Cowlitz Smelt Report - Real Slooow!

[Born to be Wild]

I have to make this short because I have to work the Bob's Sporstmen's show this weekend.
But I did manage to check out Gearhart Gardens to Rocky Point and it was extremely slow.

Call Bob's, or Carnival Market before you drive all the way to Longview.

Maybe some will show up this afternoon but last night was the third night in a row that the dipping died at dark.
It was hot all day long yesterday.
Go figure.

You can call me while I'm working Bob's for a current report.
Cell minutes don't count on weekends.
(360) 560-0201

Out of here.

Dano

[Smj]

This is late BUT, the wife and I dipped Wed. We started out at Gearhart at about 8:00am and were doing pretty well, considering our trip up the middle of Feb, with 2-7 or so per dip. That kinda' petered out so we moved up to the old bridge, it wsn't a heck of alot better up there, but at least we got our 40lbs. It was amazing how the guy just two net handles above us would get a dip once in awhile with 20-30 smelt in the net, and a big dip for us was 7-8!

One question for you dippers with this latest wave of smelt. Is every body getting as many little tiny smelt as we did? I'm mean jeeeez, 95% of the ones we got at Gearhart wouldn't be big enough to use a 5/0 hook in. I'll need to use two smelt per bait when I use them.

Smj

[Born to be Wild]

Actually the smelt were real small the first few days of the run that started Sunday but the last couple days they have averaged considerably larger.
Some of the locals said the size they were averaging the first couple days were the smallest that they have ever seen.
A lot of these were anchovy size.

Haven't heard any positive reports yet today while working the Sportmen's show but maybe with the sun and warmer temperatures they will again show.

The Cowlitz is just borderline too cold for smelt and I think as the temperature drops in the evening the smelt head back out to the Columbia.

They just can't be found for the most part at night lately since we have had clear skys and cole temperatures.

Where are they going?

Dano

[Born to be Wild]

Someone went to the Cowlitz a couple hours ago where we got them the last couple days just down from Carnival Market and they were getting 2-12 per dip.

Someone that I met on the river this morning just came from there and saw a few buckets of smelt and said they were getting some again in the same place we got them.

That's all I know and I might go there after 5:00PM when this show ends.

Dano

[ 03-16-2004, 12:23 PM: Message edited by: Jennie@ifish ]

[JCJ]

Just got back from the Cow. and it is slow.Got there about 10:30 and dipped till about 2 with about 1 limit to show for it.I was below the Carnival market along the guard rail,with about a 1000 of my closest friends.Noboby was red hot,a few had maybe 6 or 8 in a single dip but then they go for 5 dips with nothing!Saw the sea lions working that area real seriously.Seemed that they were holding a little out from nets reach.Saw 1 boat dipping there but did not know how he was doing.Was about the same up and down both sides.Maybe when the water heats up so will the smelting.

[Born to be Wild]

JCJ,

There were a few ifisher's at the show today and one of them was Steve (Love2Fish) and he left for the Cow about 4:30PM and the report I got from him a little while ago confirms the report you gave and nothing has changed.
I'm too tired to think about it and not optomistic about tonight after the last three nights.

Steve did say that they were getting some below Carnival Market and at Gearhart Gardens, but one-z's and two-z's and none-z's take a long time to fill a bucket.

I still think there is a bigger more massive run to materialize when things warm up but who knows.
At least those that did hit it at the right time & place should be thankfull in this goofy smelt year.

Dano

[SKP]

Born to be Wild,

There has to be some female smelt showing up. So far, all the ones I cleaned were males. Not one female. There has to be some "hens" to make their little ones, so I agree that they are still coming.

SKP

[Born to be Wild]

A good point Steve!
This has been a cold winter and I believe there is much more to come.
But God only knows.
I could suggest that folks wait for the big onslaught, but it might not ever materialize.

I'm only reporting what is happeng now and folks can make their own decision.
I feel bad that I report that the smelt are in good numbers only to find out that once the normal working weekend warrior shows up after work or on the weekend, they are non-existant.

I don't have the answers, but only reporting what I see and ocassionally predict.
But these smelt have been totally unpredictable lately for the most part.

Dano