Interesting.

That would be nice, but with my fishing skills I’m looking at making about a $1.79

If they'd pay me $6 a piece for cormorants I'd be livin' large...

I have read up a lot on this pike minnow deal. Funny thing is the top guy will not disclose his methods or give any tips, would not want anyone catching fish that he could have caught! He is head and shoulders above the others and has been for several seasons.

BUT wait, wasn't the goal to get rid of all the pike minnows? Not to make a living catching them. The program really has some big flaws. The goal is to get rid of the fish, if I was the state I would say you cannot collect unless you disclose your methods and we verify them. That way we can share them and help others catch more... hence supporting our actual goal here.

That I could handle no customers to mess with either

Bwaaa haa ha James! I KNOW that's right!!!

I'd be happy if they just paid for my shells.

... "over the five-month open season in the Pacific Northwest's Columbia and Snake Rivers"... So they're trying to eradicated the species but only let you fish for it for 5 months a year???... Left coast logic... Dan

Now that's livin the dream!

interesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_pikeminnow#:~:text=The%20Northern%20pikeminnow%2C%20Columbia%20River,to%20the%20Columbia%20River%20basin.

Just like our Government, make a new job that won't ever run out of work by limiting how much and when to fish. Should only cost the taxpayers a few million or so.

They are not trying to get rid of them, just control their numbers. On their website they have several You Tube videos and they say it on every video.
https://www.pikeminnow.org/resources/how-to/


They had (I believe they have added more stations) 18 stations located at boat ramps along the rivers. You'd register with them each day you wanted to participate and turn the fish in at a small weigh-in like station between 1-6PM each day. They have a 24 hour rule but you have to register and turn them in in that time period.
It would be easier and less cost to just let commercial netters catch them. I believe they do it to promote fishing with the tease of money.

$100,000 isn't a tease IMO.

Correct. I mis-spoke. They are native and the goal is not to get rid of them all... but to put a big dent in them. They feed heavy on salmon fry and they are trying to help recover the salmon.

Its also only for bigger fish, they dont pay for the dinks that are too small to really eat a salmon. They want to change the population dynamics to that of a typical Texas tank... too many fish, so none get too big. If they are not big, they cannot eat salmon.

There is a sliding scale on what they pay for fish based on number you have submitted a bounty on. And yes as mentioned part of this is to get people out fishing with the idea they might be able to catch a few worth a few bucks. There are also tagged fish worth $500 each if you get one of those.

The stories about guys making big money doing it are one off's. Those guys spend 24/7 basically during the open season fishing and are anomalies. Basically commercial fisherman with a rod. But they make great click bait!!!

Most folks just turn in a few fish a year and its fun little bonus.

It is funny that the top guys dont want to talk too much about how they do it. They should make a reality show out of it. Like "Wicked Pike Minnows". I would watch at least one season lol.