POR Pike Update

[Don Wittenberger]

Bruce Bolding was scheduled to discuss Pend O'Reilles pike at last week's Chapter 57 meeting, but couldn't make it due to an I-5 closure caused by a traffic accident, so I'll tell you what I know about what's going on with POR pike.

Just a year or so ago, the angling community was lobbying WDFW to enact regulations to protect the trophy pike in the POR river, so we'd continue to have a quality pike fishery there. A consensus emerged within the pike angling community in favor of a slot limit as a means to limit harvest of big pike, but WDFW wanted to conduct a field study before drafting any regulations. Unfortunately, the study fell victim to the state budget crisis, and it looked like WDFW action on the POR pike fishery would be stalled for several years. However, Kalispell tribal biologists stepped into the breach by collecting data and turning it over to WDFW, so the lack of field data is no longer an obstacle.

Meanwhile, the situation on the river has changed. The pike are reproducing like crazy, are overrunning the river, and WDFW is now under pressure to control them. Consequently, the management plan WDFW comes up with will be aimed at protecting the river's native species from the pike, not to provide a sport fishery for pike. But the pike overpopulation problem is a concern to dedicated pike anglers, too, because a huge population of small "hammer handle" pike won't provide quality fishing.

WDFW may look at several different options for controlling the pike. One method involves mechanical harvest of pike using nets to reduce the population. Obviously, the effect of this is only temporary, unless they continue netting the pike on an ongoing basis. Montana tried a slot limit at one of their overpopulated pike lakes, which so far appears to be working. The theory is that by keeping more large pike in the water, they'll eat enough small pike to keep the population under control.

The main point I want to make here is that whatever WDFW eventually does to protect native fish species in the POR probably will benefit pike anglers, so we should support it. Anyone who's ever fished in the Midwest knows that a lake full of "hammer handles" isn't much fun. If WDFW's efforts to control the population of small pike results in keeping more big pike in the river, isn't that what we've wanted all along? So, when WDFW finally announces their management plan for POR pike, don't get excited and react negatively before you've read the fine print. The reality is that things are moving in the direction we, as sport anglers, want to go.

[dougw]

Good post Don. You're absolutely right. Catching hammer handles all day is not nearly as much fun as catching 4-5 quality fish, and the occasional lunker.....

[sparky1doug]

Don, that was right on the money. Involved management from WDFW and the Kalispell Tribe needs fisherman support but requires clear goals and benefits. The fishery (Pend Orielle River) is evolving once again in the 50's and 60's it was rainbow trout and dolly varden. The 70's and 80's saw a decline in the trout popularity and the bass interest gained strength as Midwesterners moved in. The 90's and 00's saw the bass become the target fish and pike infiltrated the river. See the trend, I believe the pike will now be the #1 target with implimentation of a slot program. Only 24" to 36" pike could be kept, limit of 8 only 1 over 34", just one fishermans thoughts. Since I used to fish the river as a young boy I'm one of the old trout lovers. Still, after two trips to the river this year I'm on board with the Power of the Pike.

[sparky1doug]

Opps, I meant to say those pike between 24-36" should not be taken. Protect those fish, keep those under 24" and 1 over 34".

[YJ Guide Service]

Great summary don, I agree there needs to be a slot and a limit. I more than most really want to see that river become a trophy fishery. I also agree we all need to support whatever action WDFW comes up with since its got to better than what the future holds for the river right now. Power to the Pike, plant more Tigers.....lol

[Lucius]

Hey Don,
It was good to see you again last week and thanks for keeping us updated on the Pike fishery on the Pend Oreille. Since it has been discovered that there is an explosion in the population of smaller pike on the Pend Oreille River, I would only hope everyone would see the benefit not only to preserve the pike fishery, but also the native species fishery by keeping the large and beginner trophy pike in water will only help control the problem, and excessive small pike population. A pike to 34" is a nice fish, but it is no trophy. I would like to see the upper slot limit in the neighborhood of 42"-44". Originally I thought 50" was doable considering pike in the POR were some of the fastest growing pike in the world, yet after confirming with local biologist due to the fact that the river never really gets deeper than 20'-25', there is no cool water refuge for the true monsters thus a 50" fish would be truely a once in a life time catch on the POR. Now considering the data collected during the surveys, a 40"-44" fish is not too far fetched and seems to be reasonably obtainable. A quote from a very intelligent person once told me, "Shoot for the moon, if you don't hit the moon, there is a pretty good chance you'll hit the stars". Here is too the moon, if not hopefully the stars.