I have an uncle that has done this for years. this year was one of his top 5 years and he was paid over $60,000 this year. but you have gas, ice, bait and such and to make that kind of ching is a lot of work and dedication .But a few things on this that I know as fact, 1st is most is not for the most part paid for by Washington DNR, but is actually sustained by the power generating plants that are on the Columbia River, since they were put in the Squawfish has flourished and decimated the salmon population so DNR gave ultimation of this type program paid for by them of remove power generating dams. another thing is you must turn the bounty fish in each day because the DNR actually sells them to a pet food manufacturer and they make pet food and fish pellets for feeding the pen raised salmon before release. My uncle is Retired but fishes a lot and has done this for years and has made some good money doing it but the way he does it is treated like a job. The bounty time is from May-September each year. There a lot of regulations for them on this also. My uncle caught 7 tagged fish this year, twice 2 in one day