My concern with pike minnows

[PK Yi]

I remember fishing at the Long Tom about 12 years ago, and caught many bass. Now, I catch a lot of pike minnows. Much more pike minnows than bass. And I went to a small creek that flows into the Willamette 4 days ago, and also caught a lot of pike minnows. One was about 17 inches. plus many in the 12-15 inches range. For those who have fished the Willamette for a long time, have you noticed any increase in the rate of catching these pike minnows? Should one be alarmed? I wish ODFW would install pike minnow bounties on the Willamette too.

 

[C_Run]

I have not fished bass for too many years but 3 or 4 years ago I was getting about one pikeminnow for every smallmouth. Now I don't think I have caught one in the last 2 years on my local Willamette trib. I know that's not a lot of data to make a generalization.

 

[pinstriper]

So...we want to eradicate the native pikeminnow fish so things are more favorable for the non-native bass ?

 

[PK Yi]

Yes, they are native as stated in the regs. But do you guys kill them or release them back?

 

[pinstriper]

I release them. They annoy me by gobbling on my bait and making me think I have a steelhead or salmon hit, but I don't agree with just killing them. And hey, if things kee- going, they may be all we get to fish for !

 

[Casting Call]

I release them. They annoy me by gobbling on my bait and making me think I have a steelhead or salmon hit, but I don't agree with just killing them. And hey, if things kee- going, they may be all we get to fish for !

I agree with Mark! Tony

 

[ChezJfrey]

So...we want to eradicate the native pikeminnow fish so things are more favorable for the non-native bass ?

Exactly...kind of a head shaker there. Native, wild fish = bad, Invasive, non-native fish = good?

 

[EOBOY]

Growing up in the EO and fishing the Umatilla, Grand Rhond, John Day, and the Big D. , Powder river and the Lostine. Squaw fish (pike minnow) chubs (suckers) whatever, were deemed trash fish and we were encouraged to throw them on the bank. After listening to the debate here for the last few years I've changed my thinking. Although I still feel the urge to bank em.

 

[jamisonace]

Yes, they are native as stated in the regs. But do you guys kill them or release them back?

I kill them every time. Might use as crab bait if I need some.