One fisher made $61,000 from the Columbia and Snake rivers this summer.
As part of a Bonneville Power Administration program, they and hundreds of other anglers in Oregon and Washington earned a bounty for each northern pikeminnow they caught, which preys on salmon and steelhead smolts.
While his wife caught an additional 1,700, the anonymous top earner removed 7,185, seven of which were tagged.
According to Columbia River BPA regulations in 2021, anglers were paid $5 for their first 25 fish over 9 inches, $6 for 26-200, and $8 for each fish beyond 200.
Participants were rewarded with an additional $500 for tagging fish.
The bounty amount has been increased for the 2022 season, which runs from May 1 to September 30.
Upon catching their first 25 fish that exceed 9 inches, fishermen will receive $6, then $8 per fish up to 200, and $10 for any pikeminnows that exceed that limit.
In addition, the reward for tagged fish remains at $500 per fish.
As well as receiving an initial $10 without limit on the number of submitted catches, anglers simply need to register daily at state-run check stations along the Columbia and Snake rivers to qualify for these bonuses.
There is a Northern Pikeminnow Program that stretches from the mouth of the Columbia and Snake rivers up to Priest Rapids Dam above the Tri-Cities region.
According to BPA, $700,000 in prizes were distributed to anglers in 2021 a decrease from $840,000 in 2020. 89,600 pikeminnows were registered, down from 103,100 in 2020.
Due to high levels of debris in May and June, Eric Winther of WDFW commented that fishing conditions at the Yakima River near Tri-Cities weren’t favorable.
Sources: Fieldstream
