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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