Hi Guys,

Long time no visit.   Went to Coulon Park in Renton yesterday afternoon and found a bunch of fishermen catching fish w/canned corn as bait off of the walkway in front of Ivar's.  They told me they were catching Squawfish.  I tried to look up Squawfish and found they're actually "Pikeminnows";.  They appeared to be fairly plump (one of the fishermen say they are full of eggs).  Does anyone know anything about them?  Are they worthy to target as sportfish?  They were keeping them but I didn't know if they were going to eat them.  Just curious.   ???  I figure if I'm bad at catching Bass, I might as well try something else!!

Ray

Ray, squawfish (there are not worthy of the pike minnow name) are the only fish with a bounty on them.  Some anglers on the Columbia River suppliment their income with catching and bringing them to different stations.  I can't remember what the dollar amount is per fish but it think its between $3-$5.  I have caught a few on Washington but I just gouge out their eyes and let them swim away.  I'm not sure but I think they eat their and the basse's fair share of salmon smolt and the bass get all the blame.

Hey guys,

Squawfish get a bad rap, and to be honest, I think they're a cool fish! It's a waste to kill them when you catch them. The Columbia River is a different issue. Currently, there is no bounty on Lake WA squaw-daddies.

Just to fill people in on the latest Lake Washington research around salmon in the lake, it is neither squawfish or bass that get the rap for most predation. The smoking gun is the cutthroat trout. It turns out that they are most likely to eat the most salmon in the lake. But - I wouldn't kill any cutts you catch unless you want to eat them. Both cutthroat and squawfish are native fish and they deserve a little respect, dagnabbit!  They both provide awesome fisheries for those that target them.

On the other hand, sockeye salmon aren't even native to the Cedar River, but they probably get the most research money. As far as bass predation is concerned, most Lake Washington fish managers have realized that bass don't really overlap with salmon on time and spatial scales (i.e. early in the year when salmon migrate to salt, bass are usually deep and on the bottom of the lake while salmon are shallow and near the surface). The only time you see significant bass predation is in the ship canal, where everyone is crowded into a tight channel.

Sorry - a typical Sergeant rant.  As you were.

Best fishes,
Chris

Wait a minute!  I thought that Brian went by the name of Weedwalker!!

Rich

LOL, at all of you!  Good one, Rich.

Squaw fish are eagle food!  (Sorry Sarge, I'm showing my prejudice!  Besides, I had a fishery game warden tell me 5 years ago to wack on the head, not to let them go... what's with that?)

OOOHHHHH!!!  I think someone just called someone else Old . . . school.   

In any case, catching them and whacking (or not whacking) them is still catching something that pulls up heavier than what you put in the water.  I may do this sometime over the week.

If headlines read next week that "a Middle-aged, but ravishingly handsome Filipino fisherman was mobbed by other less attractive fishermen for beating up their catches", you'll know the story behind the story.

Again, great info and many stands on the soap box!!

Opinions.  Lies about the size of Fish we catch.  That's what this Club is all about.   

VIVA LA WBC!!

Palmer Lake is loaded with sqawfish, although not as many as before after I got through fishing it.   The Eagles were well fed, tho!