Should I "bonk" trash fish??

[Swim Shady]

Ok here is the thing. I seem to have a preponderance to catch those nasty Whitefish/Pikeminnow’s while anchored fishing for Salmon/Steelhead, in fact that's all I catch :depressed:!! Question is "Do I bonk the trash fish" and float'em or throw'em or let them go, alive back into the system? What are the legalities about bonkin'em and not retaining them? What do YOU do? Note: fishing on the lower Santiam.

[Jeremy]

If they are over 9" bonk them and get the $4 each reward you get for them, you have to sing up first though the day of fishing.

http://www.pikeminnow.org

[MasterCaster]

ALL Northern Pikeminnow (*********)! After that I dont care what you do with them. When we fish the Mid. Willam. we all the *********.

Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

[Chromaflage]

Whitefish and pikeminnows (fka ********* ) are two different things. Bonk the pikeminnows and use 'em for fertilizer or crab bait. Not sure if they count toward the bounty where you're catching them - maybe someone else knows. Regarding the whitefish - I've heard that these are actually tasty. I've never tried them, but we sure catch a lot of them on the Deschutes and Crooked rivers.

My .02

ORS

[Beaver1]

I agree....

[Riverkeeper]

I would ask around a little more before killing any of these critters. Both whitefish and pikeminnows are native species in our rivers. The whiteys are not problematic in any way that I know of. As for the pikeminnows, I know they are a problem below the spillways of Dams where they hang out and munch on the smolts that come out stunned and helpless, but I don't know that they exert much influence in other areas, hence the bounty only from the CR.

If you have a jones for some wanton bonking on your fishing trips, kill the non-native species that you encounter- such as bass, carp, nutrias, starlings, blackberries, etc. These will cause the real problems in the long run.

[Hooker]

I'm pretty sure that the Bounty Program is only for the Columbia System. Willamette tribs don't count.

Bonk em' anyway!

[Swim Shady]

OR Redside, you bring up a good point. Do we have Whitefish in the Will. Valley rivers IE Santiam? I think what I am catching is a Pikeminnow but the color is more yellowish than the pic in the regs. I will start to bonking.

[Chromaflage]

Bonkin' blackberries!!
Yum!

Here's a pic of a Whitefish. I'm sure you'd run accross them in the Willy.

[RIPPLE]

:grin:RIPPLE :grin:

[Gr8waves]

Use a different bonker for the trash fish - it angers the salmonid gods when you use a salmon bonker on trash fish.

[Tanner]

Please make sure you know the difference between ********* and whitefish before you start a bonkin. The whitefish are a big part of the ecosystem in rivers where you find them and have the same feeding habits as trout. (I have even caught them on dry flies). As far as the ********* use your judgement, personally I am not much for needlessly killing anything.

[dlgobeavs]

Does anyone have a pic of the Pikeminnow??

[Jeremy]

[Hoosier Daddy]

Bonkin' blackberries!!
Yum!

Here's a pic of a Whitefish. I'm sure you'd run accross them in the Willy.

Hey ORS, why do you have a door latch in the bottom of yer boat????

[Spinhead]

********* (oops, old habits die hard :grin are the enemy, and must get the

MHO

[Chromaflage]

Hey ORS, why do you have a door latch in the bottom of yer boat????

Hmmmm....good question. That's my emergency exit.

[RogueFisher]

I "disable" all *********. Then they are differently abled.

Throw them on the bank or back in the water to feed something else.

The Osprey seem to like a floating *********.

:grin:

[Bounty Hunter]

Pikeminnow can be all sorts of colors (bright white to dingy yellow) depending on what body of water they are in.

They easiest way to tell them apart from other "sucker-fish" is that the corner of their mouths comes all the way back to even with their eyes. Most sucker fish (and white fish) have a smaller mouth.

[blacktail519]

Bang Away

Just don't let Ruth catch you putting the *********'s eyes out and then placing them "gently" back into the water to, alas, become "live bait" for the rest of the food chain. :shocked: <font color="green">I am big time kidding Ruth et al'. </font> :grin:

Shame on me. :grin: :tongue: (No, I don't put their eyes out )

[rebell]

Check your local reg's before you start any fish. And keep in mind........One man's trash fish may be another man's trophy!

So be aware of who may be watching!

********* is my trash fish. Anyone else wants it as a trophy, go for it.

[blacktail519]

TROPHY........UUUUUMMMMMMMMKMMMM OK

[Wak]

I am pretty sure Killertraylor has an answer for this one.

[rebell]

****** and blacktail519, you may want to check my post out a little better. I would suggest you look at who I replied to, and read his post.

Again......to the non educated.......one man's trash fish is another man's trophy, BE CAREFULL!

[Amahnee]

Cut a gill and send'em back.

[Small Fry]

In one word ( YES )

[Hawg Caller]

them and then them some more and then...throw them for the coons.

[Dipnet]

Dipnet :grin:

[KingFisher85]

Bonk all Pikeminnow,...I don't care who's trophy it is, they are predators to our salmon/steelhead smolts. They are way over populated, they can live in almost any water and feed on anything. Yes, they are native to this area but there numbers are way to high. Why do you think Fish and Wildlife has a bounty on them?

Don't bonk Whitefish or Suckerfish, both them are native to our rivers and streams are good to have in there! Ticks me off when people toss suckerfish on the bank and tell me they are worthless.

[fortywinks]

Pikeminnows, aka *********--cut 'em and chuck 'em. the dirty buggers!

[Hawg Caller]

Dipnet :grin:

killer gremlins...where did you find them?

[GOT2FISH]

In the regulation book page 46 says theres no limit on Pike Minnow. BUT on page 12 item 10 It says [Wasting fish, shellfish or Marine intertidal invertebrates.] is unlawful. I know these things stink and the have a bounty on the Coulumbia but it sounds like you could wind up with some problems if you were caught thumping and tossing these things. Just dont want to see someone misunderstand and wind up in trouble.

[Swim Shady]

Thanks for all the info folks. I will try my hand this weekend on the upper Will below Walace. I am sure that the Pikeminnow curse will be in full force but what the hey, I fish to fish not to catch uh... somthing like that. :smile: Guess I will decide what to do when I catch one of those pesky buggers.
Thanks again board for the massive imput

[CATCH AND EAT]

Baseball on the water. "here's the pitch....swing.....HOMER!!!!!!" Poor little creature with a face did'nt know what hit him.

[Phishin Phool]

Went out last Sunday fished a hole that almost always has Steelhead in it. But, first had to clean it out of Chubs. Once I got them cleaned out WHAM fish on. Lost it at the boat though.

--PP

[Killertraylor]

I am pretty sure Killertraylor has an answer for this one.

What are you trying to say, Jim, that I turn into a frenzied, bloodsucking, crazy head-stabbing madman at the sight of a *********? So what????

Although stabbing them is a lot of fun (really get a good Norman Bates swing at em') I found yesterday that if you take your scissors and cut them behind the gills, from the top of the neck down, they don't even twitch - instant death! I admit it's not as fun as "getting your stab on" but it's very humane.

After Big N' Bright watched me do this on two *********, he suggested I bring my bolt cutters next time and try it out on salmon...

And oh yeah, to answer your question, kill em! I think they are about the only species left that steals our salmon that it's legal to wack. If we could just get a bounty on commorants, terns and sea lions I might give up my job and just kill stuff for a living!

[Stz ll]

I have to agree with KingFisher85. I kill all *********. I have never killed or would I kill a Carp or other sucker fish. They are harmless and are native to the rivers.

[Ryan Pultz]

Put them on a hook and try for Gators!

[Swim Shady]

Wow guess I'm not the only one who catches these buggers, thought it was a sign of inexperience. Perhaps I can put my curse to work and make some bucks on the CR this summer.

[Tanner]

Put them on a hook and try for Gators!

Years ago I caught a 48" keeper off the bank below the John Day Dam on a ********* filet.

[Tanner]

have to agree with KingFisher85. I kill all *********. I have never killed or would I kill a Carp or other sucker fish. They are harmless and are native to the rivers.

Actually, if my memory serves me correct, Carp are not native to our region. Most have come from Europe and Asia.

[Jooky]

Tanner, I was thinking the same thing. They were shiped in and so were shad. They are both thought of as food fish... who eats this junk

[gpa's-fishin]

Bonk and dispose of as you see fit. Otherwise why would they pay $4 each for them in the CR from may 3 to ? this year. They are eating the salmon and steelhead smolt that you are tring to catch when they come back.

[STGRule]

Okay, I can't stand it any longer. The reason they are paying you to remove the big, older pikeminnow is because they are out of balance with nature because of the dams (man-made). They are NOT trying to eradicate them, just control them. They are a native fish. They BELONG here. If you are really worried about things that eat salmon out of balance with the natural mode of the rivers, kill all walleye (made-made problem). An individual walleye eats more smolts than an individual pikeminnow. Kill all smallmouth and largemouth bass (man-made problems). They eat baby salmon too and are not native. Kill all shad (man-made problem), they compete with baby salmon for food and are not native. And it's WAY cheaper for BPA to pay you to kill off a few pikeminnow than it is to pay for habitat restoration and summer spill. If we had natural water velocities in the reservoirs we wouldn't have a pikeminnow problem. They barge all the hatchery fish around the dams and leave the harder to catch native fish to fend for themselves in big lakes that make a few day trip down the natural river into a few week trip through the lakes and dams. Pikeminnow are not the problem, people are. The idea off killing anything just because you can, and worse, because it's fun, is repugnant.

[JohnB]

A vote for STG Rule here. dont kill it unless you plan on eating it.

[willametteriveroutlaw]

Yep, bass and walleye belong in the bonk on sight rule as well and can be quite tasty :grin I don't care if they are someones trophys or not.. Remember the europeans think Carp are torphies .

[Wak]

What are you trying to say, Jim, that I turn into a frenzied, bloodsucking, crazy head-stabbing madman at the sight of a *********? So what????

Yeah, I guess that is what I am saying. Nothing wrong with it. In fact it was quite entertaining, and educational at the same time. I learned three new ways to slash with a knife in a matter of seconds. And by the way, I couldn't get the kids to eat them.

[rebell]

GOT2FISH and STGRule got the message! Be carefull everyone, you don't know who's watching.

By the way, I release all Bass and Walleye, doesn't matter if I am salmon fishing or not. They both have limit's, and are regulated by the state.....so be carefull!!

Actually, Lutefisk is repugnant too, but won't hold that against you.

[STGRule]

I already explained that. It is not a "real" thing. Just a heritage. Something to remember from our childhood. You're right. It's gross.

[happybrew]

Right on STG! Eat the whitefish. They're tasty. Otherwise throw them back. Don't kill anything you're not going to use. I have no problem keeping something for crabbait. I've targeted carp specifically for that purpose. (No, not you Mr. Moderator! ) But to kill something you're not going to use is unethical unless it serves a particular purpose. A few fishermen throwing a pikeminnow on the bank does nothing to mitigate salmon predation, and it's the state's job to manage that, not the individual's. To torture an animal is just plain wrong. That's the sort of thing that gives groups like PETA ammunition.

happybrew

[Silver Hilton]

Good, STG, you beat me to it. Giminy Christmas, some of you folks need to wake up.

Not least among the reasons for a little caution and adult behavior in these matters is that most of you are killing peamouth chub, rather than *********. I've seen about 30 "*********" caught while salmon fishing this year. Over the years, probably 100's. The vast majority been a peamouth chub. The key is the size of the mouth.

Peamouth are a food source for walleye. So, if you bonk peamouths, you take food out of the mouths of walleye, which will then turn to salmon smolts. It probably takes about 10 smolts to equal one of these peamouths in food mass.

So, bonk a peamouth, kill 10 salmon.

[Swim Shady]

I think I am more confused now than when I asked the original question. However, glad to see so many opinions on the issue, and further, glad to see that a post with controversy has gone this long without a war starting. :blush: It has become apparent that "should I bonk trash fish" is an issue that must be decided by each person at the time, and cannot be a blanket unwritten rule. Which, I must say is what I was looking for in my original post. Again, thank you Ifish Board for all of the input.

Bonk *********! Also bonk bass, walleye, and catfish, northern pike and any other non-indigenous fish (********* are native fish). Gently release whitefish and suckers, unless you are going to eat the whitefish.

[rob allen]

"""they are predators to our salmon/steelhead smolts. They are way over populated, they can live in almost any water and feed on anything""""


same thing could be said about us humans... well except for the living in water thing

[willie17]

I PREFER THE UNDER HAND RETURN METHOD. YOU SHOULD GET AN OLD TENNIS RACKET AND LAUNCH THEM ONTO THE BANK (WHERE NONE OF THE BANKIES FISH. USE THE UNDERHAND METHOD THE OVER HAND CAN BE MESSY

[greenbuttskunk]

well said STG. What will be next, Peacock Bass from Brazil.
Oh, but they are good fighters and cool to catch.
did'nt know they'd creat such a problem. Ooops!

[Mr. Carp]

I don't care if they are someones trophys or not.. Remember the europeans think Carp are torphies .

HEY!!!! There is nothing wrong with carp, WRO. Actually they are the most elegant fish around. Well......maybe not, but it sure does make a good name.