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Author Topic: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program  (Read 2617 times)

Offline Skillet

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2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« on: December 18, 2024, 03:15:17 PM »
Not sure if you guys have seen this - the top earner this year crushed the all-time high.  I look at that in terms of - 5 months of solid effort, very low entry barrier to overcome, very low expenses to operate. 

16,150 fish turned in
$164,260 in revenue

Should be a pretty attractive hustle for those who could dedicate half a year to it.
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Offline RB

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2024, 03:53:22 PM »
WOW!  :yike:

Wonder how a person could get that many? Multiple rods? Hand Grenades? Sharks with Lasers on their heads? hahaha
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Offline metlhead

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2024, 04:28:48 PM »
Net. Fished with a top earner years back in the Snake. Hard work just finding them. Good spot would produce about 60 fish a night. Do the math

Offline Bareback

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2024, 04:45:01 PM »
Skillet, have u considered changing your target species?

Offline actionshooter

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2024, 04:52:22 PM »
I always wondered if there were multiple folks and only 1 person turned them in??

Offline wadu1

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2024, 05:04:57 PM »
Do you get extra for tagged fish?
"a fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi"

Offline Skillet

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2024, 06:05:54 PM »
Skillet, have u considered changing your target species?

I think it would be pretty hard on my keel to work the pikeminnow drag  :chuckle: 
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"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
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Offline Buckhunter24

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #7 on: December 18, 2024, 06:16:17 PM »
That's a lot of fish, must have a big aquarium at home  :fishin:  :chuckle:

Offline slavenoid

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #8 on: December 18, 2024, 07:19:36 PM »
If it's the same top guy as years back it was explained to me that he basically lives on a boat and never stops fishing. His wife would drive to town for food and supplies to keep him going. Not a side gig but more of a lifestyle to make that much.

Offline bear

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #9 on: December 19, 2024, 02:30:58 AM »
Guys on the Columbia long line for them.  Weight, long line with hooks spaced out, and a bouy.  Catch whatever.  I’m sure walleye are a nice by catch.

Online birdshooter1189

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #10 on: December 19, 2024, 06:53:11 AM »
Do you get extra for tagged fish?

Yes. 

https://www.pikeminnow.org/

Payout rates are:
$6 per fish for first 25
$8 per fish for numbers 26-200
$10 per fish beyond 201

Verified external tags are worth $500 each
Verified PIT tag only fish are worth $200 each

Online birdshooter1189

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #11 on: December 19, 2024, 06:55:36 AM »
I've never participated in this program but I'd like to try it sometime.  Last summer I caught a few pikeminnow as by-catches when I was targetting trout.  None of mine were caught within  the region that qualifies for the program though. 

Offline b23

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #12 on: December 19, 2024, 07:45:20 AM »
16,150 fish turned in

As a salmon troller I bet you'd love to be able to catch 16,150 Kings.  Even if they avg. 8lb that'd probably be a pretty good season.  :tup:

Offline Skillet

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #13 on: December 19, 2024, 08:55:21 AM »
Guys on the Columbia long line for them.  Weight, long line with hooks spaced out, and a bouy.  Catch whatever.  I’m sure walleye are a nice by catch.

This would be illegal for a sport fisherman to do anywhere in the columbia system.  There is a company called Columbia Research that is contracted by PUD's upstream of Priest Rapid Dam to remove pikeminnow with longline gear a you describe, but the annual reports I've read indicate they're pretty good at targeting pikeminnow over bycatch.  Just like me,  I want to get paid to catch the fish I can sell,  not have worthless fish occupy one of the hooks instead.
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"The ocean is calling, and I must go."

"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
     - Gordon Lightfoot

Offline Skillet

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Re: 2024 Pikeminnow Bounty program
« Reply #14 on: December 19, 2024, 09:02:40 AM »
16,150 fish turned in

As a salmon troller I bet you'd love to be able to catch 16,150 Kings.  Even if they avg. 8lb that'd probably be a pretty good season.  :tup:

About 5% of that number would make a pretty good king year for me!  I've never had an annual average of less than 11# dressed weight per fish though.
KABOOM Count - 1

"The ocean is calling, and I must go."

"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
     - Gordon Lightfoot

 


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