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PIERRE -- Crews from S.D. Game, Fish and Parks and the Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery were successful in gathering 10 male and six female paddlefish for egg collection efforts, according to Game, Fish and Parks officials. Collection of paddlefish eggs was conducted in the Missouri River near the point where the Niobrara River meets the Missouri. Egg collections began the evening of May 19 and concluded the morning of May 20. About 750,000 eggs were collected from five of the six females. Fisheries Biologist Cliff Stone said the eggs were hatched at Gavin^s Point National Fish Hatchery, and the paddlefish fry were stocked into hatchery ponds where they will remain until mid-August. "At that time, the fish will be removed from the ponds and S.D. Game, Fish and Parks staff will tag all of the fish with a coded-wire-microtag. The fish will then be returned to the ponds until early September, at which time they will be transported and stocked into Lake Francis Case. The department^s goal is to be able to stock 25,000 paddlefish fingerlings," Stone said. He added that the long-range goals are to maintain the paddlefish population in Lake Francis Case and at some point in the future allow a limited harvest of this unique Missouri River fish. Paddlefish anglers are reminded that Aug. 13 is the deadline for submitting applications for snagging paddlefish. Applications can be requested by email or printed from the Game, Fish and Parks website at www.state.sd.us/gfp/, or by calling (605) 773-3485.

Uploaded: 7/28/1999