Smelting From a Boat

DAB · 01-31-2004, 02:46 PM

Does any one know if it is legal or illegal to dip for smelt from a boat in Washington or Oregon for personnel use?
DAB

Fshklr · 01-31-2004, 02:48 PM

It's legal...you should see the boats on the cowlits when the smelt are in..you could nearly jump from one to another and reach the other side.

Fish Hawg · 01-31-2004, 02:48 PM

Last year it was Legal in Washington, I;m sure it still is

Mikeymoto · 01-31-2004, 05:55 PM

Do they back troll or anchor? Sounds fun. Does anyone jig for them like herring?
MM

DAB · 01-31-2004, 06:19 PM

MM--- Trolling with pink rubber worms on 9/0 treble hooks seems to work best.

DAB

Mikeymoto · 01-31-2004, 06:34 PM

very

Don. I should have said, do they motor around until they find them and troll with the school, or do they anchor up out of harms way (the bankies) and dip from there.
I suppose that a jet diver with 4 or 5 herring jigs rigged in tandem, slathered in Ultrabite might be the secret this year.
The purse seining operation we saw got a few frowns last year. [img]graemlins/icon_argue.gif[/img] (just kidding, only threw it in for visual effect)
BTW I did good on the glo-go's pn the zipperlip.
MM

Fshklr · 01-31-2004, 07:33 PM

Ive seen anchored and boats with motor running against the current. Dip your net over the side and pull up swiftly..wear your pfd's and make sure your holding onto the women just in case

DAB · 02-01-2004, 08:17 PM

MM--I am dumber that a bucket of hair about netting smelt from a boat. I don't know how they do it, I was just wondering if it was ok to do it. Hearing jigs might work if they bite

. I had to think long and hard to come up with the pink worm comment

I wonder if a pair of panty hose on a wire hoop tied to a long stick would work for a net???

DAB

Mikeymoto · 02-01-2004, 08:35 PM

Don I've never done it, but I think it may be more fun than getting clubbed by some errant net handle from someone standing right next to you. Oh wait that can happen in a boat, it may have the makings for Americas Funniest Home Movies.

I like the panty hose idea [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] Maybe a pair of extra queen size on a titanium shaft and hoop lashed to the gunnels run downstream about 45 or so till the queenies are filled up, hoist up and there should be 4 or 5 limits in one pull. Done deal.
MM

TonTo · 02-01-2004, 09:32 PM

It's legal as far as I know,but with a 20lb limit I don't know how practical.I've watched the commercial guys do it before though.I imagine the use of a fish finder would be nice in locating the major swarm.What I've seen useualy involes either motoring against the current to just hold and dipping or cutting back and drifting backward while keeping your net down.A few years ago after getting my limit lower on the river I stopped on the dike heading into Lexington just to see how the dipping was up there,just across from rocky point.I was amazed by what I saw,there were some people dipping from the bank,but there nets only went out so far,and they were getting their limits,but just out of their reach was a black river of smelt about 15-20ft wide,I remember thinking with a litle longer pole,or a boat, someone could get their net into that school,but then figured the net would probably fill so quickly it might pull the net right out of you hand or worse pull an unbalanced dipper right in the water.

PLUGGER · 02-01-2004, 11:36 PM

TO DIP SMELT OUT OF A BOAT IS EASY.LAUNCH AT RANEIER RAMP RUN OVER TO THE MOUTH OF THE COWLITZ.HEAD UP TO THE SAND BAR WERE THE COWLITZ AND CAROLS SLOUGH COME TO GETHER. ANCHOR IN BETWEEN 3 AND 10 FEET OF WATER.ANCHORING WORKS BETTER BECAUSE YOU DONT SPOOK THE FISH. DIPPING IN THE COLUMBIA YOU CAN DIP BY EITHER STATES LIMITS.WALK TO THE BOW OR AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN,PUSH YOUR NET TO THE BOTTOM AND WALK TO THE BACK OF THE BOAT.ITS THAT EASY.THEY ARE JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER FISH, THEY RUN IN LANES.SO MOVE AROUND TILL YOU FIND THEM.YOU WILL WANT TO DIP THE FLOOD...

Fishybill · 02-02-2004, 02:58 PM

Dipping from a boat is the BEST way and it is legal. Just load up your boat with licenses, get into the lower Cowlets or Lewis when they're in thick, put around with your kicker, and harvest mass quantities. Don't think jigging would work as they are looking to do the wild thing and not interested in feeding by the time they get to their spawning waters, unlike herring.