Silver And Gold On The Cowlitz (Thur.)

The Cow is full of bright silvers that are back on a good bite again. Their bite is quick and often short, leaving us anglers frustrated with a fish on and right off. Those dang silvers can do this to plugcuts out in saltwater fishing too. Ifishers Jeff Whitehead, Dan Sandberg, and I had over 20 strong hits there today, hooking many of them, losing most of them, and landing 5 of them. The fish sizes were from 6 to 10 except one Dan "guessed" to be close to 18! Those were the silver on the Cow. The fun company was the gold there today. Thanks guys. - RT

Sounds like a great trip. Did the fish look real bright? Did they fight strong?

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LW

[Jeffhead]

All of the fish that we boated yesterday were dime bright and were strong fighters. The early morning hours we were trolling regular size wiggle warts above the mouth of the Toutle with the armada and had quite a few hits that didn't hook up, one on Dan's rod that about ripped the rod out of the holder and before He could turn around to get to it the fish was gone, and I had one that while I was reeling in my lure had one hit it like a frieght train and broke me off before I could get the drag backed off (this was with fresh 12 lb line on!!!). The funny thing about this is we would all like to see the look on the hatchery worker that pulls the plug out of that fishes mouth, it was an orange wart that RT used a black permanent marker to add herringbone stripes to and instead of a solid black line down the back "authographed it" with an expletive deleted hehehe. After a couple of hours of the frustration of seeing MANY fish caught and boated we went to the stretch just below the mouth of the Toutle and boondogged for the rest of the day, that's where we put the 5 in the boat and hooked 5 or 6 more that we didn't get. We had one that ended up in the boat that took a run by the boat, got airborne right next to the boat, scared the hell out of Dan and almost ended up in the boat!! All in all it was great day fishin' with RT again and with Dan for the first time. They are both first class guys and we were laughin' all day!!! Big thanks to RT for the egg curing tips he has been sharing, I had some eggs that I had made up just 2 weeks ago that are the best I have ever done, they worked great. The lower Cow is hot right now although the commercial netters were in the Columbia all day yesterday so it may slow down for a few days. I may head back down that way on Monday with some other friends, if so I'll post a report.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff


[This message has been edited by Jeffhead (edited 10-06-2000).]

[DanS]

For any of you who haven't fished with Steve and Jeff yet, you're missing out. I don't know if I had more fun fishing, or listening to those guys crack me up all day. From Stve's sculpin tricks to Jeff's potatoes, it was one laugh after another. One of the most enjoyable days of fishing I've had!

You guys in OR better look out, though. Steve was learning all he could about side-drifting bait. Jeff had some terrific eggs, and we were able to make the fish pay later in the day, after being made to look foolish all morning. These fish were Houdini. How a silver can bury a rod, and avoid all those tacky-sharp hooks is beyond me.

I'd say the Cowlitz is definitely worth giving a look. We saw some nice silvers caught, and they are all dime-bright. Hey Steve, did you eat the 18'er all in one meal? LOL!

Bring your hot pink or day-glo orange plugs if you're trolling, they really seemed tuned in to them.

Fish on..........

[smilesforu]

Sounds like a blast. Now if I can just find some of those plugs . Were there any wagers?

[bathtub bob]

Jeff Iwas there wed and thur too Wed we had 10 strikes and boated 9. Rick in wolridge with 4 guys got 5 for 17. I showed him how i put hooks on warts thur he was 9 for 11. I was 5 for 5 than i went jack fishing alot of jacks too. I use only one hook take back hook off belly hook removed add #5 barrel swivel, split ring #2 GAMMY TRIPLE hook.

Thanks Dan. You're a hoot too! - b-bob, I did try a couple Warts with a single hook extended well back with a beadchain connected to the belly wireloop. I've had excellant success with this rigup for years. However, the color on the ones I had rigged like that weren't what they wanted, so I switched to "match the hatch" with Warts that had the 2 hooks on. Lazy mistake! I had hard takedowns with those. - I have done a little boondoggin' in the past on the Cow and also on the Kenai (both the sidedrift method, which I like better, and the backdrag method). It's effective. I don't know why it's been so common on larger Washington rivers and not on Oregon rivers. I think I will be trying some of this for springers on the longer wider holes of the Clackamas R. next spring when there is room to do it around the backtrollers; to compare effectiveness and for the fun of doing something different there. Actually, side drifting has been something I have done a lot from moving driftboats on some sections of coastal rivers, from very long ago. I just never thought about that being considered boondogging. -- Hey, no wagers Marty. And never any strange guarantees from me anymore ; at least not on rivers I only fish on occassion! As for the Wilson when it has dropped to a beautiful green at 5' I guarantee that if I don't hook a fish I will .... be disappointed. - RT

[Jeffhead]

Marty,
The hot plug was the orange herringbone. Maybe you can have better luck finding them in PA. Every store in my fishing gear challenged town is out of em'. Guess I'll have to make a Sportco run. Did find one plain orange at the Texaco Mini mart as we were leaving the Camelot launch. It's gonna get the special RT black permanent marker herringbone pattern with the special autograph across the back hehehe. One tip for the stock herringbone's is to paint the bill black also, saw 2 picked up last Sunday with that mod.
Bob,
Thanks for the tip on the hook setup. I may be going on Monday, I'll try it then.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

[This message has been edited by Jeffhead (edited 10-07-2000).]

[superfly]

Hey Jeff and R.T. did you guys see sexton down there that day in the white thor-built just wackin the **** out of them, if you want to catch allot of silvers down there, watch Mike and what he does, there is no one better at that than him. Bear runs a close second, a real close second and Rich bogle is right there as well, but if you shadow mike and pay attention to what he is doing you will improve your catch. Peace Superfly

Hi Super. Where you been fishin' since the party? Sneak me an e-mail if you unlock those tight jaws somewhere there's no crowds . - We only saw Bear planing by a couple times. All we needed was to extend the hooks back on the correct colored plugs instead of being lazy and we would have had plenty of fish. I figure normally we'd do btter than 50% doggin' too; just one of those teaser days. But hey, I wouldn't want to catch anymore than that would have enabled anyway, so I won't dog Sexton around embarrasing myself; I will just wait until he's alone in his truck and inject him with sodium pentathol (truth serum) and have him tell me everyone of his tricks. I've learned so much that way! BTW, you meant to type s**t, right? Family board here! Later. - RT

[Jeffhead]

Hi Joe,
Neither Mike or Rich were on the river Thursday. Rich was out last Sunday and I got to talk with him for a few minutes while we were trolling above the Toutle, nice guy. I know what you mean about Mike, I have watched him closely both in the lower Cow and up by the Barrier Dam. I have learned quite a bit just watchin' what he uses and does. They both must be over on the Lewis, Mike has told me that he switches back and forth between the two. I saw your post on Bob's board about which river to hit after we get some rain, let's get together and do the Satsop or the Nooch. Thanks for the help and advice.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

[CtDrifter]

Are there any silvers from Blue creek to Mission? Any info I would really like. Thanks alot
Ct

[Jeffhead]

Hey CT,
The Wednesday TNT report was that the silver jacks were starting to show at Barrier Dam and some late summer runs around Blue Creek. Blue Creek to Mission should be better in a couple of weeks.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff