Today marks the beginning of this year’s Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Fishery in the Columbia and Snake rivers, running through September 30.  State fish and wildlife biologists have specially tagged and released up to 1,000 or more northern pikeminnow into the Columbia and Snake rivers, each worth $500.  The program also pays registered anglers $5 to $8 per fish that is nine inches or longer.  The more fish an angler catches, the more each pikeminnow is worth.  Last year the top fisherman in the program earned more than $83,000 in just five-months of fishing.  Northern pikeminnow experts say the best place to fish early in the season may be near The Dalles.  That registration station also showed the highest number of catches last season.  Northern pikeminnow are voracious eaters, consuming millions of young salmon and steelhead each year.  The program is administered by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and is funded by the Bonneville Power Administration.  For more information about the program call 800-858-9015.