125-Pound Paddlefish Breaks Oklahoma State Record

Paddlefish season is in full swing in a number of states, and earlier this month one Oklahoma angler pulled in a new state-record spoonbill.

From this story in the Oklahoman
Oklahoma has a new state record paddlefish. On April 10, a paddlefish weighing 125 pounds and 7 ounces was caught from the Arkansas River by Aaron Stone of Pawhuska. Stone was snagging that morning in the Arkansas River near Cleveland when he hooked the state record, which nearly dragged him into the river. Stone finally landed the paddlefish, also called spoonbills, after 40 minutes of reeling and sliding 15 feet down an embankment. Stone said when he first hooked the fish “it just sat there like a log.” When the paddlefish did take off, “all I could do was hang on,” he said. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.” The paddlefish measured 55 inches in length and 41.75 inches in girth. The previous state record was 121 pounds and caught in April 2003 from the Kaw Lake tailwaters.

Anyone had luck snagging a “freshwater marlin” this spring?