Smelt Report 4:00 PM Today

Born to be Wild · 02-09-2004, 03:20 PM

Slooowwww!

Had to return a labtop to a friend in Lexington and stopped at Carnival Market when I noticed all the smelt dippers.

Most all the nets were coming up empty but there was one individual that was nailing one, two or three at a time consistently.
I think he was using one of them new "power bait" nets. :grin:

On the way back I stopped at Rocky Point and heard it was rather slow there also on the west side but one individual told me that they were doing slightly better over on the east side.

The gulls were there and so were the dippers but it appeared to me that there were more dippers than smelt. :grin:

Slow. Just thought I might save someone a long trip if they can save it for a more productive day.

Might go out there tonight after dark to see if it picks up any but have my doubts.
Heard the boats weren't doing so well either.

Dano

[ 02-09-2004, 04:28 PM: Message edited by: Born to be Wild ]

Time Off · 02-09-2004, 03:23 PM

Ditto from what I saw today. Pilot run has ran. Houston; we are looking for the main run, over...

Pilar · 02-09-2004, 03:34 PM

Yep, last Thursday ... many small males and small females, 30 a dip in Kelso at 4PM. The main run usually has mostly large males and an occasional female.

They'll be back. Maybe in the Sandy again this year too.

Slingshot · 02-09-2004, 03:36 PM

I went with 4 of my friends and we were done in 45 minutes yesterday evening. Everybody else that I seen were doing quite well too. Maybe the evening is better.

Born to be Wild · 02-09-2004, 03:40 PM

Quote:

I went with 4 of my friends and we were done in 45 minutes yesterday evening. Everybody else that I seen were doing quite well too. Maybe the evening is better.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Could be?
I might go out and net a few tonight just to give an updated report.
I'll be bateing them with the new "power smelt nibbles" in chartruese rainbow. :grin:

Dano

[ 02-09-2004, 04:41 PM: Message edited by: Born to be Wild ]

King Fisher · 02-09-2004, 03:43 PM

Thanks for the reports!!

Chrome Bumper · 02-09-2004, 03:47 PM

Try using the new power-pro net, not the old fashioned dacron ones, just throw them away. Also if the water is at all clear they will see the net coming during the day and dodge it, wait til night.

Freakwater · 02-09-2004, 03:51 PM

How does the tide affect smelt? Got 50 smelt for a 3 hour effort on Saturday afternoon (little guys)......pretty slow. Sunday morning, nada. I think I was dipping incoming on Sat. and outgoing on Sun.

....or should I just be patient, forget tides and wait a week or two?

Freak

CATCH AND EAT · 02-09-2004, 03:53 PM

Dan, carrot milk does not work on smelt. Don't believe it if they tell ya it does. :grin:

steelheader667 · 02-09-2004, 03:54 PM

My buddy and I went out today at daylight between the 2 bridges in kelso and we got our limits in about 45 min. It started out pretty slow but I had to step off of the bank and go farther out with the net. was getting about 20 oneand then 2 or 3 the next. Pretty slow but talked to one guy in a boat that was down towards the mouth of the river and said there were a lot out there.

Fishuniz · 02-09-2004, 10:22 PM

Out this evening an SLOW....

Fishuniz · 02-09-2004, 10:26 PM

Out this evening to Gearheart Park an SLOW....is the word one or two every five dips. :depressed: two nets & an hour not enough to cover the bottom of a bucket.

Spruce Goose · 02-09-2004, 11:02 PM

1,000 thanks for the smelt news.

Somebody wake me up when they hit the Sandy....

The Overfishin Condition · 02-09-2004, 11:20 PM

Went Sunday at about five, was getting one, none or two per dip for about an hour and an half. One guy left, after getting his limit, that took him three hours. Pretty soon I was the only guy on the east side at rocky point. I took ten dips, got one smelt, was about to call it quits... when somebody flipped the smelt switch. Would have had a five minute limit even if I hadn't gotten any the first 1 hour plus. I may have been over reaching them for a while, as when I started getting them, the net was between 1 foot under or just the net hoop in the water! They were squiming and jumping everywhere right at my feet! Came home and vac-packed most of them, three females out of the whole limit! Lots of smelt milk in the bucket

Full nets, TOC.

Sore Back · 02-10-2004, 02:53 AM

Thanks for the report. Netarts to Kelso is quite a trip. However, if the smelt are in, it's not far at all. We will keep watching your reports ,

Sore Back

PLUGGER · 02-10-2004, 03:10 AM

THE SMELT ARE THERE YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND THEM.THEY NEVER LEFT SO HUNT SOME MORE GO GEARHART GARDENS,THE GOLF COURSE,THE BRIDGES,RIVER SIDE PARK,LEXINGTON,THEN CAMELOT,THEY DONT GO MUCH HIGHER THEN CAMELOT.THEY USUALY HANG AROUND LEXINGTON IN THE ROCKS.COVER THE HOOP OF YOUR NET WITH GARDEN HOSE AND BRING SOME ZIP TIES FOR FIXIN IT.TRY THROWNIG A BIG ROCK JUST UP STREAM AND OUT FROM YOU, IT WILL PUSH SUM RIGHT TOO YOU, OR DIP IN THE DARK,CAUSE THATS WHEN YOUR SAPOSED TO DIP ANYWAY,UNLESS YOU WANT TO WORK TOO HARD.

Bill Monroe · 02-10-2004, 05:51 AM

Plugger,
That sounds like a good jury rig, but why the garden hose? Whazzit do?

Fishplay · 02-10-2004, 06:38 AM

Protects the net from the rocks. The smelt are right on the bottom most of the time and dragging the net across the bottom will shred a net in no time.

diehard2 · 02-10-2004, 07:19 AM

I fished sat and sun at Kelso Caught one limit in about 20 minutes early in the morning.Whent back and got the wife and had to work most of the day to get the 2nd. Sunday morning we got two limits in about a hour. 99% male the ranged from 4 1/2 to 8 inches.

fishing is life · 02-10-2004, 10:27 AM

hey thats a great tip Plugger. I knew i saved that old hose for something.

fish nut · 02-10-2004, 10:53 AM

got my limit in 15 min at rocky point two nights in a row after 8pm. whent in the day and did not do sqat. after dark is the time to go.

bucketmouth · 02-10-2004, 12:54 PM

I went on Sunday afternoon and it was slow then too. I got enough for a few meals but that was all. I hope there will be a strong run this year. It would be nice to see the smelt make their way down to both the Lewis and Sandy Rivers.

[ 02-10-2004, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: bucketmouth ]

PLUGGER · 02-10-2004, 01:50 PM

the garden hose keeps your hoop from making noise on the rocks.every time you bang a rock it spooks the smelt.

TonTo · 02-10-2004, 03:05 PM

I noticed the rock banging spooking the fish my self and have been planning on wrapping my aluminum frame.I have an old style net too that is constcructed with a solid steel hoop and a wood handle I've noticed I sometimes do alot better with this settup,I figured it was because it doesn't make as much noise when scraped along the rocks,although it is quite a bit heavier to swing.

10 lb line · 02-10-2004, 03:32 PM

Went to the Cowlitz this morning began dipping around 9:30 a.m., on the west side of Rocky Point down over the rocks, ( be very careful there) got a half bucket in about an hour, very slow dipping, boat out in the river was doing better.
I think it would be better at nite.
Good dipping

Marc400 · 02-10-2004, 08:37 PM

It is very slow right now :depressed: but will get better... got 15lb in 30 min after dark nothing during the day at all.....

Shad & Crab · 02-10-2004, 09:05 PM

Started around 7pm (2-10-04). 1 hour for 2 limits. Lots of people. Everybody doing well. Area between Kelso and Lexington.

Born to be Wild · 02-10-2004, 11:41 PM

I did go back there last night and checked a few different locations and it was a tad bit better than earlier in the day but was very slow.
You could get them but had to spend a lot of time in the cold to get any quanity.
Too much work for me and I will wait until they come in thick enough that I can get my limit in a couple scoops.

Dano

fishhog1 · 02-11-2004, 09:26 AM

started dipping between the bridges at 6:00 AM today 2-11 it was slow! moved to Rocky point slow there too and when it got daylight it went dead. We ended up with about 50 on ice for gator fishing tomorrow. Thats about 2 hours work for 50 baits I sure hope it was worth it, tomorrow will tell. the fishhog

bob thomas · 02-11-2004, 10:13 AM

Had a friend who had two nets introduce me to dipping in Kelso Monday afternoon. What I learned was to keep your net on the bottom, and to start at your feet with the first sweep, then move out 6 inches, and sweep again, until you get into fish. When after a couple of sweeps no fish, start over. It is a little bit of work, but I've worked harder at avoiding work than this. :smile: I guess now, I'll get my own net, take the wife and kids, and make them work! :grin:

Trout Tako · 02-11-2004, 11:59 PM

Went for the first time last night & got about 30 in 1 1/2 hr. Think I may have stumbeled on to something..... I was standing there at Gearheart dipping off of a rock & noticed that they kept swimming up past the rock I was on in groups of abput 10 or 20. The water was less than a foot deep. I started waiting for them & then going after them with the net. Every time I did a few would jump on shore & I'd pick 'em up. ( I must have looked pretty funny but it worked.) I am going to have to refine this techqunique. Haveing never done this before I'll be excited when it "Gets Good"

Tako