Paid to fish!!! Free camping!!!

[Francesca Knowles]

If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'!

How many of us Washington-/Oregon-ian Fishing Fools (Fishertonians) have participated in this too-good-to-be-true-except-it-is Bounty Program?
The Northern Pikeminnow, bless its invasive little heart, has become such a menace in the lower Columbia river that combined agencies have gotten together, formed, AND FUNDED a network of paystations at which you will be paid from $4 to $8 for every Pikeminnow over 9" long. That is, unless you're lucky enough to catch one that's tagged, in which case you'll get FIVE HUNDRED SMACKERS for it.
But wait!
There's more!...
There's lots of free camping for cheapskates like me!
Hmmm...
No-fee camping...no-limit fishing...PAID to do what others (e.g.:your spouse) label a waste of time...being on the right side of "the Greenies" for a change...
If it gets any better, I don't see how!


Francesca

The 2011 season for the fishery will start May 1, 2011 for all stations. Season will end September 30, 2011.
Map of the paystations posted below.

Read all about it at 2011 Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Fishery

[theresa p]

wish i lived closer....sounds like the PRIME deal of the season!!!!!!

[james kent]

I had to double check that this wasn't posted on April 1st.
Are you in an area where you can use two poles at a time to double your chances? A dedicated angler could possibly make a living doing this for the summer. What a break for someone who is temporarily out of work.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'!

There's more!...
There's lots of free camping for cheapskates like me!
Hmmm...
No-fee camping...no-limit fishing...PAID to do what others (e.g.:your spouse) label a waste of time...being on the right side of "the Greenies" for a change...

Where is the camping info?

[Karalyn]

You get paid to catch Northern Pike?! Good eating and fun to catch. what fun! Wish I lived closer too

[Bobbie Mayer]

Aren't pike the ones full of bones? It says somewhere in the info that the fish are hard to catch! (Aren't all fish hard to catch? They are when I fish.)

[Mike Magee]

Pike aren't particularly hard to catch. They do have lots of bones. However, it appears that these aren't pike. I just read up a bit at www.pikeminnow.org and it seems these used to be called northern squawfish. Not sure how they compare to actual northern pike (which I've caught and eaten often enough).

I haven't found the free camping info yet.

[Cyndi B.]

My husband went trout fishing below the Trout Hatchery here in Decorah where the Eagles nest and brought me 5 trout. The State just released them into the stream so they, the trout didn't know what they were doing. The were very good.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

Where is the camping info?

The free camping information is really hard to find. I know one that I found by knowing there was free camping the area. Just below John Day Dam there a long strip of road with a few toilets and lots of pull out for camping. If you're on I-84 headed west you can see campers down there. You get there from the first exit past the dam going west.
There's some areas around Bonneville Dam that I think camping is allowed, but I'm not sure how to get to them.
Maybe some others know about some of the other places on Washington side.

FYI,, You do need a valid fishing license for where you're fishing.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

Aren't pike the ones full of bones? It says somewhere in the info that the fish are hard to catch! (Aren't all fish hard to catch? They are when I fish.)

I don't believe you get to keep the fish.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by james kent

I had to double check that this wasn't posted on April 1st.
Are you in an area where you can use two poles at a time to double your chances? A dedicated angler could possibly make a living doing this for the summer. What a break for someone who is temporarily out of work.

The regulations say you have to abide by local fishing regulations, either Washington or Oregon regulations depending on which side of river you either fish from or launch your boat. Oregon does NOT allow more than a single pole and I don't believe Washington does either.

[Francesca Knowles]

Hi, all!

The area in the map is mostly Corps of Engineers jurisdiction. Agency policy is to allow dispersed camping throughout the district. There are also a number of Corps developed (fee) campgrounds. Info for Corps Recreation in this area is at Walla Walla District - Recreation Index - Army Corps of Engineers
Free camping is also permitted at most WDFW public access sites in the area. You need to post the Vehicle Use Permit issued with your fishing/hunting license at these sites.
As noted above, Pikeminnow isn't a true Pike. I don't know if they're even edible.
I just think this sounds like a lot of useful fun, and wouldn't it be nice if a person could earn a bit towards the cost of a trip?
It's not clear to me what happens to the fish once the bounty's paid. As for two poles: Washington does sell a second-pole permit that may be applicable to this fishery.
By the way, speaking of this area, does anybody out there like Channel Catfish? I think I found a Mother Lode...I was at Madam Dorian Park (free) at the mouth of the Walla Walla river a few weeks ago, and they're taking real big ones out of there. Where's Donna with the pickled okra?

To the Hunt!

Francesca

YouTube - Earn cash for catching pikeminnow