An ancient fish spurs a feud between good ol’ boys and caviar-mad Russians in the Missouri Ozarks

Avid spoonbiller Gayle Wells pilots his jon boat. The men tend to stay close to camp but will travel several hours down the Osage arm, sometimes down to a shallow section near BuckNaked tavern and marina where the fish "get as muddy as a hog." Photo by Nate Sheets

Oouumphhh. There’s a grunt from the front of the jon boat as Jim Hoke’s treble hook finds the meaty flesh of a spoonbill swimming in the muddy depths of the Lake of the Ozarks. As his 150-pound braided fishing line zings down into the green water, Hoke suspects he’s successfully snagged one of the monstrous… Continue reading An ancient fish spurs a feud between good ol’ boys and caviar-mad Russians in the Missouri Ozarks