Massive run of smelt to come???

[Born to be Wild]

After doing my third sportsmen's show [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] (nothing personal against the sportsmen), I posted on ifish (first priority :grin: ) and headed for the river.
I'm not going to waste my valuable time and slow typing skills, but it was very spotty slow to non-existant again once dark had fallen upon us.

But, for some unknown rediculous reason I ended up just above the Longview-Kelso bridges after dark and on the way home (wherever that is) and heard a couple interesting reports.

Two different individuals had talked to the "Gamie" a short time ago and they both said that the officer said there were individuals there that had over-limits.
Outch!

The second individual said that the "Gamie" told him that the smelt are thick all the way from Cathlamet to Astoria.
The commercials are getting them in the Columbia.

He also told me that the gamie said that the water temp is at 39 degrees and smelt like or require 42 degrees.

This all makes sense from what I have been learning about these critters and I believe there is massive amounts of smelt waiting to come in the Cowlitz and possibly the Lewis, Sandy and otherwise.

Problem is that if it remains too cold for too long, the smelt might just spawn in the Columbia.

I will call WDFW and commercial plants tomorrow to verify this info.

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope they don't run out of time waiting for warmer water and spawn in the mighty Columb.

As I said on a previous post prior to them showing up a week ago, them bio's have a better handle on things than most of us want to admit.

Dano

[jokester]

I sure hope you're right Danno!! [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] I need some more smelt in my freezer to chase after those gators this year!

-jokester

[Born to be Wild]

Talked to Will today (Vancouver WDFW) and he did say there is a lot of smelt in the Columbia.
Of course nobody knows if they are going to come up the Cowlitz.

The Cowlitz is low, clear and cold.

Today was really tough but there were some smelt that moved through.
Most of them I saw out in the middle and saw the sea lions chasing them from one side of the river to the other.

Most folks are getting blanked or very few but there was one lucky guy below Carnival Market about an hour ago that got a half bucket in three scoops when the sea lions pushed them into shore where he was standing.
He didn't sweep the net but just held it and let the smelt swim into his net.

Your probably better off fishing springers in the Cow right now than smelt dipping.

Dan

[SKP]

Any hens showing in the catch yet?

SKP