Paddle fish are spawning

I fished lock and dam #4 on Monday and #5 on Wednesday. I was fishing with spoons both days. The paddle fish were so concentrated that when I was reeling in my spoon at a slow retrieve, I was snagging them. I couldn't get away from them either. The river was really swelled and running very fast, and I just couldn't get my spoon to sink fast enough to get to the blues. I was using 3 ounce spoons. The first one that I hooked on Monday, had my heart pounding, because I thought I had a monster blue! Even though it was 40 pounds and fun to catch, it was kind of disappointing to see it was a paddle fish. The next one was 50 pounds. The third one took off and was stripping line off my reel twice as fast as the other two, when he finally stopped stripping my line I was working him in a little at a time, and reached up and tightened my drag two clicks. Just as I did, he ran again, only now with my drag tight, he didn't strip and line, but instead jerked me hard enough to cause me to stumble forward. Well, anyone who has fished #4 knows how steep and rocky the bank is! I stepped forward onto a loose rock, lost my balance and fell forward. I somehow managed to catch myself just before my head almost cracked a boulder, then it was like slow motion as my body continued to flip over like a cartwheel, landing me on my butt, waist deep in the river. But I still had my rod in my hands! I finally got him in. 70 pounds. Wednesday I decided to try #5. But the same thing, paddle fish everywhere. I caught 8 to 10 before I finally gave up, went home and fried chicken!:angry: