Large Willamette pikeminnow

[brandon4455]

about 2 years ago i was fishing the park in independence and found a small dead fish on the bank dad cut it up and we used it as bait,, we were all the way at the end of the park down the small hill and we waded in.. the water we were fishing was atleast 20ft deep calm and green. we both ended up banking 3 pikeminnow but the weird park was,, they were around 5-6lbs each and the size of a decent sized steelhead, and they put up a nice fight , was it the bait i was using? the time of year? (summer) has anyone else caught pikeminnow this big? thanks for any input i forgot about that day and have been baffled about the size of those fish for a while

brandon

 

[beaverfan]

One summer when I was a year or two older than you my dad and I were up at Quesnel Lake up in British Columbia. There were some smaller lakes we were gonna hike in and fish that were supposed to have some nice trout. We get to the first one a catch and release a ton then head out to the second one. We get there and cast out and bam fish on it was a like a 5lb pikeminnow. We proceeded to catch dozens of them like seriously on every cast for a couple of hours. Most of them were in the 5-6lb range it was crazy!

 

[brandon4455]

smaller pikeminow don't fight but the big ones are off the hook, especially on a trout rod, thats a great story jay. what kind of bait did you use? i usually have wormas for the small ones but that little fsh seemed to get aslot of big fish

 

[Drew9870]

I catch fat ones around 3lbs at the Willamette in Salem, also in a few other bodies of water around here, Mill Creek has some monsters.

I usually make fun out of them on bored days, bread balls, size 12 trebles, and 6lb line sometimes with 4lb leader when they seem finicky during the summer, half the time you catch monster 4-5lb suckers.

 

[Phil_Bud]

Can someone post a pic of a pike minnow...I've heard of this invasive species. Not too many people seem to like them right?

 

[GraphiteZen]

Can someone post a pic of a pike minnow...I've heard of this invasive species. Not too many people seem to like them right?

They feed on salmon smolt so yes they are disliked VERY severely. Every year I believe it's the Bonneville Power Administration that holds a Pikeminnow contest and pays a significant amount of money to anglers who can bring them in!

 

[n8r1]

Can someone post a pic of a pike minnow...I've heard of this invasive species. Not too many people seem to like them right?

I'm pretty sure that they're a native species, not invasive. But they do gobble up smolts and are an enemy of the ODFW.

In my opinion there are much bigger issues to address regarding the salmon run depletion than pikeminnows but that is for another thread, I don't want to hijack this one.

As far as pikeminnows fighting, I think they feel identical to a similar sized rainbow.

 

[brandon4455]

they were huge i could not believe a pikeminnow got to 5-6 pounds and atleast 25 inches,, my family sometimes goes on "extermination trips and catches as many as we can and throw em on the bank

 

[Drew9870]

Actually it is Native, but I, like many, bonk and bank them.

Don't quote me just cause I release Carp, lol, Carp don't live anywhere near the right spawning conditions for Salmonids, so I don't believe they affect fish populations like predator species such as Pikeminnows.

 

[brandon4455]

I catch fat ones around 3lbs at the Willamette in Salem, also in a few other bodies of water around here, Mill Creek has some monsters.

I usually make fun out of them on bored days, bread balls, size 12 trebles, and 6lb line sometimes with 4lb leader when they seem finicky during the summer, half the time you catch monster 4-5lb suckers.

those are fun on trout rods, i love big msuckers! drew, we need to fish the willy in the spring when the water starts to warm up

 

[GraphiteZen]

Actually it is Native, but I, like many, bonk and bank them.

Don't quote me just cause I release Carp, lol, Carp don't live anywhere near the right spawning conditions for Salmonids, so I don't believe they affect fish populations like predator species such as Pikeminnows.

Yup. Sure. OK then. What's a holiday without a little hypocrisy!?

 

[Drew9870]

mrlindman and I already look forward the the late Spring Willy fishin, anyone brave enough to fish for Carp is more than welcome to join us, we usually catch Squaws, Suckers, and I would call an 8lb Carp a complete baby, 12-16lb is about the average, my best from this hole was about 20lbs on 4lb flourclear with a 38'' Ultralight ice fishing rod.

I've broken off fish on my Carp rod with 50lb PowerPro and 50lb Tuffline leader.

Yup. Sure. OK then. What's a holiday without a little hypocrisy!?

Lol, Merry Christmas!

 

[GraphiteZen]

mrlindman and I already look forward the the late Spring Willy fishin, anyone brave enough to fish for Carp is more than welcome to join us, we usually catch Squaws, Suckers, and I would call an 8lb Carp a complete baby, 12-16lb is about the average, my best from this hole was about 20lbs on 4lb flourclear with a 38'' Ultralight ice fishing rod.

I've broken off fish on my Carp rod with 50lb PowerPro and 50lb Tuffline leader.

What are your thoughts on smoking carp?

 

[brandon4455]

first off, LOL at smoking carp second, if i am going with you guys should i be bringing a big rod? i know we have a possibility of catching sturgeon so im guessing bringing my lami is a good idea? HA i hijacked my own thread. ive only caught a few carp really looking forward to getting into it more. on the fly and with gear

 

[GraphiteZen]

Really that far off eh? haha... I figure anything is smokable with the right brine... Except for rockfish. I literally wanted to vomit.

 

[brandon4455]

if you give it to illegal aliens ,they eat anything HA

 

[Drew9870]

I think you could find something around Oregon a lot more worthwhile of smoking, like, Steelhead.

Lol.

 

[GraphiteZen]

I think you could find something around Oregon a lot more worthwhile of smoking, like, Steelhead.

Lol.

haha ok. Nicely put.

 

[GraphiteZen]

if you give it to illegal aliens ,they eat anything HA

Watch yerself dood. :naughty:

 

[Drew9870]

What are your thoughts on smoking carp?

Next time I catch something I wouldn't eat, I'll think, I should've saved it for GraphiteZen, he'll smoke anything. Lol.