Sturgeons, like paddlefish, are primitive fish harvested for meat and to supply eggs to the caviar industry. The shovelnose sturgeon is common in the state's large rivers, especially the Mississippi, Arkansas, lower White and Red rivers.
This unusual fish is easy to identify, with a broad, flat head with four barbels on the underside of the long snout. The body is brown to gray in color and covered with rows of bony plates called scutes.
Little data has been collected on the population of shovelnose sturgeon in the Red River, so AGFC District 7 biologists have been catching and tagging them via trotlines to estimate the population size. So far the staff has caught 149 sturgeon and marked each of them with a small tag (photo upper right).
Anglers looking for a fun and new species to target should ?head to the Red River and try to catch a few. Nightcrawlers work very well as bait, and shovelnose sturgeon are best caught when water temperature is below 59 degrees. If you catch a tagged fish, please report that tag by calling 877-777-5580.