Many of these tags were recovered during #PaddlefishNetting2021 on Eufaula Lake, which was stocked by @USFWSFisheries for 10yrs. We have to cut the tip off the snoot to get the tag, but they do heal nicely. 👇

Well, we have run our last nets for the season. It’s been a serious group effort and we thank all the folks who have joined us to do the heavy lifting. We ended #PaddlefishNetting2021 on a good note with a great catch on a beautiful day.

Here are some basic stats for #PaddlefishNetting2021 thus far:
Hudson Lake- 16 nets, 465 fish
Grand Lake- 58! nets, 907 fish
Oologah Lake- 16 nets, 214 fish
Eufaula Lake- 24 nets, 291 fish (plus today’s catch)

That’s 13 miles of net soaked for a total of 34 days.

Some light fog this morning deploying our last nets for #PaddlefishNetting2021 on Eufaula Lake, OK. The crews have been outstanding and we’re rewarded today with a beautiful #okwx forecast. Looking forward to the catch and calling it good for the season.

One more day on Eufaula tomorrow and it’s our *last day* of #PaddlefishNetting2021. Looking forward to some rest.

Another sunrise on Eufaula Lake, OK, for #PaddlefishNetting2021
We’ve transitioned to Gaines Creek for the remainder of the efforts. This is where #paddlefish have been stocked for a decade, so we’re hopeful for continued good catches.

We’re back for day 2 on Eufaula.
#PaddlefishNetting2021
We’re joined this week by Betsey (human dimensions specialist) and Alex (fisheries mgmt tech)

This week, #PaddlefishNetting2021 is a collaboration with @USFWSFisheries on Eufaula Lake, OK. This reservoir is a restoration project that was stocked for a decade. Evaluation is ongoing. Our nets will be concentrated in the Deep Fork and Gaines Creek areas.

Unfortunately #PaddlefishNetting2021 is cancelled on Oologah Lake today. Due to rough, windy, and cold conditions, today’s efforts will be postponed to tomorrow.

Day 3 of #PaddlefishNetting2021 on Oologah Lake, OK. North winds today made for some chilly net deployment. The crew was covered in ice from the wave spray in subzero air temps.

Ugh. Rough start today for #PaddlefishNetting2021. Getting wind-bashed today, but happy it’s above freezing so we aren’t wearing an ice glaze- just damp.

Joining us this week is Nataleigh, an undergrad from MO State Univ. Today, she’s learning the hard knocks of #fisheries work

It’s a new year for #PaddlefishNetting2021, but the hashtag continues on Oologah Lake, OK. Forecast of a brisk week has held true with frozen nets pre-dawn.

Penultimate day of #PaddlefishNetting2021 on Grand Lake, OK. Looking forward to a holiday break, but for now we’ve got fish to catch. Working nets in the river based on yesterday’s success.

It’s a balmy >70 deg F pre-dawn for “winter” #PaddlefishNetting2021 on Grand Lake, OK. Crews are split today with Team Polly running nets in the river and Team Bertha down lake. River sites look promising, with sonar indicating some larger fish.

Overcast, but warm morning deploying nets for #PaddlefishNetting2021 on Grand Lake, OK. We have one net expected to catch #teaspoon and #tablespoon (stay tuned for pics), but we’re primarily looking for catchable adults.

Welcome back to #PaddlefishNetting2021. Week 3 for the season, but week 2 on Grand Lake, OK. We’re targeting fish now and hoping to catch 1000 by Friday. Sonar indicates the #paddlefish are adjacent to the inundated channel, so we changed our netting strategy today. 🤞

That closes out week 2 of #PaddlefishNetting2021. We’re back on Grand Lake next Monday. Thanks to my crew for their hard work. Time to debrief and re-strategize. Thanks for following along virtually and we’ll catch you next week.

It’s Friday on Grand Lake for #PaddlefishNetting2021 and we’re working for the weekend. Kind of a gloomy, windy day today, but the attitudes are positive.

This #PaddlefishNetting2021 update inspired by @DrKatfish …
We completed our standardized (randomized) sampling yesterday and are targeting #paddlefish for the next week. Net placement was a bit hindered by winds and the first net check was a bit lame. 🤞for this afternoon

Belated update on #PaddlefishNetting2021

@JColvin19 deploys a net in the dark. Anticipating a good catch today.

Calm winds make for straight nets. #PaddlefishNetting2021
This was Zack’s first time deploying gill nets, but he did a fine job. Hopefully they catch some #paddlefish today on Grand Lake, OK 😎

#PaddlefishNetting2021 continues on Grand Lake, OK. Rough seas this morning with 25mph winds. Helps immensely to have a seasoned bio like @bradjohnston_ok deploying nets in waves taller than the boat.

271 #paddlefish captured today.

Thanks to my hard working crew and to all you followers out there for virtually joining the #PaddlefishPosse this week. Back at it on Monday for #PaddlefishNetting2021

We deployed this week’s last nets at dawn for #PaddlefishNetting2021 on Hudson Lake, OK.

Yesterday we handled 156 #paddlefish. Likely a bigger catch today.

Another beautiful day of #PaddlefishNetting2021 on Hudson Lake. Forecast today looks wonderful for Dec 1st (with a nice 4mph breeze). Hoping for a good catch!

Day 2 of #PaddlefishNetting2021 has caught a few. Low catch rate down-lake indicates the fish may be staging upstream already (12 deg C).
Beautiful weather on a calm Hudson Lake. #paddlefish

First nets deployed for #PaddlefishNetting2021 on Hudson Lake, OK.

Follow our winter #paddlefish adventures with the hashtags!