Washington Angler Catches 8.6-Pound World Record Pikeminnow

Bill Saunders wasn't expecting to make history when he felt a strong tug on his line while fishing the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington.

The waterfowl call maker thought he'd hooked another trophy walleye like the 12-pounder he'd caught days earlier. Instead, when his fishing partner Brent Davis netted the fish on April 16, they discovered something much more unusual: a massive northern pikeminnow measuring over 25 inches long.

"At first I was a little embarrassed," Saunders admits. He wanted to release it and forget the whole thing, but his wife and Davis convinced him this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

After finding two certified scales willing to weigh the unusual catch, the fish officially registered at 8.6 pounds. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists verified the species the next day and estimated the pikeminnow was about 19 years old.

Saunders' catch has already been declared a new state record and is pending approval as a world record from the International Game Fish Association. It would beat the current record of 7 pounds 14 ounces caught in 2008.

The Bright Side

Northern pikeminnow hold a unique place in Pacific Northwest waters. They're native fish, but they've become a problem for struggling salmon and steelhead populations because they feed heavily on baby fish trying to migrate downstream.

Since 1991, the Bonneville Power Administration has paid recreational anglers to catch pikeminnow through a sport-reward program. The initiative helps protect seven salmon and steelhead stocks now listed as threatened or endangered.

The program works. In 2024 alone, it paid out $1.7 million to participating fishermen. One dedicated angler earned a record $164,200 for catching over 16,000 pikeminnow, directly protecting countless young salmon.

Saunders donated his record fish to wildlife officials so they can mount it for educational purposes. What started as an embarrassing moment became a teaching opportunity about balancing native species and protecting endangered fish runs.

"I walked out of there incredibly educated about these pikeminnow," Saunders says, proving that sometimes the catches we don't expect teach us the most valuable lessons.