Angler Caught and Released

Paddlefish in Alabama

It is illegal for anglers to take or attempt to take paddlefish (spoonbill) from all public waters of Alabama by any method or to possess paddlefish (spoonbill) or any part of a paddlefish (spoonbill). Any paddlefish (spoonbill) accidentally captured shall be immediately returned to the waters from whence it came. 

	Gary Spencer broke his pole landing and releasing this paddlefish from Jackson Lake, an oxbow off the Alabama River in Millbrook, on April 2, 2010.
Imagine this coming into your boat.  It appears that the snout of this paddlefish was recently torn off. Perhaps the fish was caught in crosscurrents below Wilson Dam.  Photo by Meagan Wilson, June 2011. The fish was released.	Ms Shafer caught and released this 53" paddlefish (rostrum to tail) from below Bouldin Dam on the lower Coosa River.

This paddlefish was caught by Tom Worring on January 19, 2010, using a 12' fiberglass rod. He was fishing McReynolds Lake off the Tensaw River and immediately released the fish after documenting it with these pictures.

Pat O’Neil with the Alabama Geological Survey of Alabama collected this paddlefish during a special study.