Angler tries to catch a catfish — but hooks prehistoric, endangered fish in Missouri

Using worms as bait, a Missouri angler hoped to catch a catfish while fishing from the Gasconade River.

Chandler Lee Tudor actually ended up catching something much more rare, according to an April 28 Facebook post from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

He hooked a lake sturgeon fish while fishing at the Riddle Bridge Access in Pulaski County, officials said. The fish measured 4 feet long.

“Lake sturgeon are large, prehistoric fish that occur in the Missouri and Mississippi river systems,” officials said. “They can grow to lengths of 8 feet and weigh up to 300 pounds!”

The sturgeon species “evolved during the Jurassic era and survived where the dinosaurs didn’t,” according to the state wildlife department. The species is described as a living link “to the past.”

The rare species is endangered in Missouri, officials said, and anglers must return them to the water if they catch one. Tudor released his fish after taking a quick photo, according to the post.

“These fish have thrived for 150 million years and have been brought to the brink of extinction in just the last century,” officials said. Overharvesting has led to their endangered status.

Pulaski County is in south-central Missouri.

This story was originally published April 28, 2023 at 12:58 PM with the headline "Angler tries to catch a catfish — but hooks prehistoric, endangered fish in Missouri."