TRI-CITIES, Wash. – The Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery Program offers anglers the chance to earn money while contributing to the conservation of young salmon and steelhead populations.
Phillip John Motyka, a lifelong Tri-Cities resident, has been participating in the program since it started in 1991.
“I love to fish for ’em. I love to fish period,” Motyka said. “It’s a lot of fun. And I think that the most fun time that I’ve had fishing for these is trolling for them, because you never know what you’re going to catch next. You catch salmon, you catch steelhead, you catch sturgeon once in a while. But all those fish that I catch, I just turn them loose. I don’t want them. I only want northern pikeminnow.”
The program runs from May through September along the Columbia and Snake rivers. It pays anglers to turn in northern pikeminnow, helping manage their population to protect young salmon and steelhead.
Eric Winther, the program’s leader, explained the goal of the program.
“It’s native fish. We’re not trying to eradicate it. We’re just trying to crop that number down by 10 to 20% every year,” Winther said. “Over time, if you keep taking larger fish out of a population over the years, the average size of Pikeminnow shrinks.”
Winther stated that the program has removed over 5.2 million pikeminnows from the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
The program is funded by the Bonneville Dam Association.
During the 2024 season, anglers caught over 176,000 qualifying fish, with the top angler earning over $164,000 by catching more than 16,000 fish and setting a program record.
Anglers earn $6 for the first 25 fish, $8 for each fish between 26 and 200, and $10 for each fish beyond that. The pikeminnow caught must measure nine inches or bigger.
Motyka plans to continue participating in the program next season.
“I turn my fish in, they give me a voucher. I keep it for one month till the end of the month. I send all my vouchers in at one time, there comes the check,” Motyka said.
For more information about the Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery Program, visit their website.
