SMELT ARE IN COWLITZ

[Fshklr]

Just got off the phone with a buddy in a boat behind courthouse. LIMITS GALORE!!!!!!

YES THIS IS REAL TRUE INFO!!!!!!

[ 02-05-2004, 07:33 AM: Message edited by: Fshklr ]

[bait-n-wait]

thanks for the info I am there as soon as my boy gets home from school.

[SPAZZ]

[Heliarc Runner]

Would this be considered a pilot run? Or the full blown run? I want to run up tomorrow.

[Time Off]

A full blown pilot run! Ya never know I guess. But there here now.

[Abalone]

Has anyone ever tried to use a smelt for a candle ?

They used to call them Candle fish because they could burn like a Candle.

Maybe if you could get enough of them you could fuel your diesel.

[jokester]

Would this be considered a pilot run? Or the full blown run? I want to run up tomorrow.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Doesn't matter :grin: ....they're here

-jokester

[h20dog]

And I didnt think there was anything to do saturday :grin:

[FishFearMe]

These rains have driven them in which means sturgeon should start getting pretty good with the fresh smelt in. I am ready to go dipping

[Fshklr]

I just came into longview over the gearhart gardens bridge..looked like 20 or so people dipping..not huge results but they were getting fish!!
Headed out this evening for some night dipping!!

[ssteelheadsteve]

The Strugeon fishing has been excellent. in another week they will be "full" and picky.

[notaclue]

Just got a E-mail from my wife's uncle saying there are lots of fish to be had.

[bait-n-wait]

we just got back.. good pilot run.. small fish and lots of females.. took us about an hour to get a limit+ but not working hard at it. good luck all.. see ya on the river

[dampainter]

how do I get there? was going to sportshow now that will have to wait till saturday...am coming from a ways out(The Dalles) and would appreciate directions from portland to the dipping...anyone?

[Fshklr]

Dampainter,
Here ya go for a link on directions. there is one for longview exit and another for kelso exit!
web page I-5 Smelt Directions

[Hunter56787]

Went out to the Carnival Market and dipped about 5:30 tonight, 35 - 40 minutes per limit. 80/90% males.

Hunter

[live to fish]

Just got back from dipping under the kelso/longview bridge.We managed 5 limits in 45 min.

[Wak]

Does anyone know what hours/days the bridge from Raineer to Longview is closed? I would hate to go around.

[live to fish]

opens 05:30 closes 9:30pm mon-thur

[ 02-05-2004, 09:18 PM: Message edited by: live to fish ]

[fishnbus]

I haven't dipped for over 20 years and no longer have a net. [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img] Do they still rent nets anywhere? :whazzup: My Dad is 80 now and he loves 'em smoked so I'm gonna git him some

[Okie]

If you drive north up the highway on the west side of the Colitz river there are smelt nets for rent

Maybe you could pardner with some Ifisherman going up there to smelt fish and share his net. Maybe some one here will volunteer to help you.

Anyway good luck.

[Steelin Steel]

Yep- I will be up there Friday morning, got to leave here at 5am, but I think it is worth it. (got to be back in Scappoose by 8:30, school starts)

[dampainter]

thanks for the directions fshklr will post my results this evening.

[Sore Back]

Just watched Channel 2 AM news and they were up on the Cowlitz reporting on dippers. Lots of empty nets. They also said it must have been the pilot run. The big one will come. We really appreciate you locals who let us know when that happens.

[Fshklr]

As always it's only February...It is a pilot run and a good one at that. I dipped from 9pm to 9:35 and got 2 limits. I'd say 60/40 male to female ratio. average size was 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 inches. The run will only get better everyday so just get here, they are here...if you get to a spot and are doing poorly MOVE!! you have close to 10 miles of bank access if you want just follow the river and the gaurdrail turnouts, moving may also just be 10 or 15 feet they school and hold in pods while moving up the river.

If you are a bankie and toss smelt for gators these are the prime size..less wind resistance and better casts. Get them while there in abundance.

[ 02-06-2004, 08:12 AM: Message edited by: Fshklr ]

[GutshotApe]

Originally posted by Abalone:
Has anyone ever tried to use a smelt for a candle ?

They used to call them Candle fish because they could burn like a Candle.

Maybe if you could get enough of them you could fuel your diesel.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Well...they don't burn worth a dang fresh but smoked they do burn...I've done it....but not because we were out of candles...just to see if it was possible...it is.

[Kevin Newell]

Got a limit in about 20 minutes last night just off of Fishers Lane downstream from the pumphouse. The last couple of years have been pretty good for smelting it's glad to see they have made somewhat of a come back. Good luck to all.

[dampainter]

1st a big thanks to kshklr, for the heads up and directions to the dipping. left the house at 6am this morning and started dipping, (I watched a couple dippers at the 1st bridge there before I started) and they were'nt getting squat) at 8:30am by 9-9:30 just taking my time had about 1/4 bucket (lots of one fish dips with occasional 5-6 fish dips), kept hearing a bunch of hoots from across the river....I was dipping about 3-4 miles west side of river at the time, good size parking area at a bend in the river...I packed up and went to the other side of the river (a big tree covered steep hill side that comes to the waters edge) to see what all the yee haws were about... on down about same distance as the west side there is a pullout for about 10? cars with a nearby smaller road you could park at. first dip I could see why some there were yee hawing! in about 10 minutes I was done! lots of 10-15 fish dips I could feel them bumping my net as I was dipping,I did'nt even have to really strech it out there or bend my back, my best dips were when I was just above the rocks, I tried to keep the net just kinda floating with out hitting bottom...stopped at deltapark fishermens near sportsmen show and picked up a sturgeon rod (12 foot ugly stick rated heavy 15-50lb test) I have a penn 505HS to use with it, took that to bi-mart and had them put 30lb chameleon on it (never sturgeon fished before sure hope this rig works o.k. for around here - The Dalles) off the bank of course and also for bonneville`s banks???? hopefully I can turn some of these little fish into big fish :grin: also looking forward to deep frying abunch. well that`s it, my smelt trip thanks for the tip that the dipping`s good, kinda of a long way for me but then if I knew I was going to for sure get fish being it smelt... or just about anything I would and do drive to about anywhere....do we all do that? or most stay pretty local?

[Fshklr]

dampainter
I also headed out this am around the same time and near your location(westside green steel bridge) I dipped with same results. crossed bridge to east side of river and went above the train tressle at rocky point some 2 or 3miles north of bridge ..every dip 20 or more!! limited in 5 dips!!

Saw many many dippers accross river in lexington slaying em.

[ 02-06-2004, 09:10 PM: Message edited by: Fshklr ]

[wannacatchem]

This is a cool thread. Thanks to fshklr for the directions. Went to the west side of the Cow about 1400. Up around the second bridge up. Anyway, having never dipped before we (me, wife and middle kid)watched a guy for a bit. He was getting one or two with each dip. Not what I expected. I tried it there for a bit with nothing (typical fishing trip for me) Moved up stream to a little point that had a few fellers on it. Old couple just finished up with a bucket as we arrived. Took thier spot and within 20 minutes had a bucket full. I took the load back to the truck and put in a cooler. Wife was dipping and filling everybody elses bucket while I was gone. Came back and filled the bucket again in about 30 minutes. 40 lbs of smelt in an hour. 2 quarts are pickling as we speak for sturgies on Saturday (thanks Dipnet) Got wet, am sore from swinging a net in the current, wifey and kiddy had a blast. Going to smoke a bunch soon, too. Wife is Oriental, so she is going to fry up a bunch, have to see about that. All in all, first smelt trip was a good-un

[Bait O' Eggs]

I dipped a few miles above Carnival market tonight and it was 5 or dips to the limit