Bounty Fishing?

[HornHoarder]

I'm really considering doing some serious bounty fishing for squawfish, I mean, pikeminnow this year. Ive done a little research and some guys are making BIG money. I plan on fishing the upper snake river, maybe camping out at Boyer park. Has anyone on this site done this? I sure would like to make some money this summer. I tried gold mining in N. Idaho most of last summer. Fun, but not profitable. Any advice? Tips?  Thanks...

[bigpaw 77]

I also have thought about doing some trips down there. I have a friend whos brother camped out down there all of last summer and made over $40,000 It almost seems to good to be true to get paid to fish.

[HornHoarder]

I plan to stay there for 3 months or so, and fish 6-7 days week.  $40 k  does sound to good to be true, but I think thats for real.

[bigpaw 77]

I think its real also, I have heard a lot of storys of guys making a years wage in one sumer of fishing.

[Ridgeratt]

Pikeminnow anglers rolling in $$$
Pikeminnow anglers reel in profits while removing threat to salmon

OLYMPIA -- One angler earned $39,620 this year fishing for northern pikeminnows with a hook and line. His closest rival reeled in $38,084 during the five-month season.

Both are veterans of Washington state's Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Fishery, a 15-year-old program that pays anglers to catch as many pikeminnows as possible on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Voracious predators, pikeminnows take a heavy toll on juvenile salmon in the two rivers, eating millions of outmigrating smolts every year, said Eric Winther, who administers the program for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

But by paying anglers to catch pikeminnows, the program has succeeded in removing more than 2.6 million of the long-snouted fish from the Columbia and Snake rivers since 1990, Winther said.

"Our research indicates that the fishery has reduced pikeminnow predation on young salmon by about 25 percent," he said. "We're making an impact, but we still have some work to do."

Funding for the program is provided by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) under the 1980 Pacific Northwest Power Act.

During this year's season, which ended Sept. 25, anglers earned $4 each for the first 100 northern pikeminnows they caught; $5 each for 101 to 400 pikeminnows; and $8 each for any additional pikeminnows above 400.

Anglers who turn in their catch to special check stations are paid for each fish that measures at least 9 inches long -- the size at which pikeminnows become a serious threat to young salmon.

WDFW also pays anglers $500 for each pikeminnow they catch that is tagged for research purposes.

More than 5,000 anglers took part in this year's fishery, catching a total of 240,955 pikeminnows and earning a total of $1.5 million, Winther said. This year's total catch was second only to last year's record harvest of 267,215 fish.

This year's top money-earner caught 4,740 pikeminnows -- including six tagged fish, which helped solidify his position, Winther said. The runner-up actually caught more fish -- 4,800 -- but fewer were tagged.

"The average angler in this fishery catches six to seven fish per day," Winther said. "But as with salmon or steelhead anglers, the top 5 percent catches 80 percent of the fish."

Winther said WDFW is planning additional incentives and ways to encourage angler participation for the 2006 fishery, which gets under way next May.

"We'd like to hold more instructional clinics and have more informational materials available to anglers on how to catch these predators and make money doing it," he said.

For additional information on the Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Fishery Program, call the pikeminnow hotline at 1-800-858-9015 or visit the program's website at www.pikeminnow.org on the Internet

[lokidog]

Seems stupid to only pay a bounty on the 9+ inch fish, don't 8 inch fish grow into nine inchers???  Do the serious bounty guys release those eight inchers so they will be bigger next year?  How many salmon smolts do they eat gaining that extra inch?  How many don't get caught at nine inches and keep snarfing their way through the salmon population?  maybe they should pay at least half price for the smaller fish?

I don't think I could convince my wife to let me try to earn a living by fishing....   

[goosegetter79]

I was at the Big horn show yesterday and they had a handout  with the top 15 or 20 people on it. The top person made $81,000 this last year. He also caught 13 tagged fish that were worth $500 a piece.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Best of luck.  Keep in mind, those gross amounts don't account for expenses. 

[BigD]

I have talked with a few people that camp in their trailers between the Biggs bridge and the John day dam, they seem to do good in the area. Seemed they were retired. Not a bad plan for some extra income, and cheap if staying in a trailer along the river. They would go into the camp ground once a week or so and pay the camp site fee so they could dump their trailers, shower up or what ever. It was 50 bucks for a yearly state launch pass at the time. One guy claimed he would have 100 fish days every now and again.

[carpsniperg2]

My cuzz made some good money doing it, with a couple of friends during the summer. They caught a few of those 500.00 tagged fish

[CastleRocker]

Here's a question; why is there a bounty on "Pikeminnow", and not on Harvest Trout, and Steelhead?  I'm no biologist so I don't know for certain, but I think a 10lb steelhead will eat a heck of a lot more salmon eggs, and salmon fry than any size Pikeminnow will.

Don't get me wrong, I've made a little money here and there fishing Squawfish, and I love fishing steelhead and harvies.  I'm just curious.  It must be just that time of day...

[Blacklab]

Heard of people making 30 grand @ Bonniville dam.

[blacktail luv]

You can make some money doing it bit don't use baby lamprey for bait they work extremely good but you will get banned from the program for life.  I am speaking from experience. The problem I have with the program is that if they really wanted them gone wouldn't they pay you for every fish no matter how you got them?

[jeepster]

how do they catch the squawfish? are they netted or caught on a line? wonder if you can sein them with a very fine mesh net...

[pjb3]

Best of luck.  Keep in mind, those gross amounts don't account for expenses. 

What expense except for lots of beer

[birdaddict]

how do they fish for pike minnows? I have caught a few while fishing for trout casting rostertails but I imagine there is a better method.

[alanger]

Seems stupid to only pay a bounty on the 9+ inch fish, don't 8 inch fish grow into nine inchers??? 

it wil save our good fishes and fish habitat

[carpsniperg2]

You can make some money doing it bit don't use baby lamprey for bait they work extremely good but you will get banned from the program for life.  I am speaking from experience. The problem I have with the program is that if they really wanted them gone wouldn't they pay you for every fish no matter how you got them?

Or salmon smolt I heard of one person getting busted with a little bucket of live smolt. He dip netted them out of a creek, and was using for bait. Talk about bad new

[Button Nubbs]

I bet they worked pretty damn good though...

[BigGoonTuna]

Here's a question; why is there a bounty on "Pikeminnow", and not on Harvest Trout, and Steelhead?  I'm no biologist so I don't know for certain, but I think a 10lb steelhead will eat a heck of a lot more salmon eggs, and salmon fry than any size Pikeminnow will.

Don't get me wrong, I've made a little money here and there fishing Squawfish, and I love fishing steelhead and harvies.  I'm just curious.  It must be just that time of day...

steelhead aren't in the rivers to feed, while they will attack things, i'd imagine their impact on smolts is pretty minimal.  sea run cutthroats are probably a different story, but i doubt there are enough of them to really do any damage.

hell, squawfish are a native species, and you don't see any bounties on non native ones that eat smolts(like bass, walleye, etc).  kinda makes you think.  they money is definitely good if you know what you're doing though!

[220hunter]

i did this last summer and when your catchin fish you catch ALOT of them and the more fish you catch the more they will pay you too, by no means is it easy and you dont just go out there and catch em, you got to follow around the school of fish and find them all the time. can be boring at times and when its 114 degrees out it kinda sucks but every fish you catch is money in the bank       have friends that do this too and they have bought new boats from the money they got. ill probably do it this summer to

[HornHoarder]

Thanks for the imput fellas. It makes me think I'm not crazy after all. I realize the "fun" aspect of it will probably die off when its 100 degrees and been at it for months, but I plan on treating it like a job. Besides if I can make a good income during the five month season that leaves me the rest of the year to go hunting.

[7mag.]

I'm glad this topic came up. My brother and I have been planning this for several months now, but there was that lingering feeling in the back of my mind that it was too good to be true. I'm not planning on making a living, but the idea that I could spend a lot of time fishing, and possibly make enough to pay for expenses, is intriguing.

[pjb3]

I am willing to go for a summer if someone wants a "tag a long"
I'm not working so it could be a job

[Stickerbush]

I wish they had this bounty program upriver in priest rapids and wanapum pools, then it would be a lot easier for me to do it. Grant pud has their own program up there I worked for them killin npm(norther pikeminnow) for a summer, it was great . Nothin like getting paid to fish, they seemed to bite on wiggle wort and kwikfish lures pretty good. Anything about the size of a smolt and shiny with movement.

yea it is kinda funny though we promote bass and walleye though they are non native and they eat everything. But the NPM are definitely voracious predators, pretty hard fight for their size too

[JKEEN33]

Is the bounty still in effect? It's been several years since I have heard anything new about this.

[Curly]

The reward fishery is still going.  Check out this link:  Link

[HornHoarder]

Well, heres a little update... Been fishing for pikeminnow for the last 15 days. Doing terrible . I have tried fishing out of Cathlamet, Willow Grove, and Beacon rock. Only got 8 legal pikeminnow. I never imagined they would be so difficult to catch. Been distracted by the salmon,steelhead,sturgeon fishing though. Having a blast fishing everyday, not making much money. Not done yet.. planning on hitting up Boyer park soon. Anybody else been bounty fishing lately?

[PolarBear]

I saw a TON of them in Lake Chelan.  I bet a guy that knew what he was doing could clean up there.

[Jburke]

I saw a TON of them in Lake Chelan.  I bet a guy that knew what he was doing could clean up there.

Lake Chelan is not part of the reward fishery though. 

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Not done yet.. planning on hitting up Boyer park soon. Anybody else been bounty fishing lately?

Not sure how the guys are doing.  Just started noticing boats in the river the past 2 weeks or so.  Flows and debris are finally down so you can get out into the river.

[HornHoarder]

The Columbia River is definately higher than normal, and I have been told thats affecting the fishing. Hopefully things pick up soon. There not pikeminnow, but I'll share a few pictures from my trip.

[Miles]

So how many pikeminnow did you end up catching this past summer?

[HornHoarder]

Never broke 100. I think I caught about 92. Learned a lot about pikeminnow fishing, and had a blast. Will probably try it again next year.

[WA hunter14]

is the okanogan river part of the bounty system/area?

[HornHoarder]

is the okanogan river part of the bounty system/area?

No, Columbia and Snake river only.