Hot springer bait

[SailCat]

This is from this evening's TGF, but I wanted to share it here for people who aren't subscribers.

This is from Gloria D. regarding her springer fishing experience:

"As a subscriber, I greatly enjoy your reports, real good current up to date information, using your reports and some knowledge of past history, I reside in seattle, but am a native oregonian, and guided on the Rouge river for many years, presently I fish the Cowlitz, Lewis, Klama, and Columbia rivers. Well enough of that my purpose is to let ya know the successful weekend we just completed, as I had family business to attend to in Portland on Monday we had the weekend to fish so I just hooked up the boat and when we came to the Cowlitz the Smelt we're in went over to Bob's and got a dip net(nice one) back to the river to join the crowd whole family's just having a ball dipping Smelt, put the boat in and in about 30 minutes had our limits 20#'s for the two of us, then on to the Willamette at Oregon City, stayed at the Rivershore Motel (nice place).

"The next day 3/4 put in early and went above the 205 bridge, started right out trolling, fresh smelt with green diver, just got one rod out and started getting the other out and "Bam" nice bright chrome 12# 'er got all straighten out, both rods in and "Bam" (trying to get a cup of coffee)another on and running, lost it and that's about how it went ended up having 6 on and running, boating two, the second one going at 22#'s. nice trip in all, those Springer's sure liked the fresh smelt"

Smelt ... it's not just for breakfast anymore.

~MT

[Shannon]

Sounds like BOE needs to follow you. We all do for that matter.

Good report. I'm glad you enjoyed your time!!!

[HOGTIDE]

Several of the fish I have caught this spring have been literally "stuffed to the gills" with smelt. Only problem I see is that their rounded body does not spin very well and their dull grey color does not provide much flash/attraction.

[SailCat]

They may not flash like a herring, but those smelt seem to be pretty attractive to the sringers. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Coot22]

if flash is a problem...then put a spinner blade in front of the smelt. just a thought.

-Cody

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"10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish"

[Spooled]

Bait O' Smelt? http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Deleted User]

I smelt that one coming.

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Exerpt from the wizard of oz when the witch gets water on her:

"Help me help me, I'm smelting..I'm smeeellllttttiiinnng"

[OR Coast Range]

O my god. This thread has really hit a new low.

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Glad I could do my part http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Do any of you ever pickle your smelt? I've heard of pickled herring before, so I was wondering. Probably not as good as pickled pig's feet. mmmmmm mmmmmm

[MoJet Driver]

He who smelt it, dealt it. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Bait O' Eggs]

Trying to clean up this thread a little, I will throw a report in.

I saw this thread last night. (Thanks Sailcat) You can guess what I had on for bait today. I fished a smelt all morning to no avail. I am not sure my 1 1/2 hours was a complete test. I started off up by the falls and when I got there at 6:10 I see the only other boat fishing playing a fish. I did not get to see if it was a steelhead or a springer because the Sheriff was between me and the lucky boat when they netted it. Once the fish was landed the Sheriff flipped on the red and blues and boarded the boat for 17 minutes. The fishing boat did not have any lights on and it is pretty dark right after 6. I saw fishing licenses being showed, life jackets, etc etc. Then the sherriff headed down river and the next boat up the river got the red and blues at about 6:40 for running with no lights. They got the full safety inspection also. I moved down to the area between the two bridges and I watched the sheriff board every anchored boat and inspect them. One boat ran up the river and the sheriff left the boat he was inspecting and ran down the boat headed up river with full lights on. When I left the Sheriff had worked his way down to the garbage hole and was still boarding every boat. I dont know why he left me alone but I didnt get inspected, I left my lights on all morning, maybe that was it. 5 cops and 1 sheriff boat were making sure everybody was up to snuff. If you are headed out make sure your lights work and you have all the equipment required.

I saw no other fish on. At least a dozen boats between the two bridges.

[Coot22]

i am going to try and rig them just like i would rig an anchovy if i were fishing the rogue. The lead hook is a slip rig and the trailor hook is a treble that is attached by a loop. A threader is from the anal vent up through the mouth and then the treble hook is attached to the loop that is pulled back through the mouth and out the anal vent. I am also going to put a spinner blade in front of it and try it that way. Just a thought....

-Cody

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"10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish"

[RKB]

Pilar
You will be fogiven my son.
Good luck and good fishing.RON

[SAUKit2em]

Hey_yall, is your one arm still strong enough to dip some smelt?

[This message has been edited by SAUKit2em (edited 03-09-2001).]

[Pilar]

Veewy intewesting. Last year I talked to some old boy at Carnival Market who let on that the only bait he would use for Kings in the Puget sound was a trolled smelt. He said he was camping there so he could bag 3 days worth to put up as Salmon bait. I thought he was pullin my leg!!

OK, so how the hell do you rig it? Plugged?, wired, spun and nose clipped? Up the river tail first?

Any one, Any one, Any one!!

BTW many of the smelt I dipped Wednesday had the familiar 'missed strike' teethmarks I've come to love Salmon fishing in the Ocean for Coho. I wondered why any self respecting fish would try to eat a smelt. Could this be why the Springer run and smelt run coincide?

RKB, church tomorrow. Hope they let me in, I've been veewy, veewy bad. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Chasing other species http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif, missing church and all. Oh well it's all about forgiveness.

Much easier to get forgiveness than permission.

The bend is your friend!

[This message has been edited by Pilar (edited 03-09-2001).]

[Lipripper]

I would like to know how you rig them there smelt. Would you rig them to do the death roll like a herring or is there some other trick? Sure would like to cath one of them fine Springers. People think those poor people hooked on drugs have a problem----they haven't seen a fisherman going through salmon withdrawls. NEED A FIX(SPRINGER)

[bathtub bob]

I fished smelt like rogue river set up. Spinner bait looked good and rolled good. But didnt have any bites and no one around did either. Clifton channel Sat.