“Who tortures fish”: Federally protected paddle fish have been found around the Lake of the Ozarks with obscene messages carved into them

What began as another day on the water at Lake of the Ozarks quickly turned into something far darker, and as Ozarks First reporter Michael McLaughlin showed in his video report, local fishing guides say they are now dealing with a string of incidents that has crossed the line from poaching into outright cruelty.

McLaughlin reported that several paddlefish have been found in the area injured, mutilated, and in some cases carved with obscene messages. Guides told him the acts are not only illegal, but deeply disturbing to the people who make their living on the lake and to the customers who come there expecting a normal day of fishing, not a crime scene.

That reaction makes perfect sense. Illegal fishing is one thing, but this is something else entirely. The people McLaughlin spoke with were not describing a rules violation or a careless mistake. They were talking about deliberate abuse of an animal that is heavily protected and widely recognized as important.

Guides Say Customers Were Shocked

One of the most striking parts of McLaughlin’s report came from guide Jim Lynch, who said he encountered a paddlefish that was still alive but had been skinned. Lynch told Ozarks First he was out guiding clients when he found it, and he made clear the scene rattled everyone there.

Lynch said the people with him that day were so disturbed by what they saw that they told him they were not coming back. He said they had never seen anything like it, and neither had he.

That kind of reaction shows the damage is not limited to the fish. The incident is also hitting the reputation of the lake and the businesses that depend on tourism and guided trips. When visitors leave feeling horrified instead of welcomed, that loss spreads quickly through word of mouth.

McLaughlin’s report makes clear that the guides are not exaggerating when they say this affects business. A family or group booking a fishing trip is expecting a memory they can enjoy, not one they want to forget.

Why Paddlefish Make This So Serious

Jeremy Ransom, whom McLaughlin identified as a fishing guide and owner of All Out Guide Service, said what makes the situation even worse is the type of fish being targeted. Ransom explained that paddlefish are not just another species in the lake.

He told Ozarks First the fish is federally protected and very protected in Missouri, adding that it is also protected worldwide. In his words, this is “the last paddlefish left in the world,” which is why he said the problem should not be treated as some small local matter.

That is an important point. The outrage here is not just emotional, even though it clearly is emotional for the guides. It is also rooted in the fact that paddlefish are already a species under close legal protection, which means anyone harming them this way is not simply being reckless but potentially inviting very serious charges.

McLaughlin opened his report by noting that guides believe the legal consequences could be steep, with one saying the fines are likely to be astronomical and that jail time may follow. Based on the way these guides are talking, they clearly believe whoever is responsible has done something far beyond a ticket-level offense.

The Messages Made It Even Worse

McLaughlin reported that this was not a one-time event. Other paddlefish have reportedly been found with profane messages carved into them, and local guides say the pattern suggests someone is doing this intentionally and repeatedly.

That is what makes the story especially ugly. These were not fish found dead from natural causes or even fish discarded after being taken illegally. According to the report, obscene language had been carved into them, which adds an unmistakable element of deliberate cruelty and mockery.

It also explains why the reaction among guides has been so personal. One of the obvious questions hanging over the story is the one implied by the article’s title itself: who does this? Even among people used to handling fish and dealing with the rougher side of outdoor life, this appears to have crossed into behavior that even seasoned anglers find hard to understand.

There is also a bigger concern beneath that question. If someone is willing to mutilate protected wildlife and leave it that way in public waters, then the fear is not just about one fish or one incident. It raises concern about what else that person might be willing to do.

A Rare Show Of Unity Among Competing Guides

One of the more telling parts of McLaughlin’s report is that the local guide community, which normally works as separate businesses, has come together over this. Multiple guides have pooled money to create a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

Austin McClure, identified by McLaughlin as the owner of McClure’s Guide Service, said the reward had grown to around $9,000. He described it as a payday for whoever can figure out who did it.

Jason Smith, owner of Smith’s Fishing Adventures, told Ozarks First that guides do not all talk every day and are not necessarily close in the normal course of business, but he said something like this changes that. Smith said they will unify because what happened is wrong.

That kind of collective response says a lot. In a competitive business, people do not usually lock arms unless they think the threat is serious enough to affect everyone. Here, the issue is clearly larger than one guide service, one dock, or one bad day on the lake.

The Investigation Is Now The Focus

McLaughlin said he reached out to the Missouri Department of Conservation, which confirmed that the incidents are under investigation. The agency is encouraging anyone with information, along with anyone who may have photos or video tied to the acts, to come forward.

At this point, that may be the most important part of the story. The public outrage is already there, and the reward fund shows the local community is motivated. What matters now is whether investigators can identify the person responsible before another fish turns up the same way.

This is one of those stories where the anger feels justified. The guides McLaughlin interviewed are not just upset because a law was broken. They are upset because something cruel happened to an animal that should have been protected, and because that cruelty is now staining a fishery and a lake they care deeply about.

Lake of the Ozarks has plenty of room for competition, debate, and disagreement among anglers, but this is not one of those issues with gray areas. On this one, the guides sound united, the law appears clear, and the public reaction is likely to be just as blunt: whoever did this needs to be found.