Thoughts on Pikeminnows?

[napzard]

When you catch them and you're not on the Columbia or near a registration area...do you kill em? Do you release them? Eat them? I've caught quite a few on the Clackamas. Released them but am wondering if I should have done something else. These things eat steelhead and salmon smolt correct?

 

[Fishtopher]

None of the ones I catch are live released back into the Sandy or Clack. Im not sure about 'em eating smolt, but Im positive they eat the eggs.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

KILL them ALL!

 

[The Nothing]

KILL them ALL!

if you're worried about pikeminnow killing smolt, then you should also be killing all the bass...

 

[Troutier Bassier]

You should be Worried about Bass, Walleye, and Sturgeon too.
Kill them. Crab Bait, Fertilizer.

 

[lizardman]

Take them home and fillet them. Take the fillets and cut into strips about the size of pickled herring; place the strips in the pickled herring juice and use as a replacement for roe mop (sturgeon bait), or use them to add nutrients to your flower garden's soil.

Dave

 

[FishSchooler]

You should be Worried about Bass, Walleye, and Sturgeon too.
Kill them. Crab Bait, Fertilizer.

You CAN'T kill those unlimitedly.
I believe... any fish you take home either is eaten or used for bait to catch something that tastes better (unless the fish has toxins in it).

 

[Thuggin4Life]

if you're worried about pikeminnow killing smolt, then you should also be killing all the bass...

I would be killing the bass if i lived in portland. But i would put them to good use as cab bait.

 

[TTFishon]

I release them. I'm not going to throw them on the bank just because they eat salmon eggs. If that was the case then I'd have to throw the trout and steelhead on the bank also.

 

[Razz]

To see the impact of pikeminnow aka squaw fish the Eel River in CA had these come into the system in the 80's.No salmon fishing allowed and hook and release steelhead this system was one of the top salmon rivers in the country.Invasive spicies pikeminnow destroyed this river,something loggers tried but could not do.

 

[rainman]

Mother Nature put the pikeminnow there for a reason.
Having said that, I whack 'em on the head and toss them in the bushes. Not that I catch very many.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

To see the impact of pikeminnow aka squaw fish the Eel River in CA had these come into the system in the 80's.No salmon fishing allowed and hook and release steelhead this system was one of the top salmon rivers in the country.Invasive spicies pikeminnow destroyed this river,something loggers tried but could not do.

Still trying to figure out why the economy sucks, schools are finacialy failing, and there doesn't seem to be any government money? Logging is a key support in this world and many things benifit from logging. Logging was a key industry especially here in the northwest. Aslo if we did more forest management maybe there wouldn't be as many forest fires or at least they wouldn't be as bad. But yeah pikeminnow natural or not isn't a good contributer to the ecosystem.

 

[Kodiak]

Pike Minnow....What the racoons get for dinner!

 

[Troutier Bassier]

schools are finacialy failing, and there doesn't seem to be any government money?

Yep!
Reynolds is $32Mil in Debt.

 

[FishSchooler]

I release them. I'm not going to throw them on the bank just because they eat salmon eggs. If that was the case then I'd have to throw the trout and steelhead on the bank also.

Let us rephrase that... PM's will eat smolts, eggs, and anything else they come across.They eat way much more too.

 

[FishSchooler]

Yep!
Reynolds is $32Mil in Debt.

Where do you get that number? That is huge... :think::shock:

 

[TTFishon]

Let us rephrase that... PM's will eat smolts, eggs, and anything else they come across.They eat way much more too.

OK I will rephrase. Pikeminnow, trout, and steelhead will eat smolts, eggs, and anything else they come across. They eat way much more too..
So what do you mean "anything else they come across. They eat way much more too." Pikeminnow are part of the ecosystem just as any other living being is. Sure they eat fish eggs but so do trout and steelhead. They eat smolts but so do trout and steelhead so what is your point?

 

[fishinmachine]

Mother Nature put the pikeminnow there for a reason.

Yes she did...Crab Bait.

I used to chuck em on the bank and move on. Now we target them on the willy here in Corvallis for a nice summer evening fishery. Anything I catch around Corvallis, that lives here year round is crab bait. Except sturg.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

OK I will rephrase. Pikeminnow, trout, and steelhead will eat smolts, eggs, and anything else they come across. They eat way much more too..
So what do you mean "anything else they come across. They eat way much more too." Pikeminnow are part of the ecosystem just as any other living being is. Sure they eat fish eggs but so do trout and steelhead. They eat smolts but so do trout and steelhead so what is your point?

They are an invasive species that was introduced. Just like small mouth bass, any non native fish should be killed.

 

[TTFishon]

They are an invasive species that was introduced. Just like small mouth bass, any non native fish should be killed.

Introduced from where? From what I have read they are native to this region. Do you have information stating otherwise? I might change my tune a little then.