Don't Be Greedy
by SGW Brady May, Cherokee County

During the summer of 1993, spring rains had swelled area reservoirs in northeastern Oklahoma to capacity. This provided for continuous generation below numerous locks and dams for an extended period of time. As a result, excellent opportunities were afforded thousands of anglers and Snaggers for catfish and paddlefish.

Flood gates below Ft. Gibson dam continued to be open for several months well into the summer. This stimulated spawning paddlefish to congregate in large numbers and anglers could easily reach their limit on large spawning females in the forty to seventy pound range. With a liberal daily limit of three, word among anglers soon spread and the paddlefish soon became the primary target of anglers. Big fish contests and snagging tournaments soon became
part of the circus-like atmosphere generated like Ft. Gibson dam had had never seen before.

During times like these, enforcement became a difficult issue. Greedy anglers soon learned how to take advantage of the state's liberal regulations. Limits of paddlefish were being taken home or picked up by third parties with the anglers continuing to snag over the limit. Without a tagging regulation untagged stringers remained "unclaimed" upoon inspection by State Game Wardens. In the cover story photograph, I spent a total of eight hours behind a spotting scope just to place one angler over limit on catfish and paddlefish. Without documented observation, the angler would have gotten away with his crime. His friends in the boat with him had caught some of the fish and they were well under their limit. "Party fishing" continued and my observation notes revealed as many as thirty adult fish per hour were being taken.

Well, the waters soon subsided and the remaining population migrated back to the deep waters well within the Kerr navigation system. While anglers still talked about the summer of 1993, Game Wardens had the foresight to make public hearing proposals to address the enforcement problems and provide continuous protection for spawning paddlefish. A primary season with a daily limit of three and an off-season with a daily limit of one was established. In addition, regulations pertaining to catch and release, use of gaffs, and tagging were adopted by concerned anglers.

It has been almost a decade since the summer of '93 at Ft. Gibson dam with many spring rain releases continuous enough to draw spawning paddlefish into the tailwaters. However, there has been an extremely noticeable impact on the paddlefish fisheries since that time, A forty to seventy pound spawning female has been a rare catch over the last ten years. Most fish now average approximately fifteen to twenty pounds and anglers want to know what happened to the paddlefish.

Commercialization of paddlefish and their eggs, which are a primary substitute for caviar, are of great concern to wildlife law enforcement. However, not much can impact wildlife populations more than the accumulative effect of "greedy" outdoorsmen. I have seen first-hand how well crappie angling can be with a reduced length and daily bag limit, such as the success acquired on Lake Tenkiller and other lakes. We all know how game populations are reduced by illegal hunters who fail to comply with bag limits or regulations. With only four states left in the nation capable of sustaining a surplus population, we don't want the prehistoric paddlefish to be compromised; so "Don't be greedy'.