If you fish the Fraser River frequently during the summer months, either for salmon or other coarse species, then most likely you have encountered this species. The northern pikeminnow is not usually targeted by BC anglers due to its poor eating quality. Often it is regarded as a pest because it competes indirectly with salmon anglers by feeding on fries and eggs. However, this species can grow to a very large size, and its tremendous fighting power can provide excellent sportfishing.

Description

The northern pikeminnow has a dark green or green-brown back, and a white/cream abdomen. The head is relatively long, approximately 22% to 23% of the total length. The eyes of adults are small. Its tail is distinctly forked. The fins are clear, however males display yellow/orange lower fins during spawning periods. Mature individuals generally have a rounded belly. Average size ranges between 30cm to 50cm or two to four pounds. However sizes up to 25 pounds have been recorded, and are generally found in large lakes.

Distribution

The northern pikeminnow can only be found in BC and parts of Washington. It occurs in most of the major BC river systems, including Fraser, Skeena and Columbia. Smaller fish or young adults are also found in smaller streams. Large individuals are usually found in the interior lakes. Although a freshwater species, the northern pikeminnow can also be found in the estuary system as it gets carried down by the spring freshet.

Life History

Spawning periods of northern pikeminnow occur between May and July. They generally spawn in shallow gravel riverbed, along the lake shore or river bank. The fish tend to gather in large numbers, and each female will spawn with more than one male. The eggs are released near the bottom, and will settle on the ground eventually. The eggs will hatch in a week. Sexual maturation is reached in six years when they are about a foot long.

Squawfish are generally scavengers, and their diet ranges from small insects to large shiners. Young individuals (2cm - 10cm) will feed on insects until they grow larger. Fish that are in the middle size range will feed on plankton and small fish such as salmonoid fries and shiners. Large northern pikeminnows that live offshore will only feed on fish. During the salmon spawning season, they will also feed on eggs.

Fishing Locations

When fishing for any species, it is important to know where to look for the fish. Northern pikeminnow will usually hang around the river shore, close to rocks near the bottom as a hiding area. They can be found in the entire Fraser system. When fishing in the Fraser estuary, look for northern pikeminnow close to shore near structures such as rocks, logs, eel grass, pylons and piers. Due to the strong current in the main channel, they will usually choose slow water where no current exists. Many times, I have seen northern pikeminnow chasing my bait/lures to few inches of water, right by where I was standing.

I fish along the lower Fraser River near the mouth frequently because it's right behind my backyard. One of my favorite spot is Garry Point Park in Richmond, right at the mouth, because the area is full of structures where fish can hide. The nearby piers and jetties are also excellent spots too. These include London's Landing and No. 3 Road Pier. They can be found anywhere along the dyke but you have a better chance to hook a big fish in protected or calm water.

Fishing Techniques

Prime time to fish for northern pikeminnow is between the months of May and September. However, I found that larger fish are usually caught between June and August. The fish that are caught before June are usually less than a foot long.

Northern pikeminnow can be great fun on light tackle, so my line is usually kept under 6lb. Your rod should be around 6 or 7 feet long, a small spinning reel with a nice drag is all you need. There are many ways to catch them, these techniques include spinning, float fishing, bottom fishing (bar fishing) and jigging. The easiest way is definitely float fishing. All you need is a light float with proper balanced weight, accompanied by some bait such as bread, worms, or roe. Drift the float near the rocks, and strikes will usually occur within seconds. This method is usually used in calm waters where no or little current exists. Bottom fishing can also be quite effective, but you risk the chance of loosing your tackle from snags. Again, a bar rig can be used with the above mentioned bait. You weight should be light, preferably below 1oz. Bottom fishing is used in waters where current is found. The key for both methods is to keep the bait close to the bottom, where the fish are.

My favorite method is definitely spinning because it's challenging. Spinning has the advantage of only hooking larger fish because the smaller fish will not attack a lure half of their size. Some of the lures I used include the croc spoons, Colorado spinners and Coho spoons. Choose your lures based on the colour of the water and the light intensity. If it's cloudy and the water is dirty, I would go for a orange or darker lure. If it's sunny and the water is fairly clear, then a silver or bright lure is used. Location is also a major factor too. If baitfish are found where you are fishing such as the Fraser River mouth, then I would go for a silver lure. Make sure the size of the lure matches the size of the fish. When spinning, keep your lure as close to the bottom as possible. Be prepare to strike as the lure gets closer to shore because that's where the fish are. The only disadvantage with spinning is that it is too "fast" for the squawfish. Squawfish have a tendency to hesitate before they strike. Many times I would see fish following my lure closely but will not strike until it's too late (when my lure is already out of the water)!

Jigging is also a popular method but again you risk the chance of snagging. Pink worms, orange worms, black worms are just some of my favorite jigs. To avoid snagging, you can attach a running float to your line with a stopper on top. Like crappy fishing, this keeps the jig suspends just above the bottom and still allows you to jig as the float slides along the line.

Back to Fish Profiles.