Paddlefish certainly taste more like sturgeon than other fish. Young fish are superior for the table but the older fish are great smoked. The caviar is great, in demand, and available at a lower cost than sturgeon caviar. For a while there much of it was exported to Russia, fraudulently repackaged as sturgeon caviar and imported back to the USA at a premium price. It took DNA testing to tell the difference.
Bernie, Paddlefish are deepwater animals so its not too surprising that you haven't seen them. Why not buy a short length of gill net to sample your pond. For full compliance you would probably need a propagation permit to legally possess the gill net and use it in your pond only. Be sure to check with KDFWR first.
