Matt hooked the fish but it took half an hour to reel it in and the fight towed them on the water for more than half a mile. He eventually reeled in the 5-foot, 55-pound Paddlefish, took some pictures and released it back into the river. The American Paddlefish are prehistoric fish that can grow over 5 feet long, weigh as much as 200 pounds, and live beyond 30 years., according to the TWRA. They can be found throughout the Mississippi River Drainage and generally inhabit large rivers like the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.