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Author Topic: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA  (Read 9489 times)

chris gadsden

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Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« on: October 11, 2004, 12:59:28 PM »

Maybe this should be under Coarse Fish Cafe.

Heard on a Seattle radio station last night that over 2 million dollars is to be paid out this year for anglers catching pike minnows.

According to the report they get $5 to $8 dollars a fish, which seems a tad high to me.

It said some anglers have made $30,000.

Anyone else know anything about this program.

Might be better than fishing the Vedder River these days.

chris gadsden

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2004, 01:28:29 PM »

Did a litle research on this. From the Seattle Post.

The Bonnerville Power Administration is boosting the bounty it pays fisherman who catch a top salmon predator in the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Effective immeditaley and this season only, the BPA will pay those who catch pike minnows $5 to $8 per fish. The reward for specially tagged fish jumps from $50 each to $1,000.

The bounty increase is part of a $10 million package paid for by the BPA to offset the effects of not spilling any water from its dams to assist endangered fish during the drought. The purpose is to make passage to the sea easier on salmon ad steelhead.

This was from a July 12, 2001 edition so it sounds like the program continued or this one i heard about is a spin off.

Maybe we should have a program like this in Cultus Lake to protect the endagered Cultus Lake sockeye.

Would be good for us pensioners. ;D ;D

Zaphod

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2004, 03:59:09 PM »

Would be good for us pensioners. ;D ;D

Would also be good for us students. :)

"Provincial government announces new 'pike minnow' scholarship program.."
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Buckeye

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2004, 04:25:50 PM »

Maybe we should have a program like this in Cultus Lake to protect the endagered Cultus Lake sockeye.

Thought about that when I got the minutes from the last meeting Chris.
As far as I know there is still funding available, will discuss it on Thurs. nite.
I might have to take a month off or so  ;D ;D ;D
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Fish Assassin

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2004, 05:03:10 PM »

Anglers get paid $4.00 for every pikeminnow in excess of 9 inches in length. The first 100 is worth $5.00 each. The next 300 are worth $6.00 each and after you have turned in 400, each subsequent ones are worth $8.00 Not a bad payment for catching coarse fish.
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chris gadsden

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2004, 08:19:31 PM »

[

Would also be good for us students. :)

"Provincial government announces new 'pike minnow' scholarship program.."
Should I bring it up at the Liberal convention that I will be attending in Whistler shortly? ;D ;D

Most likely would laugh me off the floor. ;D ;D ;D

redtide

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2004, 08:58:10 PM »

also state in the regs next year that it will be illegal to release any caught pike minnow back into the water. must kill policy. theres tons in the stave at this time of year. keep stealing my roe!
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Koho

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2004, 10:56:12 AM »

There's a pikeminnow webpage that describes the reward program.  The program's been going on since 1990 [edit]. 

Pikeminnow program

Looks like the season ended Sept 26 last month but 267,215 fish were turned in this year.  35,211 total anglers registered this year with an average of 7.6 fish caught per angler per day.  Not bad income for catching fish and helping salmon.  The caught fish are used for fertilizer and fish meal for poultry and dairy cattle feed.
« Last Edit: October 12, 2004, 01:36:14 PM by Koho »
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Steelhawk

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2004, 11:09:28 AM »

They must have raised the bounty per fish quite a bit.  More than 10 years ago, I already noticed their bounty posted on 'Fields & Streams', but only $1 per fish then.  Even at that rate, if we have the same program, I would think a kid or any one else can make good money by targeting them with some sockeye roe during the sockeye fishery in the Fraser.  Judging from the number found at the water's edge chasing fish guts, they must be taking huge number of salmon smolts during the latter's migration to the sea.  I think it is a good idea to have the same program here. 
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Koho

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2004, 02:04:02 PM »

I looked into this a bit more...

The BPA increased the bounty in 2001 when there was a severe drought that was stressing out salmon stocks.  Some of the Columbian River salmon stocks were also classified as 'endangered species' before that in the late 90's.  As the BPA is the company with all the dams on the Columbia, I guess they were a large target and wanted to add more funding to salmon enhancing projects.

Maybe BC Hydro may want to fund a $2 million pikeminnow bounty?  ;)
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Fish Assassin

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2004, 04:36:12 PM »

that would be sweet. getting paid to go fishing  ;D

You get paid for CATCHING pikeminnows  ;D
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Zaphod

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2004, 04:45:28 PM »

that would be sweet. getting paid to go fishing  ;D

You get paid for CATCHING pikeminnows  ;D

Even *I* can do that, so it mustn't be very hard. :)
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Athezone

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #12 on: October 12, 2004, 07:05:16 PM »

Sure do wish they had a program like that up here. Paid to do what we love to do. Woohoooo! Where do I sign up. ;D
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Koho

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #13 on: October 14, 2004, 11:13:38 AM »

Here is the recently released list showing the top 10 individual payouts (US$) from the Pikeminnow fishery.  Courtesy of an Ifish post.

Top 10 Anglers for the 2004 season
#1 $34,526
#2 $32,770
#3 $31,654
#4 $30,284
#5 $26,514
#6 $23,948
#7 $21,226
#8 $20,918
#9 $18,376
#10 $18,220

Most of the top earners are retirees with some time on their hands and a way to supplement their incomes.  Some folks talking about buying new boats and motors with their earnings.
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ocean_going

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Re: Catching Pike Minnows For Cash In The USA
« Reply #14 on: October 15, 2004, 07:07:20 PM »

that would be sweet. getting paid to go fishing  ;D
   yeah, isn't  that what some people do? hmmmm?
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