The Northern Pikeminnow Ransom
I'd like to say a few words about the Northern Pikeminnow ransom. At this point, nearly anyone who fishes or has fished with me will let out a groan due to my incessant and continuous ranting concerning the topic. However, I do not care, as we environmentalists and anglers need to rally together in order to save the Pikeminnow from the misguided clutches of the ODFW. Everyone take a good long look at this majestic species. To give a little background, Northern Pikeminnow are a species of predatory cyprinid native to the Columbia River Basin area. They have been swimming in these waters since before any fisherman. Being predatory fish, it is natural that they consumed on a wide variety of small baitfish, including salmon and steelhead smolts. Although not prized as sportfish, they tug fairly hard when hooked and often are cooperative in the absence of other species. Despite this, most are disdained by anglers seeking more valuable species such as bass or steelhead. I