I’m looking for a source for paddlefish close to Missouri

I know they catch them in the Neosho River at Chetopa, Kansas in the SE corner of Kansas. That is the extent of my knowledge.

I did a search for paddlefish fingerlings and came up with a couple hits that were not for fingerlings but caviar. But this place might be able to steer you in the right direction.

Ozark Catfisheries

Paddlefish production in Missouri

Thanks! I talked with the owner of Ozark Catfisheries early in the spring. He told me when his had spawned, he sell me a few at $10 each. Drove down last week from northern Missouri, but he now said he would never agree to sell any.
I’d like to put a few in one of my ponds mainly as an experiment.
Thanks for the other info. I think they would be better purchased from a breeder, to stay on the good side of the Conservation Dept.

I have been working with Osage Catfisheries on removing the now full grown Paddlefish we have in numerous lakes. They were originally stocked as 14 to 18 fish at 5 to 6 per acreage. This was part of a paddlefish ranch business idea. The paddlefish are cool but our lakes lack any significant zooplankton and phytoplankton due to these fish. I would be happy to explain what three years of research has determined about paddlefish in private ponds.

I had 5 or 6 added to my pond a few years back and never saw them again. However, I had a winter fish kill that same year that killed off all the large CC (but not BG or LMB), so I am guessing I lost them then, though I never saw a dead one.

I'd love to hear it. If I recall correctly Nate Herman was stocking feed trained pellet fish. I'd love to hear about that as well.

I also would like to hear about your experience with the paddlefish. Not that I am interested in raising them commercially. But one or two in a pond would be an interesting novelty to see once in a while.

When I read they eat zooplankton I wondered if they would be efficient enough at it to affect the YOY fingerlings of other fish in the pond. Might depend on the fertility level of the water.

I was concerned about reducing the zooplankton levels too much, but was only looking at putting five or six in 5.5 acre pond. He brought up the “ ranching program” after I drove down there, I don’t have any desire for anyone to own fish in one of my ponds.

I stocked 5 paddlefish that were 10" long in our 3 acre pond last October. I have not seen any since they were released. I have read that that is not uncommon to not see them again for 2-3 years after stocking. My pond is only three years old but seems very fertile due to runoff from the neighboring farm fields.I have yellow water primrose and american pondweed around 80% of the perimeter of the pond.I usually clear out fishing lanes with a rake about every 75ft or so. I was hoping the paddlefish would filter my water and consume some of the excess nutrients. Time will tell, so I am trying to be patient and wait to see if the PF have any affect on the fertility of my pond.My visibility last year was around 22" most of the summer but I have not taken time to check this year.I have been working on home improvement projects since mid May.I know I have read mixed reviews about paddlefish and I would be interested in hearing about other forum members experiences raising them!

PADDLEFISH JUVENILE FOR SALE
We own and operate a Paddlefish Hatchery and Juvenile Grow-Out Facility near Frankfort Kentucky. To our knowledge, there exist only two private Paddlefish Hatcheries in the USA. We have 25+ years experience spawning and raising Paddlefish. Our livestock grows quickly, so sizes/prices will vary ( depending upon when you read this post ):
[ ] 10"-12" @ $12 each
[ ] 24"-30" @ $30 each

liskhomes(at)aol(dot com)
We are not retail operation.
Minimum Purchase is 25 Fish, please.

My experience with Paddlefish is based upon a stocking program in 2002 that stocked paddlefish on a “ranching contract basis”. We are part of a large resort development with over 100 lakes and ponds. This program stocked over 3500 paddlefish in various lakes from as small as 2 acres (8 fish) to our largest lake at 236 acres (1300 fish). I am not a fish biologist or manager but have tried to consultant with various specialists the last few years.
From my observations, the lakes with high density of paddlefish, above 4 per acre, when these fish reach 30 plus inches, do have an effect on the remaining fish. The PF are extremely effective at eating the phytoplankton and zooplankton within the lake. This has impacted the smaller forage base such as minnows and bluegills. Our lakes have a stunted bass issue as well so we are dealt a double blow to enhancing the size of our game fish.
We have also realized that each lake has a certain capacity to support a certain amount of biomass. These PF have ranged from 45 to 75 pounds. These fish represent a significant amount of biomass if you assume 4 to 6 per acre.
To help reduce the pressure on our lakes, we have been encouraging the fish hatchery who stocked them to actively harvest each year. In the winter of 2018, they removed 129 PF from just two of our larger lakes. In lakes where PF have been removed, we have noticed an increase in YOY and smaller forage fish. This has been confirmed by electroshock surveys as well during the last two years.