How and where to fish for and catch spoonbills...help!!

[da-cajun-angla]

my lil boy has been begging me unrelentlessly fro the past week for a spoonbill...i know they are filter feeders, so what in the hell do u use for bait??? i've heard of snagging although i dont have any idea how to do it. i was also curious where to fish for these suckers. my boy would get a kick out of seeing one of these things. if u can, please gimme a hand.
thanks,
shaun

[dcaruthers]

I caught my one and only a month ago by accident. I hooked it in the tail. They are protected here in Alabama and you can't fish for them. They are a magnificent fish. They used to be commercially fished for using nets. Some states still allow snagging for them, but I would never snag for something I intend to release. Good luck and I hope your boy gets a chance to see one at least. There are so few left that targetring them would be very hard I assume.

[catsmith1]

It is illegal to catch them in Louisiana. That being said, I have hooked a couple on trotlines. I never even brought them in the boat cause the GW take it VERY seriously. If he wants to see one I would take him below the lock and dam on the red and watch people snagging. They usually catch a few. Last time I was below Lock and dam below shreveport one was snagged about 20 lbs or better.

They stay in the rolling water and suck up what comes by.

[da-cajun-angla]

its nice to know their illegal!!! whats stumping me, is people catch them on rr and trotlines, but i thought they were filter feeders.

[PeZ]

They are abundant in oklahoma and its legal to snag them in some place here i saw a guy snag one below keystone dam a couple of years ago that went 140# + he took a photo and released it because its illegal to snag them below keystone dam its the main breeding ground in oklahoma you will never catch one with any kind of bait they use that huge bill to flip over rock at the bottom of the river and eat the alage they are vegatarians and can only be caught by snagging or nets the meat is wonderful all white meat with no bones at all. it has one bone that run through its back and you can cut round ther head and tail and pull this out then just slice it like a huge steak

[catsmith1]

The ones on trot lines were caught on shad and one had two hooks in his mouth. I have always been told they were filter feeders also but the proof is in the puddin. The ones on r/r were snagged thaat I have seen caught.

[dcaruthers]

They are filter feeders. Their mouths are huge and they swim around with it wide open to collect food. This is how they get hooked up in so many trot lines and such. I think.

[Taliesin]

its nice to know their illegal!!! whats stumping me, is people catch them on rr and trotlines, but i thought they were filter feeders.

What is happening here is the spoonbill is just swimming along and brushes the line enough to get hooked. It happens quite a bit where I fish, but just like below Keystone Dam they have to be released.

[old poot]

I have had quite a few get hooked on my trot lines in N.E. La. ,but they are most always killed by gators.:big_smile: