spoonbill

myron

its about that time in missouri!! SNAGGING SEASON!! cant hardly wait. thought it would be nice to discuss tips and techniques on this crazy to catch and the oldest fish in missouri. had the best season ever last year. we had two boats and seven people with a total of 13 keepers. ranging from 36"-50". never weighed them but we had a bunch of fish. its a shame we have to waste so much of these fish but if they are not cleaned and bled out properly it will really make the whole skillet of fish taste really bad. well good luck to all snaggers this year. "FISH ON, REELEM' IN BOYS I GOT A SPOONY ON!!!!!!"

COLT

myron, how about exsplaining the method, for all us non snaggers. All I know about it, is that it's about the only fish (I think) legal to sang...[;)]

myron

good idea, i will try my best! we use basically a salt water set up 6' pole and ocean city reel with 80# braided cord and on this we put three 7/0 treble hooks about 2' apart and on the end of the line we use 8 to 16 ounce weights. depending if you are going with or against the current of the water. when you have your rig set up you drop it over the side of the boat and let out about 100 yards of line. you want your weight to just hit the bottom after you pull the pole. each time you fill the weight hit the bottom you pull it again. let hit bottom and pull it again- hit bottom and pull again- hit bottom and pull again.......... well i think you know what i mean! YES it can wear you out but once that line starts to go tight and something about jerks you out of the boat you have no idea what is on the other end of that line untill ou get it to the boat. sometimes its a spoony sometimes its gar or carp sometimes its is just one big stick fish. If you decide to go snagging make sure youknow exactly what the length limits are. some places are 24" and some are 34" that measurement is from the center of the eye to the fork of the tail. ive been told that a 34" keeper will be about 50 years old. WEll i hope this answers some questions!!

COLT

...bet that is "relaxing" fishing...[:D], with 1/2 to 1 lb. weights, always working them! Like people think bass fishing is relaxing. yeah right. Your constantly moving, and chunking and reeling, for 10-12 hours, sometimes for zippo fish. I guess thats why it's called "fishing", instesd of "lets go catch fish"...[:D]
...myron, you ought to talk to Rev. Jim (MOMMASBOY), he lives in Misouri, and fishes a lot, for lots of different kinds of fish, might just have done some snaggin himself,...bet he has...[;)]

myron

I have in fact talked to him and hope to stay in touch. It does wear you out but when you do land that 40 - 80 pounder it is well worth it

MOMMASBOY

I HEAR YOU GUYS YES I HAVE DONE IT AND CAUGHT SOME BIG FISH. BUT YOU KNOW THAT KIND OF FISHING IS JUST PLAIN WORK. THATS FOR THE YOUNG TOUGH BOYS. I GAVE IT UP. SURE LIKE TO SEE THEM WHEN THEY BRING THEM INTO DOCK. THEY ALSO CATCH A LOT OF THEM DOWN AROUND BRIDGEPORT IN THE JAMES RIVER ARM OF TABLEROCK. I THINK I HAVE SEEN LARGER FISH COME OUT OF THE OSAGE THO. I GUESS I WILL JUST STAY WITH MY BASS AND CRAPPIE. MYRON CAN CATCH MY PART OF THOSE BIG BRUTES

MOMMASBOY

YOU KNOW MYRON IN 83 WHEN I CAME TO MISSOURI I DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHAT A SPOONBILL WAS. WHEN I HEARD THEM TALKING ABOUT THEM I THOUHGT IT WAS SOME KIND OF CATFISH. SOME OF THE LOCALS CAME TO THE STORE AND CALLED ME OUT TO THEIR TRUCK AND THEY HAD A WHOLE BACK OF TRUCK FULL OF STRANGE LOOKING FISH WITH A LONG SNOUT ON IT. I SAID WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THOSE AND THEY THESE ARE THE SPOONBILL WE HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU ABOUT. MYRON SOME OF THE FOLKS ON HERE MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. YOU MIGHT TELL THEM IN DETAIL. TO ME THEY LOOK LIKE A SHARK WITH A LONG SNOUT.

myron

believe it or not they are related to the shark family(so Im told). if you could picture a shark with a 2 foot snout that is what they look like. no scales no bones and there eyes are about as big as a pencil eraser. I mentioned a lot of waste when you clean them. that is because there is red meat on top of the good white meat that has to be removed if not it tastes really bad. most people that dont like spoonbill probably didnt have it prepared correctly. wish i knew how to post a picture.maybe ill teach myself i willl see what i can do. I wish i could catch your share jim but they only allow 2 a day.

dipits

Snagging is alowed below the dam at Ky. lake .
Those that do it get a lot of spoonbill .
I also agree that it is in the shark family .
I am also of the opinion that the roe is very expensive as caviar .
I have heard there is a place in Louisville that sells the caviar and smoked spoonbill .

myron

I dont know about in KY but in MO you cant transport spoonbill eggs. that is because people used to catch them, take the eggs and just throw them back in the river to die. I guess the eggs are worth quite a bit of money. you take a big sow full of eggs and she might have 10-15 pounds of eggs(just guessing).

MOMMASBOY

LOT OF MONEY IN THOSE SPOONBILL EGGS. SOME OLE BOYS AROUND OSCEOLA GOT CAUGHT SELLING THEM AND GOT IN BAD TROUBLE. I THINK THIS WAS BACK IN THE MIDDLE 80 s THEIR PICTURE WAS ON MISSOURI CONSERVATION MAGZINE. ALSO ON SNAGGING, IN NEW MEXICO AT NAVAJO LAKE IN FOUR CORNERS AREA YOU CAN OR COULD SNAG THE SAME WAY FOR KOCANEE SALMON. I DONT THINK I SPELLED THAT RIGHT. I HAVE DONE IT ALSO. YOU JUST USE A FLIPPING STICK OR MED HEAVY BASS ROD AND LARGE TREBBLE HOOKS LIKE SPOONBILL BUT NOT AS MUCH WEIGHTS. PRETTY NICE FISH THO.