then! :)

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

The best time to go is right after the first big rains in March and April because they Corps of Engineers have to release water from the dams. The spoonbill love the swift running water.

Even if they are not running a ton of water, any bridge is a good place (e.g., the 412 bridge at Chouteau Bend). The fish ride the pressure waves off the piers.

If I ever catch one of you a$$holes out there using 50lb-test line, I'll kick you in the junk. You can't break it off when you get hung up and since it's so tough, it lasts and gets caught around the boat props. That was my biggest complaint with the walleye festival at Canton.

I'm not really a fan of the barbless hook regulation, but I would LOVE to see a regulation of 20 or 30 lb test line put down for snagging.WTF, barbless hooks?!?! Why did they make that rule? Thanks for all the info, guys. Someone post photos of yourself holding up one of these prehistoric things, pls.

[StoopTroup]

This pic isn't me...but I used to snag when I was younger.

A good friend who has since passed on taught me the ropes.

Noodling scared the heck out of me as I've seen what is in our waterways...especially now that I haven't gone fishing in years.

I've been flat bottom boating at night on the Arkansas River and saw the Alligator Gar that swim in those areas. We'd take a few beers in the boat with a couple of batteries and a trolling motor and head upstream until the first battery gave out. Then we'd explore the sand bars and different things you don't normally see from the bank. Good Times. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't do it anymore and i'd kick my kids butt If I caught him down there.

We did most of the snaggin at Hudson Dam. It was fun but not as fun as catching sand bass and crappie. Plus the crappie is awesome!

Good thread.

BTW...I've seen them lots bigger than this one...the bigger they are the freakier they are IMO...

http://www.thefishfinder.com/members/jack/paddle.jpg

[StoopTroup]

Oh yeah...here's a little something from StripersOnLine. :D

www.stripersonline.com (http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/showthread.php?t=549976)

[StoopTroup]

Slowmotion fishing with Firenock (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J73vcWtpctk)

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

This pic isn't me...but I used to snag when I was younger.

Good thread.

BTW...I've seen them lots bigger than this one...the bigger they are the freakier they are IMO...

http://www.thefishfinder.com/members/jack/paddle.jpgThey look sorta like the Basking Sharks that they get off of England, in the NE Atlantic, (plus the digging spoon to stir up the bottom, I guess)

[Norman Sooner]

My brother in law came home with a 65 pd and 60 pd last saturday. They fish up at Kaw Lake almost every weekend. Here is one i believe they caught last year that weighed 92 pounds! I would have never imagined that a fish this big lived in oklahoma waters..

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e364/snrbrdnbrn/l_e79a5c88b031f1ca2d76a22a19442dd0.jpg

[BoogercountySooner]

He looks like a pretty stout feller but he also looks like he is about to crap his pant's also holding that fish up! ;)

[StoopTroup]

That's a good catch!

They get bigger than that though.

I never had to filet one.

Anyone ever clean a big one up?

[Tiptonsooner]

Got back yesterday from the Neosho fishing trip. Didn't do nearly as good this year due to the flooding. Took almost four hours just to find a place to put my boat in the water.

I finally put the boat in at Hudson, went to below the dam at Grand and caught one, all day.

Next day I just backed down a county road and unloaded the bass boat in the river south of Chouteau. After much maneuvering through trees and brush to get to the actual river, I found fish. It was getting late, but did manage 8 in about 3 hours. Biggest was 47, smallest was 17.

I'll try to put some pics up, never tried before.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Got back yesterday from the Neosho fishing trip. Didn't do nearly as good this year due to the flooding. Took almost four hours just to find a place to put my boat in the water.

I finally put the boat in at Hudson, went to below the dam at Grand and caught one, all day.

Next day I just backed down a county road and unloaded the bass boat in the river south of Chouteau. After much maneuvering through trees and brush to get to the actual river, I found fish. It was getting late, but did manage 8 in about 3 hours. Biggest was 47, smallest was 17.

I'll try to put some pics up, never tried before.Wow, sounds like you have it down. Too bad about the flooding. i bet it would be much easier going with normal flows. Show us some spoonies!

[Tiptonsooner]

http://www.putfile.com/album/182349

The pics are here, I'm not smart enough to figure out how to get them on here...

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

http://www.putfile.com/album/182349

The pics are here, I'm not smart enough to figure out how to get them on here...That's good enough. It works. Do you ever snag anything besides spoonbills, by accident or intentionally?

[Tiptonsooner]

I have snagged a sand bass before, only once.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I have snagged a sand bass before, only once.I thought maybe something big, like a big catfish or drum, or a nessie...how long does it take to land a big spoonbill, say one of those 50 pounders?

[Tiptonsooner]

6 or 7 minutes, depends on the current usually.

[achiro]

Heard they are catching them at Kaw, may try to head that way this afternoon if the rain isn't to bad.

[KantoSooner]

Rush, et al,
You're supposed to take any you catch to a state fish and game processing station. They filet them for you, flash freeze the filets and then keep the roe (which is indistinguishable from caviar and the state keeps and sells to roe brokers in Seattle and Chicago who then resell it into the Beluga caviar market in Russia and Japan - keep that in mind the next time you see a 1 oz jar of caviar at $100).
I'm not sure what the compliance level is nor do I know what the penalties are for non-compliance.
A few years ago, though, there was actually a Russian mafia operation on Grand Lake snagging spoonbills and taking the roe which was then air freighted to Russia and sold as Beluga. So now the fishery is controlled and protected.
For the curious, I know about this because they (F&G) were wondering what to do with the remains after the fishermen got the filets and the state got the roe. We worked on several options to dry/cure the leftovers and somehow get them into pet food. Never could make it make money on paper, so it didn't happen. But it was a cool little business to investigate.