smelting this weekend...need to know regs.

[Coot22]

My mom used to go smelting with her family all the time and now she wants to go again. I read her the past posts on smelting and she got all excited. So, what i need to know are the regulations because i do not want to get into trouble with the WDFW guys considering they are thick along the cowlitz. Does a typical day fishing license cover the smelting? Where are the most productive places to go? Directions, etc.? Any help would be very much appreciatted. Thanks.

-Cody

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

[Killertraylor]

No license needed - 10 lbs per person allowed (about 1/3 of a 5 gallon bucket full - but most people cheat) and the best place to go is where all the people are! I went last saturday and the smelt were so thick you could probably catch a limit with a trout net. Took about 5 minutes to get 10 pounds. I like to take the second Longview exit as you are heading north on I-5 (I think it's also the Kelso exit) take a left, go under I-5 and take a right when you cross over the Cowlitz. Go up about 2 miles and you will see people in the middle of the river on a gravel bar that extends out from the west side of the river. You can turn off the road to the right, drive along the top of a dike and park between the river and the road. Wade out there and dip away. We averaged 10-20 fish per dip and had a few dips with over 30 smelt - incredible! Good luck.

[Coot22]

Really, no license? Even if I am from Oregon? WOW! That is great! thank you for the info...

-Cody

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

[Coot22]

are there any special regulations besides the ten pound limit? If so, what are they...thanks again for the help! I hope my mother has a great time, and that i get me some springer bait. Thanks again for all of the help!

-Cody

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

[Killertraylor]

I really don't think there are any regs besides the 10lb. limit. I'm positive on the license issue - I'm from Oregon too, as are many of the people who go up there. Your mom will have a ball - I recommend some neoprene gloves if you think you'll be there long - and it really helps to have two people out there together - one to hold the bucket and the other to dip. It's pretty hard to hold onto your bucket if you wade out on the sandbar with your net. I'm sure you'll kill em'. Hope they make good springer bait - I'm heading down to the mouth of the Columbia to fish the main river on Sat. afternoon and think I'll stop at the Cowlitz long enough to scoop some fresh bait myself.

[Coot22]

KT,

so there is not a time frame of when you can dip and cannot dip? It is open seven days a week? Sounds good to me! Good luck down at the mouth!

-Cody

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

[Jeremy]

You can only dip on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 6am to 10pm. I dipped right near the longview kelso bridge on wednesday on the upriver side (you will see a ton of cars parked on the side of the road) I took one dip and had a limit, the WDFW guy standing next to me said he would give me another dip and i got another 3 or 4 lbs in that dip, it only took about 2 minutes. Good luck

[Killertraylor]

oops - forgot about the day/time restriction in my earlier post! Jeremy is right. Wed., Sat., Sun. only right now and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.