Nebraskaland

October 2022 Nebraskaland final

NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.

Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1481065

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October 2022 • Nebraskaland 29 large, free-flowing rivers, backwaters and oxbow lakes. They are extremely mobile, capable of moving thousands of miles between major river systems. In Nebraska, paddlefish are found in the mainstem Missouri River and the lower reaches of larger tributaries, including the Platte River, with the greatest numbers found in the lower unchannelized reach between Gavins Point Dam and Sioux City. This highly sought-after fish is generally regarded as tasty among anglers, but commercial fishermen are mostly after the female's eggs, or roe, which is processed into caviar. Paddlefish roe has become more desirable since the collapse of the Caspian Sea sturgeon market, primarily from beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) and other sturgeon, including the kaluga, Ossetra, sevruga, sterlet and Siberian sturgeons, and paddlefish fisheries. Labeled as American paddlefish caviar, the product can exceed $400 per pound. Although commercial fishing for paddlefish is illegal in Nebraska, the practice remains open in several other states. In our part of the Missouri River, Paddlefish are filter feeders, using their large mouths to filter microscopic plankton out of the water. Conventional fishing methods of baiting are ineffective on paddlefish. ALEX WILES MEDIA

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