Mouth of the Cowlitz

Twoshottom · 07-12-2001, 09:27 PM

Trolled at the mouth for about 2 1/2 hours this evening, no luck. Only two other boats fishing. Anyone else fishing the mouth of the Cowlitz? Any luck? With the high numbers going over Bonneville they have to be in the area. I'll try again next week after work. Somebody has to do it [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

HOGTIDE · 07-13-2001, 07:31 AM

Headed there in about an hour. I'll have an update this evening.

HOGTIDE · 07-13-2001, 07:32 PM

Fished the Cowlitz mouth through the afternoon tide today. Lotsa wind and wave action. I caught and released one very acrobatic native steelhead. No other take downs. Counted about 20 boats within my view and only saw 4 other fish on. Pressure was light, for obvious reasons. Things are very slow for the amount of fish crossing the dam at this time.

Fished below the mouth of the Lewis, the last 3 days prior. Lucky enough to catch one fish each day with a couple additional take downs. Counted about 28 boats within view on Thursday and only saw 5 fish on.

Along the lower Columbia trib.s, the wind is relentless. [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

Twoshottom · 07-13-2001, 08:16 PM

Hogtide
I appreciate the update. As I said above I fished from about 6:30 pm to 9 pm last night and figured the wind would die down as it got later. No such luck. It was blowing just as hard when I left as when I arrived. I'll try to continue to post updates.

DF · 07-13-2001, 10:22 PM

My friend and I went across to sand island tonight to try for some sqwafish. The tide was comming on real fast and the wind was blowing so hard we couldnt control the boat [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] every day I go to fish its windy [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] grrrrr

Perfect Drift · 07-15-2001, 05:59 PM

Where are you lauching?
Last I saw, the ramp near I-5 was high and dry. Speaking of, will that ramp ever be usable except during high water? It's such a short run to the mouth from there. Sure wished it could be dredged or something, or
install and build more public access

Twoshottom · 07-15-2001, 08:46 PM

I launched at Gerhert Gardens on the Cowlitz. I have a 14' aluminum boat with 9.9 mean horses on the back. Certainly no speed demon but I don't need much water. I launched 1/2 hour to an hour after low and it was a +0.8 tide and only had about a foot of water under the boat.

Last year someone did some digging or dredging right at the boat ramp which helps for launching but the channel is still across the river. Two years ago we had to launch the boat, motor to the sand bar in the middle of the river, get out with boots and drag the boat across the sand bar to the channel.

For 3 or 4 hours of fishing after work in the evening its just a lot easier for me to use the 14' rather than launch the bigger boat at Willow Grove and make the long run up to the mouth. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

With all the environmental rules I'm sure it would be next to impossible to get a permit to do the work that would be necessary to fix that ramp so it wouldn't silt in and continue to be a problem.

CHUMSALMON · 07-17-2001, 02:36 PM

what's the ranier launch like? maybe you guys should give that one a try.