where pallids, paddlefish play
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
WADE KING
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and MARK HENCKEL
Billings Gazette Outdoor Editor
Missouri River Adopt-A-Fish biologists spent some time in the past week in the waters where the paddlefish and pallid sturgeon play.
These are the waters that begin at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, then stretch down the Missouri and up the Yellowstone. This stretch of river is perfect for pallids and paddlefish.
It shouldn't be surprising that all four of our adopted pallid sturgeon were found along with three of the four paddlefish. No shovelnose sturgeon or blue suckers were found this week. Those fish are probably further up the Missouri.
It's interesting to note, too, that one paddlefish (No. 3 called Abraham, Nemo, King Bignose and Pete by the classes that adopted it) has moved up the Yellowstone already along with a pallid sturgeon (No. 2 called Jaws or Monty by its classes). The Yellowstone is a prime spawning tributary for the Missouri and other fish will likely end up there, too.
Biologists put out the rest of their floating telemetry barges this week. Those barges will help track more fish for the biologists in the weeks to come.
Missouri River Adopt-A-Fish will be posting weekly updates in the Outdoors section of The Billings Gazette every Thursday through April and May. You can also see animated maps of fish movements on our Web site and learn a lot more about the river and the fish there. Classrooms can still sign up and adopt fish of their own, as well.
On the Internet, anyone can go to www.walleyesunlimited.com and click on the Missouri River Adopt-A-Fish button to learn more about it.
Missouri River Adopt-A-Fish is a cooperative effort of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Billings Gazette and Walleyes Unlimited of Montana.