FishRook
iStockphoto / Marina Vedernikova
Paddlefish are amongst the most peculiar fish on planet earth. With their stout and rotund bodies, short shark-like fins, and elongated rostrum (big ol’ nose) they look like a fish that was created with leftover parts from other species.
Paddlefish are often referred to as ‘primitive fish’ and their existence dates back over 300 million years. The American Paddlefish (different from the Chinese paddlefish) have always been a popular sport fish due to their peculiar looks but they’re tricky to catch because they are ‘filter feeders’.
This basically means they’re out there swimming around lakes with their gargantuan mouths wide open waiting for small fish, insects, larvae, and zooplankton to swim in their mouths.
What this means for fisherman is these fish are very difficult to catch because they don’t attack lures or bait, so anglers basically need to ‘snag’ them with a hook. And what it means for spearfishing is it’s a…
