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Thread: Pikeminnow Infestation On The American?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    Granite Bay, CA
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    Default Pikeminnow Infestation On The American?

    Fished Sunday 11-3 mind-river for steelies, caught one beefy wild 18-incher. Saw some gear fishermen catch some shad from the bank.

    But the main "attraction" was a pod of 100-200 pikeminnows that willingly took nymphs. See attached below. I've never seen such a pod, nor have I ever caught pikeminnows of this size before. I believe they were spawning as some looked stuffed with eggs and others squirted ...ahem... when I handled them. The mykiss was right among/behind them (maybe waiting for eggs?).

    Is such a pod of pikeminnows normal this time of year (first time I've fished this time of year possibly ever)? Or is it a bad omen?

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    TroutSource.com
    we deliver the river

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
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    Default

    During a drought cycle the lower American river gets very warm.

    One year there was weeds all through the river, I mean big weeds to the surface below Howe Ave,

    And there was tons of Pike/Squaw fish too.

    All because of warm water.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
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    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
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    Contact me for any reason........
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    East Bay
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    681

    Default

    Yup it’s that time of year for pikeminnow. They group up in big schools. You’ll even see groups of smaller males following the big females. Any system with a pikeminnow population has this going on.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    SacOfTomatoes, CA, USA
    Posts
    964

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    Damns also attribute to pike-minnow populations.
    Aron-



    "I own a time machine, but it only moves forward at regular speed..."

    "So many rivers to fish so little time!"

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Guerneville
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    290

    Default

    Those look like the big squawfish I caught in hat creek last spring. strangely they fought really hard, whereas the numerous ones I catch down here on the Russian river are like reeling in a wet sock, even when up to 5-6 lbs. I was really disgusted to see them on hat creek. I have seen a lot of gear and fly anglers alike on the Russian kill them to try to prevent predation on steelhead and salmon smolt but have heard conflicting things about whether they are native or not to the river.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    North Valley
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    Default

    Hi Troutsource. Nice American River "by-catch" and photos but I am pretty confident you misidentified those fish as Pike-minnow. They look like Hardhead (Mylopharodon conocephalus) to me.

    Hardhead are another Cyprinid species native to the Central Valley rivers and people mix up Sacramento Pike-minnow and Hardhead all the time since they look rather similar.

    I think of Hardhead as the "trout of minnows". They are cool fish that act a lot like trout- happy in moving water and like to eat bugs. They are very much under-appreciated and far superior to pike-minnow in terms of sport. I have caught lots of them on flies- nymphs and dries. Folks that spend anytime fishing our 'warmer" trout waters like the Pit, NF Feather, or the lower ends of various Sacramento River tributaries have more than likely encountered Hardhead. Especially in the spring when adults aggregate for spawning and become rather feisty.

    Jcolin- did you happen to be fishing below the barrier weir on Hat Creek last year? I have caught Hardhead out of that water myself. In fact they are probably there right now. Throw a salmonfly dry down there right now and you might catch a trout- or a Hardhead!
    Church of Wild Steelhead!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Davis
    Posts
    756

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    Matt -

    How about this guy? Pike-minnow? This was a bass by-catch today. I think the water I was on was a little too cold for the bass. Just a pack of these guys and probably some salmon smolts hiding somewhere.


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Yuba City
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    Yeah that definitely looks like a hardhead. I actually learned the swing presentation for the first time fishing for them. There was a huge caddis hatch on the high flow section of the Feather one evening and there were a ton of fish rising. I hadn't caught a steelhead before in my life yet so I was excited thinking I was going to catch my first there in that pool. I threw nymphs, dries, and my entire fly box with no grabs. I left that evening fishless and googled how to fish the caddis hatch.

    The following evening they were at it again and I went fishless again.

    It wasn't until the third try that I tied on a sparkle emerger, swung it through the run, and wham fish on. I fought it for a few seconds and once I reeled it in at the end of my line was a fat hardhead.

    I was a bit disappointed but kept at it because a fish is a fish and swinging is fun.

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    Keep Calm and Fly Fish
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  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Granite Bay, CA
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    505

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    Matt, Thanks for the info. Do hardheads have a sandpaper-type skin (you can even see the bristles around the mouth)? Thanks.
    TroutSource.com
    we deliver the river

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Yuba City, Ca.
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    Default

    These guys are all the same to me no matter what you call them, Pike-minnow, hardhead, or just plain Squawfish. They seem to be everywhere in the valley rivers and they gorge themselves of smolt and fry of every type.

    The sad part is they never get blamed or mentioned as a predator of salmon and steelhead smolt. Instead they blame the striped bass as the culprit and go on to protect these predators as a native fish.

    They are so predatory in every river they inhabit numerous cities and counties have put bounties on them to help try and eradicate their population. I personally know of a show that played on Angler West focused on the Columbia River in Oregon. I also used to fish the Russian River quite a lot for steelhead. Over there the Ukiah Rod & Gun Club sponsered a catch and kill program tied on with Long's Drug Store. They would have people bring in dead squawfish in exchange for $$$ credits at Longs.

    At every cleaning station/ boat ramp along the Sacramento River the water is thick with them gorging on the cleaned scraps of striped bass and salmon. They are a voracious feeder and with consume anything they can put in their mouth, Clousers included.
    Tony
    TONY BUZOLICH
    Feather River Fly
    Yuba City, CA.
    (530) 790-7180

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