Paddlefish sampled in Pool 20 of the Mississippi River navigated 380 miles, 6 lock and dams

Hamilton, Ill. — A 33-pound paddlefish sampled by the Illinois River Biological Station crew on Pool 20 of the Mississippi River Aug. 18 came with a bonus.

It had a tag in its jaw. Specifically, the tag “DRFS 10856” had been placed on March 7, 2018 by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

“It is actually the first tagged paddlefish I’ve ever seen, either as a recreational angler or as a biologist,” said Jason DeBoer, a large river scientist for the Illinois Natural History Survey.

MORE COVERAGE FROM ILLINOIS OUTDOOR NEWS:

Ralph Loos: No mystery anymore about where Illinois hunters, sharpshooters are killing deer

A day of sampling fish on the Mississippi River is an eye-opening experience

Illinois bobcat season again to max out at 2,000 permits

After the day of sampling on Pool 20, DeBoer called the phone number provided on the fish’s tag and later emailed fisheries officials at MDC to share his measurements and learn more about the fish:

• It had been tagged on the Osage River, below Bagnell Dam at Lake of the Ozarks.

• It had covered at least 380 miles of river (80 on the Osage, 130 on the Missouri, and 170 on the Mississippi).

• It had surpassed at least 6 lock-and-dam structures.