Colorado River Pikeminnow... 80 lbs!

[Prairiegoat]

Historical perspective:

In the early 1900s landing Colorado pikeminnow estimated at 20 to 80 pounds gave some anglers the thrill of a lifetime, according to a research document published by the Upper Colorado River Recovery Program.

"I pitched that green frog out there and this (Colorado pikeminnow) hit it, just about straight across, and he ran down that fast water, riffles, and took out about 200 feet of line before I turned him around," the report quotes Maybell, Colo., resident Gene Bittler as saying. "It was one of the most thrilling fish I ever caught if you want to know the truth."

The report, "Historical accounts of upper Colorado River Basin endangered fish," is based on more than 100 interviews conducted last year with senior citizens in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. The document includes historic photos of the fish as well as residents' first-hand accounts of catching, cooking and eating the now-endangered Colorado pikeminnow.
 
Anglers reported catching voracious Colorado pikeminnow on everything from swallows and mice to earthworms and chunks of chicken or rabbit.
 
Tim Merchant of Green River, Wyo., said his grandfather caught pikeminnow using chicken parts to bait multiple hooks on a clothesline. His grandfather tied the line to the bumper of his truck and waited. "When (the line) went tight, they'd just back the truck up and drag those fish out on the bank," Merchant said. "They were as big as a junior high school kid, 90 pounds. That's a big fish."

Anglers told of Colorado pikeminnow that were up to 5 feet long and 80 or more pounds; most recalled pikeminnow in the range of 20 to 40 pounds. Many of the seniors said they used Colorado pikeminnow for food, especially during the Depression.


   

[PGKris]

Couple of hogs there for sure. Dunno if I buy 80lbs....20 maybe....biggest I've caught is 6 and it was a bloody hog. Biggest I've SEEN  was probably 10-12.....I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that ol monster cruise by. The pic on the far right is majorly over-stated.....that fish might weight 10 lbs, not anywhere near 25.

[pikemaster789]

wow those are some different looking fish

ive heard of them but didnt think they got very big

[PGKris]

They don't...usually....average maybe 20" where I'm from....but I pull em out every year bigger than 5 lbs. Never cracked the 7lb mark yet though....been close....longest I ever got was 29"...only 5 1/2 lbs...real thin

[Prairiegoat]

Are you are talking about catching the Northern Pikeminnow? Weights of over 7 pounds have been reported in Montana, with weights of nearly 30 pounds reported from Canada. If so, do you catch them ice fishing and do they put up much of a fight?

[pikemaster789]

They don't...usually....average maybe 20" where I'm from....but I pull em out every year bigger than 5 lbs. Never cracked the 7lb mark yet though....been close....longest I ever got was 29"...only 5 1/2 lbs...real thin

]

they any good to eat

[PGKris]

I've caught probably 500,000 pikeminnow. I cut my spinning, flyfishing and icefishing teeth on them. I've seen big ones, but never landed one. I'd have to see one that weighed more than 20lbs before I'd believe it, to be honest. The big ones fight alright but for the most part they aren't worth targetting. I like to go after the big ones in the summer because they pull pretty good.

Lots of bones, some people can them, I've had it canned, they're not bad.

[Prairiegoat]

Big difference between the very plentiful 'Northern Pikeminnow' found in Southwest Canada and Northwest U.S. and the endangered much larger 'Colorado Pikeminnow'. Two separate species of fish. There's even a bounty placed on the northern pikeminnow in Idaho because of all the salmon they eat.

The Colorado pikeminnow (formerly Colorado squawfish) is a torpedo-shaped fish with an olive-green and gold back, silver sides and white belly. These fish spawn between late June and early September when they are 5-6 years old and at least 16 inches long. Similar to salmon, Colorado pikeminnow can migrate more than 200 miles to spawn. The largest minnow in North America and one of the largest in the world, the Colorado pikeminnow at one time may have lived 50 or more years, growing to nearly 6 feet long and weights of up to 80 pounds. In the last 30 years, the largest Colorado pikeminnow found in the upper Colorado River basin was nearly 38 inches long and weighed about 25 pounds.

[BigZee44]

I've caught probably 500,000 pikeminnow.

I wish i had the washington state bounty on PGKris' 500,000 squawfish.  The state pays 3-5 dollars per fish you catch out of the Colmbia River System.  I have never done it but i know some people who make trips up the river and if you can find them they make a couple hundred bucks.  Im not sure if they do the bounty anymore it have been a few years since i have live at home but as long as they are gobbling up salmon smolt im sure they have a price on their head.

[PGKris]

Well they look identical Either way, putting a bounty on them is pointless. They breed, and breed, and breed some ore. And they don't really compete with salmon

[Prairiegoat]

Well they look identical Either way, putting a bounty on them is pointless. They breed, and breed, and breed some ore. And they don't really compete with salmon

HOW TO SAVE A SALMON
(AND MAKE MONEY DOING IT)
 
How can YOU save a salmon? Go fishing! Thousands of anglers are saving salmon by catching northern pikeminnow, and they are getting paid for their catch. YOU can help by taking part in the BPA-funded Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Program, part of the Northern Pikeminnow Management Program. Northern pikeminnow eat millions of young salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake rivers each year. Researchers believe reducing the number of these predators can greatly help the salmon and steelhead.

In the 2007 season, we will pay anglers for fish 9 inches and larger. The reward will remain the same at $4-$8 for each northern pikeminnow caught in the lower Columbia (mouth to Priest Rapids Dam) and Snake (mouth to Hells Canyon Dam) rivers. This year's qualifying tagged fish will be worth $500. 

We're not trying to eliminate northern pikeminnow. What we're trying to do is reduce the average size. Smaller fish eat fewer smolts. Evaluation of the reward fishery is an important component of the overall program. It will tell us how effective we are and where we need to make improvements.

Results indicate that the program is successful. Since 1990 over 2.8 million northern pikeminnow have been removed from the Snake and Columbia rivers as a result of the sport reward program. Millions of young salmon survived that would have otherwise been eaten. We estimate that predation on juvenile salmonids has been cut by 25 percent. In 2006, nearly 238,000 northern pikeminnow were caught.

The northern pikeminnow caught are not going to waste. They are used in liquid organic fertilizer for agriculture and fish meal for poultry and dairy cattle feed.
 

WHAT IS A NORTHERN PIKEMINNOW?
 
 
The northern pikeminnow, is a large member of the minnow family. It has a long snout and large mouth. It is dusky green above and silvery-bronze below. It is similar in shape to the walleye, but a pikeminnow doesn't have the walleye's spiny dorsal fins and white-tipped tail fin. Unlike walleye, northern pikeminnow are native to the Columbia River system. The Columbia's northern pikeminnow is not the same as the threatened Colorado pikeminnow. They are two distinct species.

 
 

WHY IS MY ELECTRIC BILL PAYING ANGLERS TO CATCH NORTHERN PIKEMINNOW?
 
 
The 1980 Pacific Northwest Power Act directs the Bonneville Power Administration to fund work to improve salmon runs harmed by federal hydroelectric dams.
Development of the hydrosystem has made young salmon more vulnerable to predators, including northern pikeminnow, by slowing the flow of the river and concentrating young salmon at dams. In addition, young salmon pass dams through conduits around dam turbines, over spillways or through the turbines. This disorients and injures them, making them easy prey for northern pikeminnow.
 

THE 2007 NORTHERN PIKEMINNOW SEASON
 
 
The fishery includes the mainstem lower Columbia River up to Priest Rapids Dam in Washington and the Snake River up to Hells Canyon Dam in Idaho. Also open within this reach are backwaters, sloughs, and up to 400 feet into tributaries on the Columbia and Snake rivers. (Check fishing regulations for your state.)
For every northern pikeminnow 9 inches or longer returned to a registration station, anglers will receive $4-$8. The more fish an angler catches, the more they're worth: the first 100 in one season are worth $4 each; after 100, they're worth $5 each; and after 400 they're worth $8 each. Special tagged northern pikeminnow will be worth $500 again this year.

The 2007 season will start May 14, 2007. The season will end September 30, 2007.

[Bonzo]

Pretty ridiculous band-aid type cure.  If you can get a pikeminnow to grow to 80 lbs, hell with the salmon.  I'm still pi$$ed they changed from squawfish. 

[PGKris]

I can't see it being all that effective, sorry. I've caught and killed so many pikeminnow from my local lake, they're still there. But I have noticed a slight increase it trout size over the past few years. Could be any number of factors contributing to that though. Question to ask is why kill off all the pikeminnow when they were coexisting with the salmon long before we got here. I dunno....there's too many factors I'm not aware of. Tight Lines
Kris

[ifitswims]

I really hope they continue to kill all of the world class sportfish, they are of no significance.