Listen up, anglers! There are thousands of dollars currently swimming in Lake Pend Oreille and you can try to wrangle some of it for yourself. Idaho Fish and Game isn’t messing around. They’ve offered a bounty of $1,000 to anglers who catch one fish in particular: the walleye. However, there are a few conditions. It must be caught in Lake Pend Oreille, and it must be tagged by the Idaho Fish and Game Department. Think you’re up for the task? Check out all the details below.
Yes, you read that correctly. You could earn $1,000 for catching a tagged Walleye in Lake Pend Oreille. The hefty bounty is definitely eye-catching, and it could be yours. Think you have what it takes?
Idaho Fish and Game announced on February 26 that they were going to award anglers with $1,000 for each IDFG-tagged walleye caught in Lake Pend Oreille. They will award up to $50,000 to anglers, so that means there are 50 walleye out there with pretty big sums of money on their head!
Walleye are actually a non-native species to Lake Pend Oreille. However, their population has been rapidly increasing since 2014. The introduction of walleye to the lake was likely illegal, and now Idaho Fish and Game is trying to correct it.
Right now, there are 50 walleye with a tiny tag that's been injected into its snout by IDFG. These tags are invisible to anglers but are worth $1,000 once turned in. However, there's still an incentive if you happen to catch a non-tagged walleye. Every walleye head caught will enter anglers into a monthly lottery. Ten winners are drawn every month and awarded $100.
This isn't the first time Idaho has put this unique incentive program to use. Fish and Game tried a similar approach in 2006 to deal with a large population of Lake Trout and saw that it was quite effective.
There is no bag limit on walleye and you can turn in your catch to a number of locations around North Idaho. For complete information about the incentive program and the rules, check out the entry details here.
What do you think? Will you be fishing for money this year? You better plan a fishing trip before this awesome opportunity disappears. Fishing is so much more than money, though. Check out our list of the 10 Best Hidden Fishing Spots In Idaho for some must-visit fishing destinations.
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