squaw fish on the columbia

[the shootist]

Does anybody know if they are going to have a squaw fish bounty on the columbia this year? if so what areas does it include, and what are they paying. Also does anybody think that this has helped the salmon fishery? just curious.

[Curly]

Yes, the bounty system has saved a bunch of salmon smolts.

The bounty system starts May 1.  Here's a link:

http://www.pikeminnow.org/

[cohoho]

At the Sportmans show their booth had a chart that showed one guy got like 40K for fishing for them....

[Black Plague]

wow that would be a sweet way to pay for gas and new fishing stuff...go target them fro a couple hours just for some extra coin and then go catch some real fish...ha ha or stay out all day and work on paying your bills....the guys that are really good at it can make some major coin...if you figure 5 fish per hour thats 20 bucks an hour to catch fish...sweet!!!...

[bowhunterforever]

What do you use when you target squaw fish?

[Quackwhacker]

An old indian friend told me that nets work well. 

[Blacklab]

At the Sportmans show their booth had a chart that showed one guy got like 40K for fishing for them....

A buddy of mine works at the dam. Says theirs a couple people there that work it like a job. Bringing in anywhere from 30 to 35 K  a yr

[Mudeater]

I met a guy out at Vernita bridge a year or so ago, lived in his motorhome and fished squaw fish full time. Living kinda rough but the guy was having a great time and making enough to live on. very cool, really.

[runamuk]

I have a kid that would love that too bad we are not closer to the river he could turn it into a summer job...lol...he spends all his spare time fishing anyway

[Special T]

Do you require a fishing licence to fish them? You don't for carp..... just curious...

[woodywsu]

Do you require a fishing licence to fish them? You don't for carp..... just curious...

Yes you need a fishign license to fish for anything in Washington, even carp.

[fishnate]

There is also a derby in wenatchee every year Hooked on Toys puts it on.

[shoot-em-dead]

I tried it last year- spent 100 on feul- another 20 on bait and hooks and sinkers. Spent 8 hours on the water and caught 2 pikeminnow. I made a whopping $-116.00 I plan on trying again this year but don't have high expectations. In order to make 30,000 you would have to catch 3,950 fish in the 5 months of time. If you fished all 153 days it is open you would have to catch 25.8 fish per day. Unless of course you catch some of the reward fish which are worth $500 each.

[cohoho]

Never looked at it that way, the guy must have caught all the tagged fished..  Or knew where to fish for them...... There was like three others with his same last name that were in the 25-30K also.  Russian sounding name...  But here is what they get for them....  I can't find the listing of top winners at this time...

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regions/reg5/reg5.htm

[Special T]

Q: Which fish do I need a license to catch?

A: You need a license to fish for everything but albacore, tuna, carp, crayfish and smelt. You also need a shellfish license to take anything classified under state shellfish regulations, including sea cumbers, sea weed, and squid. Check the current Fishing Regulations pamphlet for exact instructions. There is one exception - Free Fishing Weekend, which corresponds with National Fishing Week, is a great way to catch the fishing bug.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/faq/fishfaq.htm

I guess you do need a lic for squaw fish but not carp...

[Black Plague]

so if you are fishing for carp and you hook a bass and reel it in...you are breaking the law...just buy a fishing license...when you are out on the lake and have a fishing pole and get stopped and checked...saying that you are carp fishing probably wont work....but if you have a bow and say you are hunting for them then I believe you are legit...it just seems to me that if you are going to put a lure in the water you had better have a license.... 

[shoot-em-dead]

I will also add that I was using chicken liver and fishing the bottom to half way up. I did catch a big catfish (around 20inches) that I tossed back.( I got scolded at the dock by a couple guys that were out after them.) You can never be sure what you pull up while fishing so a license is a good thing to have.

[the shootist]

there is another possible prommising thing to consider. That's the second pole license that you can now purchase. If a guy drags a worm on one rod while jig fishing with the other you might just be able to figure out what is working better that day, and nail them. I have caught them below boyer state park but don't know if that is a legal place to fish them from. Plus it's fishing!!! even if you don't kill the squaw fish your still fishing, and unlike a tournament the other fish you catch you can keep!! I Think

[shoot-em-dead]

I was thinking of that but I don't remember if you can use the second pole on the snake or Columbia. I'll have to research it sometime.

[goosegetter79]

there is another possible prommising thing to consider. That's the second pole license that you can now purchase. If a guy drags a worm on one rod while jig fishing with the other you might just be able to figure out what is working better that day, and nail them. I have caught them below boyer state park but don't know if that is a legal place to fish them from. Plus it's fishing!!! even if you don't kill the squaw fish your still fishing, and unlike a tournament the other fish you catch you can keep!! I Think

I would assume that's a legal place to catch them as they have a check station at Boyer Park.

[goosegetter79]

I was thinking of that but I don't remember if you can use the second pole on the snake or Columbia. I'll have to research it sometime.

The 2 pole endorsement is for certain lakes only, don't think you can use it on rivers.

"The two pole endorsement is not valid on the Columbia or Snake rivers mainstem, except Lake Roosevelt and Rufus Woods Reservoir." Pulled this off the WDFW website.

[Shootmoore]

My dad did this the first year he retired, back then it was contract work he could fish under a special license allowing multiple poles.  I think he cleared around 15K, doing a lot of fishing.

Shootmoore

[Special T]

I refuse to buy a fishing licence which is why i shoot carp with a bow. I did wonder about the enforcement angle of how to prove you fishing for carp? But then again THEY have to prove you are doing something illegal and not the other way around.

[Black Plague]

the only proof they would need is to see you pull up a catfish...and wham! Here's your fine!...ha ha ...kinda like "Here's your sign" 

[Machias]

Do you require a fishing licence to fish them? You don't for carp..... just curious...

Yes you need a fishign license to fish for anything in Washington, even carp.

Not true, you can fish for carp without a license.

[carpsniperg2]

machias is right, and i am a bowfishing freak and know that you do not need a license to fish for or bowfish or spear carp 

[Black Plague]

OK I believe you...and I know about the bow-fishing, which is a blast!!! and so is pitch fork'n for em...and spear-gunnin too     .I'm just saying, what do you say to them when you catch a catfish or anything else...do you just say "oops officer it will never happen again..." it just seems risky to me...not that i have ever gone without having a fishing license before but the moment you set the hook its a 50/50 chance you are breaking the law (by statistical analysis only) it either is a carp or it is not...and yes i know you can target them specifically and dramatically decrease your odds of getting anything but carp ...but i am just saying....I think if you want to fish you should have a license     ....yes I understand what the law says...I just think its a little weird...

[hawk eyes]

mevening into the morning about 10;00 keep in mind by then they have turned in over 400 and are @8 dollars a fish i personally would go there catch 10-15 a day but spend more than that going there in gas and gear but im gonna be off fishing somewhere anyways and you catch alot of cats and there]s alot of sturgeon also i take my kids up we camp a couple of days catch pike minnows and they have a hundred bucks or so in there pocket and im out a couple hundred,you can also go early and cut across to tucannon and pick morrel mushrooms and play in the mountains what im saying is don't try to make a living at it but make some fun