Update: This fish tale just keeps getting ... well ... bigger. On July 23, 2020 -- less than one month after the new rod-and-reel world record paddlefish featured in the below story was pulled from Keystone Lake -- Keystone produced yet another world record spoonbill. Read more about the 151-lb. giant here.
It’s no secret that Oklahoma is home to one of the finest paddlefish fisheries in the nation — even the world. Spoonbills, as they are called, are fascinating. Not only has the species survived relatively unchanged since pre-historic times on little more than microscopic zooplankton as a food source, but their unique appearance and unmistakable rostrum resembles something more from someone’s imagination than reality.
Also, they are big.
How big? Well, there’s some interesting information on that topic, and the ODWC’s Jason Schooley tells more in this piece recently featured on The Fisheries Blog. Schooley is a senior fisheries biologist for the Wildlife Department where he’s managed spoonbills for over 10 years.
If you’ve never tried paddlefish angling, it’s something to put on your Outdoor Oklahoma adventure bucket list. While you’ll need some slightly specialized gear, a fishing license and a free paddlefish permit, it’s a very accessible opportunity for Oklahoma anglers - even those limited to bank fishing.
- Michael Bergin is a senior information specialist for the Wildlife Department; Jason Schooley is a senior fisheries biologist for the Wildlife Department