Small River Sturgeon

sinker · 03-16-2001, 12:28 PM

I've been a *lurker* on here for more time than I care to admit. Although most of the fishing you guys talk about is a bit of a drive for me and time being as tight as money

I find it very informative and entertaining.
What I was wondering is does anyone know of any small rivers to fish for sturgeon in down in SW Wa or NW Or. I've got a couple poles that will handle the fish but won't handle flinging a pound of lead out into the Columbia. I've heard of fishing the Cowlitz and the Naselle but don't have a clue as to where to go.
Any info is appreciated. Gotta get the 3 yr old daughter out there to help me use this newly aquirred bait that i got last weekend:0

Pilar · 03-16-2001, 12:46 PM

Howdy Sinker. Welcome to the rodeo. I've heard people talk about the Elochamin (SP?) the Willapa in Raymond behind the big sawmill and the Greys rivers as well as the two you mentioned. Sturgeon are always looking for something to eat and will go most anywhere to find it. The trick is to figure out where they are feeding. Fresh water clams are a favorite food so find some deeper water near a clam bed. It might hold some hungry gators.

No doubt some of your neighbors are zipperlip about these small places for obvious reasons. You could probably find them red handed if you snooped around.

The bend is your friend!

sinker · 03-16-2001, 12:51 PM

Thanks Pilar,
I'm gonna have to take a few weekends here and do a little scoutin. If I could only bring myself to move down to that neck of the woods. Then I'd be in fishy heaven. Well maybe I'd have to head north to be in true fishy heaven but much more so thatn here.

Osprey · 03-16-2001, 01:03 PM

Hey Sinker try the river that runs next to Montesano

.....Os

TheRogue · 03-16-2001, 01:45 PM

The Chehalis was a great sturgeon river...up until the "incidental" sturgeon catch by the tribal nets went sky-high. When I worked up there in 96, supposedly there were around 3000 sturgeon netted in the 2 week long spring salmon season.

T.R.

AngleThis · 03-16-2001, 02:09 PM

Try the Sandy! Like Pilar said, the sturgeon go to where the food is. The sandy has a strong smelt run right now; the first time in 12 years no less...and I have heard reports of sturgeon going into the Sandy to get to cooler water in the summertime...why not smelt? The Cowlets I would not recomend right now because it is LOADED with dead and dying smelt, and any sturgeon there is going to be beyond well fed.

DC

scooby · 03-16-2001, 02:51 PM

I didn't realize there was still a big sawmill in Raymond

Killertraylor · 03-16-2001, 04:50 PM

There's lots of sturgeon in the Naselle this time of year. I've fished them from a boat where the river runs into Willapa bay, but I've never fished it from the bank. I'd do some scouting in this area and see where the bank fishermen are at. I'll also bet there's sturgeon in Bear River near the Wildlife station on Willapa bay. There's smelt in there and they'll go in there to eat em'. Bear river would be easy to fish from the bank.

03-16-2001, 10:18 PM

The Cowlitz is good and easy to access between Longview and Castle Rock. However forget it around the smelt run.

As for the Elochoman, I may or may not have picked up a few at the mouth. But, shhh! You didn't hear it from me.

x-local

Pilar · 03-21-2001, 07:21 AM

Yeah, it's a Weyerhaueser mill. I've spent a few late nights there working for the man. There is always a banker or a boat or two in the river behind the mill.

[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] The bend is your friend! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]