A group of friends thought it was going to be another routine fishing trip.
They never expected to reel in a discovery that would have fisheries experts from two states scrambling for answers.
And what this bowfisherman caught in Kentucky left biologists shell-shocked and proves our waterways hide incredible secrets.
One Tagged Fish Reveals an Incredible Journey
Andrew Vest thought he was having just another successful day bowfishing in Western Kentucky when he spotted a nice paddlefish cruising near the surface of the Tennessee River.
The 30-year-old electrician from Grinnell, Iowa was out with his eight-person crew on their annual fishing trip, and they’d been having great luck targeting carp, gar, and paddlefish from their three boats.
“I looked down and there was a nice paddlefish cruising along near the surface just 15 feet away,” Vest told Outdoor Life. “I drew my ‘Leviathan’ DeadWake bow and let my arrow fly. I hit the paddlefish a little back toward the tail. But I was able to wind it in pretty quick and used a hand gaff to get it into my boat.”
That’s when Vest noticed something that stopped him cold.
The fish had a tag in its lower jaw – and it wasn’t from Kentucky.
The Fish That Traveled Through Seven States
When Vest inspected the tag, he discovered it was from the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department.
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, so he called fisheries officials right there from the water.
“I couldn’t believe the fish had come all the way to Kentucky from South Dakota, so I was pretty excited when I got ahold of South Dakota fisheries,” said Vest. “They were pretty shocked, too. Then I called the Kentucky fisheries department and they were stunned the fish could have traveled that far, too.”
The paddlefish had been tagged as a 15-pounder and released on June 21, 2023, into the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam at Yankton, South Dakota.
By the time Vest caught it on June 19, 2025, the fish had doubled in weight to about 30 pounds and traveled what Vest calculated to be 922 miles.
The incredible journey took the paddlefish down the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, then to the Ohio River, and finally into the Tennessee River in Western Kentucky.
Biologists Are Amazed by This Discovery
South Dakota fisheries biologist Gary Knecht sent Vest a letter thanking him for reporting the tagged fish.
Knecht explained that the department has tagged more than 10,000 paddlefish in recent years to gather data on their movements, timing, and long-distance travel patterns.
State biologists have recorded similar long-distance journeys by paddlefish before, but Vest says it’s extremely rare and has occurred only a few times.
How the fish navigated dams, locks, and other obstacles during its nearly 1,000-mile journey remains a mystery, though Vest suspects high spring water, flooding, and other natural events likely helped it reach Western Kentucky.
The paddlefish is a primitive species that swam with the dinosaurs eons ago, and these ancient fish can live to be more than 60 years old with many exceeding 100 pounds.
What This Means for American Waterways
This remarkable discovery proves that our nation’s waterways are far more connected than most people realize.
Fish tagged in one state can end up hundreds of miles away in completely different river systems, showing the incredible resilience and adaptability of American wildlife.
The fact that this paddlefish not only survived its epic journey but thrived – doubling its weight over two years – demonstrates the health of our river ecosystems when they’re properly managed.
Vest plans to make a European-style mount of the paddlefish’s distinctive “spoon” bill as a keepsake, including the tag and framing the verification letter from biologist Gary Knecht.
This isn’t just a fishing story – it’s proof that America’s natural heritage continues to surprise and amaze us in ways we never expected.
“We eat all the paddlefish we get during our bowfishing trips,” says Vest. “Paddlefish are great tasting when fillets are cut into cubes, soaked for a while in 7-Up, then breaded and fried.”
Stories like this remind us why protecting our waterways and supporting conservation efforts matters so much for future generations of Americans.
