Smelt

DF · 01-31-2001, 04:50 PM

Dose anyone know anything about smelt run's in the lewis river ??

Clamman · 01-31-2001, 09:38 PM

Inconsistant would be the best way to describe that run. This year no one will get to know since the only Washington tributary open is the Cowlitz.

ISG

DF · 02-01-2001, 09:41 AM

so dose this mean that it will be illegal to dip smelt in the lewis river near the mouth where it dumps into the coloumbia???
:P

Clamman · 02-01-2001, 12:03 PM

Since only the tributary is closed, you will need to look in the Washington Regs to determine the boundary between the Columbia and the Lewis.

ISG

Fishplay · 02-01-2001, 01:24 PM

I see in the new ODFW synopsis that the Columbia is open for smelt all year with a 25lb limit.

IfishGuest..do you know if this is correct? Up until reading this I was led to beleive the columbia was closed to sport harvest.

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FISH!........GET IN THE BOAT!!!!!

jet · 02-01-2001, 01:55 PM

Cool, I need a 50'drag net out of the back of my boat(on a pole of coourse) and net the Columbia river. This would be just for sport harvest being I not a commercial angler...lol, This might be the only way a guy gets smelt this year.

Jet~~~

Fishplay · 02-01-2001, 02:06 PM

GO GET EM' JET! I'll take any extra ya get off your hands.

Maybe you could talk fishcop into lending you a hand.

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FISH!........GET IN THE BOAT!!!!!

Ramstrong · 02-01-2001, 02:40 PM

Fishplay, the regs don't lie.
Columbia River Zone
smelt - first 25 pounds per day
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>an angling license is not required.
<LI>separate container for each dipper.
<LI>25 pounds per dipper while in dipping area.[/list]
Wow jet, that's a dip net I would like to see. I could imagine fabricating a dipnet with a 30-40' handle with a large 4-6' hoop and a very deep net for columbia mainstem use out of a boat. But boy, that would be a workout. Where oh where could the smelt be? I can see an increase in bait prices if they don't show. But I have faith they're going to show.

DF · 02-01-2001, 08:22 PM

Hey thanks guys. My friend and I. I am 16 he is 14.. We like to do a lot of sturgeon fishing in his boat so we were lookin for a place to dip that is close to home. Thanks for the info

HUNTER1 · 02-02-2001, 06:56 AM

I would hate to see some young law abiding youth get in trouble for smelt dipping. If you call the WDFW hotline 696-6211, ext. 1010 you will clearly hear that only the cowlitz river is open for smelt dipping(Saturday's only). The entire Washington side of the Columbia is off limits, as well as all tributaries other than the Cowlitz.

02-08-2001, 07:18 PM

HAHAHA Law abiding

02-08-2001, 07:26 PM

That sucks I have been waiting to dip there the whole year> but do they ever even get a decent smelt run in there?? So if the Columbia is open I take it you can go on that little beach right out in front of it to harvest them I imagin that there is just as many there as in the river itself? who are they trying to kid by opening up the columbia the only people that are going to get an advantage to that is the commercial fisherma> I could seee my self out there in the channel with a 65 foot long net trying to dip smelt even with that there is no gurranty that any smelt would pass through that little section that you are working.

DF · 02-08-2001, 09:22 PM

hahah tyler.
WE WILL GET SMELT I KNOW IT.
We both are to young to drive so i dunno how we are gonna get to the cowlitz. If the lewis was open we could do it there. Who knows what will happen