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Beginning this month any angler that wants to earn some extra cash can do so just by fishing. BPA has a bounty on northern pike minnow to help get these fish out of the river. These fish are trash fish and are known for a pretty big appetite on salmon smolt. The season will end September 27, 2009. For every qualifying northern pike minnow 9 inches or longer returned to a registration station, anglers will receive $4-$8. The more fish an angler catches, the more they’re worth: the first 100 in one season are worth $4 each; after 100, they’re worth $5 each; and after 400 they’re worth $8 each. Special tagged northern pike minnow will be worth $500 again this year. This can add up to large amounts of extra cash depending on how much time you put in

You can catch northern pike minnow almost anywhere on the Columbia River. Northern pike minnow congregate in rocky areas with fast current near dams, islands, stream mouths, points, eddies, rows of pilings, and ledges or bars in the river. Most fish are caught in 7 to 25 feet of water. Northern pike minnow feed heavily on smolts, freshwater clams, and crayfish. They move to find concentrations of prey. Finding northern pike minnow may not be easy. Don’t spend all your time in just one spot. If you’re not doing any good after about 30 minutes move upstream or downstream until you find fish.

Worms are the most common northern pike minnow bait. Chicken liver is the next most popular bait. Make sure it is fresh and keep it cold to prevent it from getting too soft to stay on the hook. Salmon eggs, grasshoppers, crayfish tails, and shrimp are also popular. Fish these baits similar as you would salmon or steelhead fishing. Casting upstream slightly and let your bait drift along the bottom with the current.

Bait isn’t the only way to catch these fish you may also use soft plastics. Use grubs or worms (3 to 6 inches long), tube jugs (3 to 4 inches long), or shad type bodies (1 1/2 to 4 inches long). One-eighth or one-quarter ounce jig-heads are the most commonly used. The basic technique for fishing grubs is to drift-fish. Cast slightly upstream, straight out, or slightly downstream, depending on the amount of current. Count down to the proper depth (one-one thousand, two-one thousand…), then start reeling. You are at the proper depth if your lure occasionally lightly ticks on the rocks. In the evening northern pikeminnow are most consistently attracted to grubs with purple bodies and either blue or green glitter. These colors are also available with chartreuse tails, which often work well. Try purple grubs with blue or green glitter first. Red is the last basic glitter color to try for evening fishing. For daytime fishing, try light colored bodies like chartreuse or smoke. Experiments with glitter colors, fish don’t always follow the same pattern. Light colors or white usually better in the evening and dark colors usually work during the day. Experiment with colors to find what works best and make some money while you’re out there.

For more info check out

THE OFFICIAL PIKEMINNOW SPORT REWARD FISHING WEBSITE