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Opening of Bounty Fishing is Riverwideby Bill MonroeThe Oregonian, April 23, 2007 |
Anglers can catch northern pikeminnows in the Columbia and lower Snake rivers
Bounty fishing for northern pikeminnows in the Columbia and lower Snake rivers opens May 14 riverwide, a change from past years when there were separate openings in the upper and lower Columbia Basin.
The fishing season ends Sept. 30.
Anglers earn money for fish longer than nine inches -- $4 per fish for the first 100, $5 each for 101 to 400, and $8 each for every fish after 400 turned in by the same angler. Specially tagged fish will be worth up to $500.
Eligible pikeminnows, voracious predators on baby salmon and steelhead, must have been caught from the Columbia River up to Priest Rapids Dam and the Snake River up to Hells Canyon Dam.
Pikeminnows concentrate in areas below dams, picking off disoriented salmon smolts after they make the turbulent trip through the powerhouses.
Since the program began in 1991, anglers have turned in nearly three million pikeminnows, including 232,883 in 2006.
To qualify for the bounty program, anglers must register at one of more than a dozen stations along the Columbia before they go fishing.
In the 2007 season, stations are nearly identical to those last year, with the exception of a change from the Bonneville Trailhead to Bingen, Wash.
This year's check stations and daily open times:
Cathlamet Marina (Washington), 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Willow Grove Park (Washington), 4-7 p.m.
Rainier Marina (Oregon), 3-7:30 p.m.
Kalama Marina (Washington), 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
James Gleason Boat Ramp (Oregon), 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Chinook Landing (Oregon), 7-10 a.m.
Washougal Boat Ramp (Washington), 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Bingen Marina (Washington), 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cascade Locks Boat Ramp (Oregon), 4-7 p.m.
The Dalles Boat Basin (Oregon), 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Giles French (Oregon), 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Columbia Point Park (Washington), 2-6:30 p.m.
Umatilla Boat Ramp (Oregon), 4-6 p.m.
Vernita Bridge Rest Area (Washington), 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Greenbelt (Washington), 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Lyons Ferry (Washington), 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Boyer Park (Washington), 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The highest success rates in 2006 were found at: Vernita Bridge -- 12.1 fish per angler; James Gleason -- 10.3; Boyer Park -- 10.2; Cascade Locks -- 10.1; The Dalles -- 8; Cathlamet -- 7.5.
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