Caught this in the Columbia someone help me identify it

[SiletzTroutKiller]

Last summer I was sturgeon fishing the Columbia and we were getting really small bites, too small to be a sturgeon. So I placed a little piece of squid on a hook on a trout pole and let it sit on the bottom. Sure enough something bit and this is was it was. What is it?

 

[Tacomasteelheader]

some kind of sucker or chub/carp

 

[Modest_Man]

It's a Northern pikeminnow.

 

[Tacomasteelheader]

It's a Northern pikeminnow.

nice

 

[Rock10]

Squaw fish, or Pike minnow, if you sing up in the morning you can go out fishing for them and receive a bounty for everyone you catch over 9". They also have some that are tagged that are worth a lot more.

 

[troutdude]

Rock is correct. Here is the Pike Minnow rewards program information.

Note: the season starts on May 1st.

https://www.pikeminnow.org/

 

[grampa ron]

It is a Pike Minnow. Do not confuse it with a Northern Pike. They are not the same at all.

 

[Modest_Man]

It is a Pike Minnow. Do not confuse it with a Northern Pike. They are not the same at all.

It's a Northern Pikeminnow...Ptychocheilus oregonensis.

 

[bass]

It's a Northern Pikeminnow...Ptychocheilus oregonensis.

Is that related to a chain pickerel.... just kidding

 

[Marvin's Guide Service]

It's a Northern pikeminnow. Go back and catch some in the summer, and you can make money for them,

 

[Montana]

Didn't know we had these around here!

 

[SiletzTroutKiller]

Thanks guys for the help. I'm defiantly going to target these things if it means money. Believe it or not I caught a couple more of them in Loon Lake south of Florence on a worm I'll see if I can find a picture

 

[Modest_Man]

They're only worth money in the Columbia and you have to register each day before fishing for them, and then check in your catches in the evening. They're a native species found throughout the Northwest - the only reason there is a reward program on the Columbia is because humans set up dams which negatively impact Salmonids, while positively impacting Northern pikeminnow.

 

[SiletzTroutKiller]

Ahhh 10-4 well thanks for the info

 

[Willieman]

And I hope you killed that one! They are voracious eaters of young salmonoids.

 

[OnTheFly]

It's a Northern pikeminnow. Go back and catch some in the summer, and you can make money for them,

That's the truth and the size of that one looks like it would have paid off well!