Slime

This advice is mainly for the Cowlitz, since I fish it 90% of the time. I know it as good as any fishermen . Some people do fair fishing from there boats. Basically, they either troll wiggle warts or they free drift with eggs just like they do for summer or winter run steelhead.

But by far, my preferred method of catching silvers on the Cowlitz is either by spinners or jigs. It seems that every year on the Cowlitz, the silvers go nuts over one or the other. Lots of different colors of jigs work, but you will catch more Cowlitz and Toutle silvers on yellow & hot orange or brown& hot orange (or brown & red) then any other colors. I know that other fishermen do really well with other colors, but these colors are the best for Cowlitz and Toutle fish. My personal favorite is the yellow & hot orange color. I prefer using the ¼ oz. Jigs with either #1 or #1/0 hook.

When fishing the ¼ jigs, you need to let them go almost to the bottom of the water you are fishing in. When you retrieve it in, you need to fish it just like you would jig for crappie (slow with a small jerking motion). I catch more then my share of silvers by using these method on the Cowlitz and Toutle. Once in a while, depending on the hole that you are fishing, YOU WILL SNAG a few fish, but that is how you fish marabou jigs for silvers on the Cowlitz. About 80% of the fish I catch eat the jig! I can not count how many fishermen I have converted to fishing jigs on the Cowlitz, but it's a lot!

If you decide to fish with spinners, then I would recommend using Blue Fox spinners in sizes 3, 4, and 5. The best colors that always seem to work on the Cowlitz are red body with brass blade, red body with silver blade, chartreuse body with silver blade and blue body with silver blade. I also make a spinner with a hot red #4 French blade with brass and red bead's that also is very effective. The trick to using spinners for silvers is to fish them slowly. Slow retrieve is the way to go! Fish the spinner as slow as you possibly can while still keeping the blade moving around. Again, let the spinner sink to as close to the bottom of the hole you are fishing as possible. I always use scent, like smelly jelly, on my spinners. I never use scent on my jigs because it screws up the marabou. Silvers are not real shy, so use 10-12# line when fishing jigs or spinners.

During the last 2 years of silver fishing, I started using the K14 kick fish with a sardine wrap. They too have been deadly when fished in breaks of back water and current lines. My best colors are chrome with hot pink hearing bone. If you can't fine the right size or color jigs in your favorite store, you can get them through "Hurley Jigs" .You can call him at 360-864-4164. He's a local guy that makes great jigs at reasonable prices and he lives in Toledo, WA.

Good luck, and learn to fish jigs for silvers. You too will become a believer!

Cowlitzfisherman

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????