question about smelt .

[fishing4fun]

does anyone know what happens to the smelt after they come up our rivers to spawn? do they return to the ocean like a stealhead or do they die like a salmon ? the reason for this question is on my way back from longview to portland i was looking at the columbia about woodland and seen a whole lot of seagulls probably 1000 + flying and sitting near and on an island in the columbia, does anybody know why ?

[steelheadslayer]

f4f, I've seen the same thing over the Cowlitz the last couple days. My guess is that there is another run of smelt moving through. Anyone else agree?

[fishing4fun]

thats what i was thinking but i wasent quite sure if maybe there getting them on there way out

[love2fish]

I saw the same thing on the Lewis yesterday. It looks like they are still there. I always wondered what happened to them after they spawned.

love2fish

[live to fish]

It is my understanding that they die after they spawn.I am seeing lots of dead or half dead smelt in the river right now.

[ 03-10-2003, 05:52 PM: Message edited by: live to fish ]

[Fast Water]

Eulachon and longfin smelt are anadromous-returning to fresh water areas to spawn in winter to early spring with most adults dying after spawning -a few have been found to survive to spawn a second time. Females lay 7,000-31,000 eggs depending on body size. Eggs hatch in 20-40 days.

Click here for the OSU HMSC page on Eulachon (http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/odfw/devfish/sp/smelt.html)

[steelheadslayer]

Thanks Mark, I was always wondering about them stupid little oily devils.