If you read this column on a weekly basis, you’re probably not the kind of person that tabulates your annual fishing tackle expenditures on a profit-and-loss statement. But if you did keep track, you’d know that the average sportsman spends far more money than he or she brings back in tangible value.

Instead, we fish for intangible reasons like the time we spend with our children or our parents. We fish for the serenity we realize on a high mountain lake or the restless adventure we find on a steelhead stream.

Forget about all that for a moment. Why not make a little money next time you throw your rod in the back of the pickup? Fill a coffee can with worms and turn them into a bucketful of cash. You can do it through the 2004 Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Program. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) pays a bounty on pikeminnows.

You may catch the northern pikeminnow (what we used to call squawfish) anywhere on the Columbia and in many of her tributaries. Best of all, you can be paid to catch them. BPA’s intent is to reduce the number of predators preying on steelhead and salmon. For the first 100 fish you catch in a season, you can earn $5 per fish. After that, the BPA will pay up to $8 depending upon how many fish you turn in. Every Columbia River pikeminnow more than 9 inches long is worth money.

Find a school and you can boat a bunch of fish. Fifty- and 100-fish days are not uncommon. Pikeminnow congregate near dams, islands, jetties, river mouths, riprap, and rocky ledges. Their principal foods are salmon and steelhead smolts, crayfish, baby lamprey eels, and freshwater clams.

Since salmon and steelhead smolts are disoriented after coming through dams, pikeminnow make short work of them. Northern pikeminnow have thrived in the slower water of the Columbia River since the dams were introduced. Salmon and steelhead have been the losers.

For this reason, these fish should not be returned to the water alive. They make good food for sturgeon and great fertilizer for flower gardens.

Most pikeminnow are caught downstream of dams in fast water from five to 30 feet deep. Many anglers fish at night to capitalize on the fish’s tendency to move into the shallows in the dark.

Northern pikeminnow average 12 to 24 inches in size. Females make up the majority of the bigger fish and can reach weights of up to ten pounds.

A steelhead rod is a good choice to use in the pursuit of pikeminnow. Ten- or 12-pound test line is adequate. Though you can catch northern pikeminnow on a variety of gear, there are two methods that will increase your odds.

One of the most effective techniques is fishing with plastic grubs and worms up to 6 inches long. When fishing during the day, the best colors are smoke and chartreuse, and white. But don’t be afraid to try something different. When night fishing, red, purple, and black glitter are effective. Orange-brown imitates the crayfish and can also be a good pattern.

When using grubs, use a lead jig head for weight. When using worms, a sliding sinker is sometimes used on the leader. In faster water, the worm is left unweighted and a sliding sinker is attached to the mainline.

When fishing in 10 to 20 feet of water, use enough weight to ”tick” the bottom from time to time. Expect to lose gear. If you’re not tying new rigs often, you’re probably not fishing where the fish are.

Cast across and upstream, allowing the lure to sink and bounce. Let it drift. Strikes can be triggered, on occasion, by slowing down or speeding up the retrieve.

In the summertime, most anglers turn to bait fishing. Worms, chicken liver, cluster salmon eggs, and strips of fish are good choices. Depending on the type of fishing you do, you will need weights ranging from split shot to half-ounce.

To learn more about season dates, how-to and where-to, and payment possibilities, call 1-800-858-9015 or visit the Web site at:www.pikeminnow.org.

So next time your kids want to head for the river, drive north to the Columbia. Put a hurt on the pikeminnow population and put some bucks in your pocket. Serenity can wait.