What in the hell?!

[SnakeManJohn]

Can anyone ID what this thing is? It has a long beak like a huge duck, a body like a dolphin, and a tail like a fish..The skin doesn't have scales. Sorry for the bad pictures, they were done on my cell phone.

 

[bugmankeith]

Looks like a paddle fish.

 

[JColt]

Yep, a paddlefish

http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/aquatic/fish/paddlefish/faq.html

 

[SnakeManJohn]

Alright, I used google for images and found them to be HUUUUUGE! This is awesome! I'm so going fishing sometime this week!

 

[ShadowBlade]

That is surprising you found two skeletal remains. They are not common. And I doubt you'll catch one.

-Sean

 

[nickbachman]

Alright, I used google for images and found them to be HUUUUUGE! This is awesome! I'm so going fishing sometime this week!

you'd have to snag one.

 

[SnakeManJohn]

That's weird..I mean, this place where they were at is like a smaller lake looking spot with trees surrounding it, we missed it so many times it's that disguised. It's connected to a huuuge lake but it's so hard to see that spot, and there's a few huge trees that fell into the water so I'm sure that's a great spot to fish..too bad we didn't have poles at the time huh.

 

[ScorpDemon]

If you do happen to catch one.. they are easy to dress out.
They have no bones, just cut off the head, gut it, skin it, twist the tail until you feel it pop 4 times, then pull the tail and a long piece of cartilage will come out. Cut into steaks, or filets, and cook your favorite way. 2 of my favorites are cutting into steaks, salt and pepper, and pour generous amounts of lemon juice and bake. or filet, salt pepper, and roll in cornmeal and fry in oil.

Chris

 

[Drachenjager]

Grandpa used to call them spoonbilled catfish lol here in Texas they are protected.... if catch one you release it or its very expensive ...however they are good tasting ...or so ive been told ..ahem
i would have thought they were protected everywhere

 

[ScorpDemon]

There are a few states from what I understand where they are fair game, and Tennessee I think is one of them.

 

[ShadowBlade]

They are very hard to find in West Virginia. Atleast, everywhere I've fished. Probably protected as well.

-Sean

 

[bugmankeith]

I've seen babies of them in aquariums, but none even close in size to the remains of the one you found, it would be nice to see one alive that large.

 

[SnakeManJohn]

May I ask how you would go about snagging one of them? I don't get it...do you just throw a hook out and reel in?

 

[ScorpDemon]

They are bottom feeders, put some chicken liver on the hook first, or some pre made catfish bait. They are a type of catfish. As someone mentioned, his Grandfather used to call them spoonbilled catfish, they are spoonbilled catfish, also known as a paddle fish.

If you use chicken liver, run the hook through it several times, and dont throw too hard, or your bait will end up in a different place than your hook.

Chris

 

[bluerich74]

They are very hard to find in West Virginia. Atleast, everywhere I've fished. Probably protected as well.

-Sean

Shadowblade.I saw one caught in the Ohio River at the New Martinsville dam.It was a small one ,around 5 lbs.

 

[Mister Internet]

They are bottom feeders, put some chicken liver on the hook first, or some pre made catfish bait. They are a type of catfish. As someone mentioned, his Grandfather used to call them spoonbilled catfish, they are spoonbilled catfish, also known as a paddle fish.

If you use chicken liver, run the hook through it several times, and dont throw too hard, or your bait will end up in a different place than your hook.

Chris

This just flat out has no basis in reality. They are not bottom feeders, they are filter feeders... as such, they feed by straining very small organisms, NOT by feeding off the bottom. They are not a type of catfish any more than "mud puppies" are a type of dog. They are close cousins to the Sturgeons, but they are in no way related to catfish other than being... well... fish.

The ONLY way to "fish" for them is by "snagging" them with extremely large, weighted treble hooks with extremely tough fishing gear.

 

[SnakeManJohn]

But don't you get caught on seaweed?

 

[ShadowBlade]

This just flat out has no basis in reality.

Yeah, and they're doing research as to their "paddle-beak's" ability to detect electric fields of plankton. A reason you probably won't find them say, near dams or other metallic structures in the water.

-Sean