In 2001 Dr. Kimmel and I began to assess the distribution and movement of paddlefish in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This work began as a collaborative effort among the PA Fish and Boat Commission, Penn State University, California University of PA, and WV DNR. After many hours of electrofishing and gill netting, our efforts proved fruitless in the quest for a paddlefish.

In July 2002, we began a project with Penn State University (Dr. Robert Carline) to assess movement patterns with the use of radio telemetry gear and to assess the food availability within the Ohio river. This phase of our research ended in 2004 with the publication of two theses by Penn State University Master's degree students (Patrick Barry and Dan Counahan).

In 2004, we began intensive gillnetting surveys of the major rivers in western Pennsylvania to assess population structure and survival. In May 2005, we captured our first paddlefish with the use of monofilament gillnets. This work has now ended (for now at least).