California Derby Pays Anglers to Remove Invasive Pikeminnows from the Eel River

California anglers can get paid to do something useful for native fish.

The 2026 Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby is offering $5,000 in prize money for anglers who catch Sacramento pikeminnow in the Eel River watershed. The tournament is free, runs July 1 through August 31, and is open to anyone with a valid California fishing license who registers and submits geotagged photos through California Trout.

Sacramento pikeminnow are a problem in this watershed because they prey on juvenile salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey before those fish can make it to the ocean. This derby is not about hanging a trophy on the wall. It is about using anglers as a conservation tool where an invasive predator is hammering native fish.

Prize categories reward the most pikeminnow over six inches, the most over 12 inches, the longest fish, and youth participation. Eligible waters are portions of the Eel River watershed open to public angling.

This is practical conservation. Put rods in hands, remove the fish that do not belong there, and give salmon and steelhead a better shot. That beats another committee meeting every day of the week.