What is this fish?

[junk4jones]

My son and I were way out of our usual waters today, down in a Philomath park on the Mary's River. My son caught this guy. He saw a bunch of 12- to 16-inch fish hanging in shallow water and cast a worm under bobber to them. They were eager feeders at first, then spooked after this one got hooked.

We don't know what it is. Doesn't show up on the ID page of the regs, and we don't usually target warm-water species of any kind, so we're lost. The fins are kinda trout-like (only one dorsal fin, and not jagged like a bass's). The mouth was smooth and broad--didn't seem to have teeth. Not a lot of color on the sides, just bright scales.



Help?

Ancillary question: is there any kind of fish ID web app that would help you move through a series of characteristics toward the name, rather than vice versa? Everything Mr. Google shows me starts with fish names and then describes them. If I don't know what it is, I spend tons of time guessing and checking--and so far, no luck.

 

[DrTheopolis]

Pikeminnow, aka squawfish. One of the most common fish in Northwest Oregon. The colors can vary a bit, depending on time of year (when they go to spawn, they change a bit), but they will generally keep the orange-ish ends of the fins.

 

[Stradic2000]

They can be caught on almost any kind of minnow imitating lure. From lil' crankbaits to huge muskie jerkbaits. ODFW pays people $1 per squawfish, you can make some extra money for lures catching squawfish.

 

[universalfishermatt]

Northern pikeminnow

 

[eugene1]

They can be caught on almost any kind of minnow imitating lure. From lil' crankbaits to huge muskie jerkbaits. ODFW pays people $1 per squawfish, you can make some extra money for lures catching squawfish.

No reward money in the willy basin... Use your freezer for something else, Stradic.

 

[rogerdodger]

They can be caught on almost any kind of minnow imitating lure. From lil' crankbaits to huge muskie jerkbaits. ODFW pays people $1 per squawfish, you can make some extra money for lures catching squawfish.

Not sure your source on that but the only PikeMinnow program that I am aware of is run by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and is on the mainstream Columbia and Snake Rivers. It ends Sept30 and anglers must register each day at a station and return fish that day to the same station.

 

[Big3d]

That's a nice little pikeminnow! Stratic you are loaded with ridiculous. You can say what you want but I imagine you are being auditted and scrutinized by nearly every forum member now. Please don't give junk info on here like you did on the carp thread...

 

[Modest_Man]

What you're looking for is called a "dichotomous key". As far as I know there isn't a good one for the freshwater fish of the Northwest. This is the best I've found but it's for British Columbia, so it's not perfect.

Why on earth would you kill a fish that you can't identify?

 

[Stradic2000]

That's a nice little pikeminnow! Stratic you are loaded with ridiculous. You can say what you want but I imagine you are being auditted and scrutinized by nearly every forum member now. Please don't give junk info on here like you did on the carp thread...

No joke, and not junk info. I've caught Squawfish with enormous muskie lures on the Columbia. And at one time they paid $1+ per Squawfish on the Columbia.

 

[DrTheopolis]

And now they pay $4.

And agree with Modest -- if for no other reason, you shouldn't kill a fish you can't ID in case it's prohibited (not the case here).

 

[Big3d]

I'm not sure they specified that it was killed. I may have missed it...

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

The picture appears to have the gill cut.

 

[Modest_Man]

It also has the classic dead eye. Any live fish will try to keep it's eye in the vertical plane.

 

[DrTheopolis]

It also has the classic dead eye. Any live fish will try to keep it's eye in the vertical plane.

Pretty much. You can usually tell if a fish is dead or alive in a pic.

Just because a fish hits the bank, it doesn't mean you have to kill it. I kill enough fish both incidentally and intentionally that I don't need to do it gratuitously.

 

[Big3d]

Yep, i see the gill cut by the throat now. And the dead eye. I guess I could use a little more attention to detail.

 

[junk4jones]

Why on earth would you kill a fish that you can't identify?

I've been waiting for that question. Sadly it was not my call. I take full responsibility as a father. Your rhetorical question has been translated into a lesson.

Thanks for the link!

 

[DrTheopolis]

Your rhetorical question has been translated into a lesson.

Good man.

 

[lizardman]

Squaw fish on the Columbia are worth money and they even have some that are tagged (turn in the tag get a monetary reward of greater value). The minimum length is nine inches for the program (or was last I checked) Funding for this is through Bonneville Power (as one source).

As stated one needs to register at a station, fish, and turn in the catch by a certain time in the afternoon to be eligible for monetary gain.

As to the use of these? yes you can eat them (they don't taste bad, but are very bony), but the best use is fertilizer for your roses or as bait.

 

[nicholas]

While there is a reward for killing pikeminnow on the Columbia, what is the point? They are a native fish, and why would anyone want to kill fish for no good reason? I know they eat juvenile salmon, but salmon survived for millions of years before there was a bounty program, so what changed?

 

[DrTheopolis]

so what changed?

These big concete thingies in the river tilted the scales in the pikeminnows' favor. And BPA was obligated to do... something.

The science is questionable, though.