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Pikeminnow fishing for the sport reward program?

22K views 63 replies 35 participants last post by  whiskeyfishing 
#1 Ā·
Is it worth it, to focus your efforts into getting geared up to try and make it a viable way to earn money in this sour economy?
 
#2 Ā·
In less you already have some serious hot spots the only way to do it is out of a boat and make some good money. The majority of people that really make money off of it are in a boat so they can target the right structures.

Think about it before you get into it, the gear, bait, and gas normally out weighs by far what you make just off the bank ''normally".

I have fished for them off the bank for 7 years before i gave it up even whe i was turning in 7-14 fish a day it barely coverd my expenses to fish for them.

i am not trying to discourage you or anything like that this is just my own :twocents: and what happend for me.
 
#3 Ā·
IF, big IF you are good and can consistantly be good at catching them then yes in my opinion it can and is a viable means of income. There are guys who make over 50 grand a year doing it but they I think are the exception and not the rule. So if you have a little honey hole or two that you know can consistantly produce numbers then go for it. I do not think it is any more expensive and probably less than salmon or steelhead as far as gear is concerned. Good Luck and if you decide to pursue it keep us posted I would love to hear how you do. Hope this helps and good luck.:flag2:
 
#4 Ā·
just playin around fishing incomming tides from vanc to longview waiting on outgoing water I can land about $600 a season off the bank June/Sept in a good yr, average $300 most yrs.

It really requires alot of endless hrs and very little reward unless it's something to do because you are there anyway, but if you can get upriver of bonneville dam, that is where the real numbers are...boats and specific baits and gear are key.
There are a few resorts up that way that advertise those that do well while staying there....chk the creel reports and you'll see 85% of the catch and tagged fish come from the upper river locations.

Since it is a "money" fishery, getting info is tough, good luck.
 
#5 Ā·
It will be expensive to start out and takes a lot of time (years) and homework to get the info. needed to make that 50k the top 3 guys each year make. One thing that I'm seeing on here is that you need a boat? Not true. The top guys every year actually catch 75% or more of the fish from the bank.

Unfortunately this kind of fishing is more like a job than a paid hobby. Most guys are fishing 10+hrs a day for 5 months and that's not Mon-Fri...

My :twocents: with a little inside info. for ya!
 
#10 Ā·
Unfortunately this kind of fishing is more like a job than a paid hobby. Most guys are fishing 10+hrs a day for 5 months and that's not Mon-Fri...

My :twocents: with a little inside info. for ya!


I do understand that if you were to get serious about this kind of fishery it would take alot of homework and trial and error, to get accomplished at the level you would have to be at to make a profit at it. But here is my thing.... I would love to fish 10 hours a day everyday and get paid for it. That would be a job I would love day in and day out. I know some will say you would get burned out... Maybe I say just maybe.
 
#6 Ā· (Edited)
Can you make money at it ?
Yes; but you have to work for it, and work hard !
There are a small percentage of guys (mostly older retired gentlemen not riding social security yet) that have established themselves pretty well financially speaking; however they fish nearly 300 plus days a year.
I know of one guy that in just two seasons; purchased a brand new 4WD Full size P/U and paid cash. The following year a new Lance Camper !
He averages about $2500 a month; give or take.
It takes awhile to get your technique down, and the guys that are doing this for income guard their secrets like the holy grail.
The program takes some time in turning a steady flow of money on a regular basis. This is where fishing for fun - turns into a full time job.
Just another game of chance; and just like poker; there are a few that exceed at it; while the majority fail and donate to the cause.
 
#7 Ā·
Welcome to ifish! It will be up to you if you feel it is worth it. I fish those fish every year, and still look forward to it as if were springer season.(it is) Some of us really enjoy it. Very interesting fish. If you have the time, Well.... the money is available. To me it is still worth it every season. And it helps the salmon as well. Give me a pm i will be glad to share what little info i have.
mike
 
#8 Ā·
As others say, there are a select few who know the deal. Most of the top earners I have seen are Russian...and usually the same every year. I do know that when I was in The Dalles, people came from all over and stayed in the motels just to fish for them. You would see about 20 boats right out front of the launch for about a month or two every year.
 
#13 Ā·
some of the guys do good on the bank they go from dam to dam longcasting but it's pretty much a boat show if you can't cast 150 yards,there is alot of secrets but know body is willing to give them out.i did it part time last year and paid for a new yamaha 9.9 kicker and pocketed a few thousand,its pretty easy but it's sleeping on the river and fishing 24/7 i got kinda burnt out so i did not fish much this winter and i quit in when salmon season opened over here so i did not fish the last 1and a half months i do beleive i could have made the top twenty on my first year if i was not working so yes it can be done,
 
#59 Ā·
:D Funny JHawks, and yet good advice as well. When buying tons of fishing gear so the "everyone who gets on the boat will have the right gear", my wife has asked, why not get a guides license if you want to provide gear for everyone. My fear was always that if I turn what I love into a job, it may be a matter of time before i hate it. So some people who put in the time MAY make some money, but is it worth losing interest in something you love?
 
#19 Ā·
Just basic bottom fish bait. A night crawler, Salmon egg cluster, chicken liver are the ones most widely used. I like to mix eggs & liver. That gets em goin pretty good. I also use pro cure oils on my baits. Crickets will sometimes work, but i do not use them. Most of the guys making good $ are bait fisherman. Hardware may work as well,(cranks, plugs, spinners,) but i do not use them. May work for you however. Get ready for many other species to bite your bait. Try above John Day Dam, as it gets dark, around rip rap, or areas where smolts may stop to rest. I try any where current slacks off around rocks. I fish Camas slough when in my boat.
 
#16 Ā·
Well, I am going full throttle and throwing all my chips in, I remember catching these fish when I was a kid and couldn't keep em off my line, but that was 30 years ago, if they have grown in numbers then it should be all the better, I will keep all posted on the progress.
 
#21 Ā·
I stopped by one of the check stations just to see what going on with this program. This young lady handed me a paper that listed the top pikeminnow awards. The top five had three of the same family members with the number one winner awarded over $84,000. That's some serious fishing money.

 
#24 Ā·
Do the math. To make that much, a person would have to catch 70 fish each and every day of the season, or thereabouts. Or perhaps it is a bunch of persons combining fish and getting the double amount???
And last year, I checked with the program vans and they had no fish at all due to the high water on quite a few days.
I don't buy that one person can catch that many fish on a contuous basis,
Rick
 
#28 Ā·
i agree the top guy nikolay is the real deal i have seen him pull in 200 in a day the other guys from ukrain i have heard that big families fish but im just going on hearsay i heard the same thing about nikolay in the past and these guys are heavily investigated,having multiple 45-50 fish days as a 1st year rookie i believe they are legite but have a bait the rest of us has not discovered
 
#29 Ā·
Re: Piking fishing for the sport reward program?

If you have the time and a small boat and love to fish its not hard to average 10 fish a day. Its just like like any kind of fishing you have to spend the time learning. But if you plan on this being your only source
of income I don't think i would do it. If you are retired like me and love to fish you can more then cover expenses and put a little extra money in your pocket. As for Nicoli, he is a pro just like a lot of the top anglers are. I have fished in the same area and watched him out fish me ten to one.
This is a lot like fishing for walleye if you are good at catching them you can catch pikeminnow. By the way ten fish a day is over $2000.00 a month. Not bad for doing something you love to do.
:meme:
 
#36 Ā·
Re: Piking fishing for the sport reward program?

If you have the time and a small boat and love to fish its not hard to average 10 fish a day. Its just like like any kind of fishing you have to spend the time learning. But if you plan on this being your only source
of income I don't think i would do it. If you are retired like me and love to fish you can more then cover expenses and put a little extra money in your pocket. As for Nicoli, he is a pro just like a lot of the top anglers are. I have fished in the same area and watched him out fish me ten to one.
This is a lot like fishing for walleye if you are good at catching them you can catch pikeminnow. By the way ten fish a day is over $2000.00 a month. Not bad for doing something you love to do.
:meme:
How soon do the checks get sent out from the time you turn the vouchers in?
 
#39 Ā·
I've never done it but a friend tried to talk me into it. His idea was to get a pontoon boat and live on the water. Gotta be kidding. Rather than having number's like 50k to 80k a year, what is the avarage of all of them? Probably be a lot that don't check back in on time or just get skunked.

Those inflated number's just make it sound much more appealing. Think of it this way, you also have just as good a chance of winning the lottery as anyone. But unless you are really lucky, you never will! Power Ball is something like $350 million now. Who's gonna go buy a couple hundred dollars in ticket's?
 
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