Description
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife in partnership with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is excited to announce a new Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery application for your mobile device - the Pikeminnow Registration application!
The Pikeminnow Registration application offers anglers an easy way to enroll in the Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery Program from the comfort of your own phone! You can help save salmon and get paid to do it by going fishing! The Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery Program, funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), administered by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and implemented by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is in effect annually on the Columbia and Snake rivers from approximately May through September.
Over the past ten years (2011-20), the top 20 anglers caught an average of 3,353 fish per angler and averaged reward payments of $27,836 each for the five-month season. The highest-paid angler in 2020 caught 5,579 fish and earned $48,501, while the all-time record harvest is 14,109 Northern Pikeminnow worth $119,341!
Results indicate that the Pikeminnow Program has been successful, with over 5.2 million predatory Northern Pikeminnow removed to date by anglers participating in the Sport-Reward Fishery, and a decrease of predation on juvenile salmonids of up to 40 percent from pre-program levels.
Anglers will need to install the application, and then register with the application using a Secure Access WA Account (SAW) to get started.