# Alabama Spoonbill-a-Rama!



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Great 4th with family on Alabama river. HOW BOUT THAT WEATHER!! 59 degrees Friday morning. Spending time with family is what it's all about.....that's what you say when you don't catch as many fish as you wished!! Lol! We managed a few cats here and there but cool weather must have shut them down. Pretty sure my trot lines were all to short. They were 30' with about 15 hooks each and were made for escambia river and smaller creeks. Watched a couple of guys bait one up that was probably 150 yards long. Can't seem to figure out a crappie pattern in the warmer weather so didn't get but a few of them. One bright spot was the ever present and leaping spoonbill catfish (paddlefish) accidentally captured two on noodles baited with dead minnows. One was a monster that I thought we would never run down with the pontoon boat. The other was a little smaller but an easy 25 pounder. Both fish were released immediately upon capture. Later, I also accidentally captured a couple on rod and reel. I wanted a pic and his weight but was fishing from the bank and he was way to long for the net and he sunk his bill in some vines and I couldn't get a hold on it. After about ten minutes of trying to release him it occurred to me that it was midnight and I was lying on my stomach with my hands and head in a wad of vines holding on to a flouncing fish (which I had accidentally captured and was trying to release. ) A quick scan of the area revealed no alligators - whew!! No more chances. I hightail it up to the cabin and return with a releasing aid and carefully catch him with the releasing aid in the jaw - game over!! Weigh him 24.07pounds. Get a couple of very quick pics before reel #2 launches off the ice chest and hangs at the bank. I grab it - set the hook and the drag starts screaming. I slide fish # 1 back in the water and he swims away very happily. I battle the second accidentally captured fish for about five minutes. Another 25 pounder I decided to not put him on the bank. I was worn out. The pic below is the 24 pounder. Including the 16" bill he was a total of 53". The last pic is straight down his mouth. I swear you could have laid a volleyball in there. Very strange and prehistoric looking fish. Notice the tiny eyes right at the bill 
***ALL FISH WERE ACCIDENTALLY CAPTURED AND RELEASED IMMEDIATELY UNHARMED!


















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## 2RC's II (Feb 2, 2012)

That's cool as it gets man. Brings back a lot of old memories. I would still be on the river but the wife decided we were gonna retire at the beach. Sucks for me although the fishing is pretty good here. Well for now.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Pretty Fish!!


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

Back before I used circle hooks on my lines I caught them all the time.they would get snagged in the bill just swimming by.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

sbarrow said:


> Back before I used circle hooks on my lines I caught them all the time.they would get snagged in the bill just swimming by.


Think they were biting the soap but were after the large metal washers on the noodles

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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Dude, edit your post quick

Paddlefish (Spoonbill) …………… 
Regulation 220-2-.94: It shall illegal to take or attempt to take paddlefish (spoonbill) from all public waters of Alabama by any method or to possess paddlefish (spoonbill) or any part of a paddlefish (spoonbill). Any paddlefish (spoonbill) accidentally captured shall be immediately returned to the waters from whence it came. This regulation does not apply to commercially packaged paddlefish (spoonbill) products imported from out-of-state or to paddlefish (spoonbill) cultured at hatchery operations or grow out ponds permitted through the Commissioner, Department of Conservation and Natural Resourc


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

hjorgan said:


> Hey what are the regs on spoonbills? I am having a hard time finding info. Used to be "endangered" like red snapper but I see that some harvest is open? (Don't bash me for this, I have a place on the Alabama River and would LOVE to be able to keep a spoonbill)


Me too! Very tempting when your wanting to feed a crowd! As far as I know there is no keeping one in Bama. I think they started a limited commercial harvest. Wife and I enjoy sitting and watching them leap. Whole fish out of the water. Guessing some are over 50 pounds

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## B-4 Reel (Oct 13, 2007)

Those are great eating if you clean them right. My dad and I use to snag them in Northeast Oklahoma swimming up the Neosho River out of Grand Lake of the Cherokees. I sure miss those days. Biggest I ever caught was around 70lbs and my dad had one that was 106lbs. I would love to do that again.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Cool report, Try'n.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

hjorgan said:


> Dude, edit your post quick Paddlefish (Spoonbill)


Thanks! I cleaned it up a bit but it's pretty well documented here on the forum that any fish I catch is an accidental capture!
All of the spoonbills were released unharmed

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