I just talked with a diehard cow fisherman and he has caught over 15 fish that went 19lb plus this year. Also fish country has a 21lb fish leading the derby with a 19 in second. It isn't the fast and the furious but some nice fish are being taken. I just don't agree with what you've been preaching. Considering the statewide conditions the cowlitz ain't doing all that bad.
I'm not trying to start something here I just want your take on this due to your undying love of this river.
glow

Glowbaal

Ok, you asked me for my take on this issue, so here it comes!

I can't explain the reason for the size of these fish, if they are indeed that big. It's kind of hard for me to believe that one guy has caught "that many" fish (15) over 19 pounds this year. In fact, I don't believe it!

Once in a while a guy will get lucky and nail a steelhead over 19 pounds on the Cowlitz, but even that is pretty darn rare anymore. Many years ago (before the dames were in place) fishermen did catch large winter steelhead in the Cowlitz. But even then, they mostly caught them earlier in year i.e. February through April. It sounds like your friend is probably more "talk than walk".

Anybody nowadays that catches that many fisher over 19 pounds would certainly have pictures to back up his story (well at lease 7 or 8 pictures). Nowadays a 19 pound winter run hatchery steelhead is not all that common anymore on the Cowlitz. But for one guy to claim is that he has already caught 15 fish over 19 pounds is pretty hard for most board members who fish the Cowlitz to swallow! I am no saying that it is not possible, but I am saying that it is extremely unlikely. In fact, the Fish County derby is usually taken each year by a single steelhead weighing just over 19 pounds, and there isn't a whole lot of them registered in at that weight either.

What you have just told me, reminds me of what I saw about two weeks ago at the Mission boat ramp. A guide boat pulled into the boat ramp to use the restrooms. They had one steelhead in his fish box. The girl held up her fish and asked the guide to take her picture. She asked the guide how much her fish weighed and he (the guide) told her that she had caught a prime 14 pound winter run steelhead. I've caught and handled more than my fair share of steelhead and I am telling you that fish could not have gone over 8 pounds, and that was including the club he hit it with! Moreover, it was not even a winter run, but was a rosy late summer run.

Maybe that guy was the same guy that told you that he has already caught 15 steelhead over 19 pounds…do you think?

I still know a lot of guides that fish the Cowlitz and read this board, and I'll bet you that none of them could look me right in the eye and tell me that they caught 15 steelhead over 19 pounds in the Cowlitz this year and keep a straight!


Yes, every year fishermen do hook a few big burts on the Cowlitz
Remember one thing, talk can be any size you make it to be, but pictures don't lie!

Good luck fishing, and let us know if you see a lot of steelhead over 19 pounds being caught. Maybe things are changing, but I have my doubts.

Finally, you said "Considering the statewide conditions the cowlitz ain't doing all that bad." Well you right, but when you consider how many smolts have been released, you may want to reconsider your thoughts! You should be seeing the returns now from the release of 635,000 early Winter run, 85,000 late Winter run, 430,000 Summer run. That's a total of 1,150,000.00 smolts that should be coming back. And that is not including any "natural" late run smolts that were released that past through the new Cowlitz Falls Fish Collection Facilities.

What other system or river has release anywhere near that many steelhead smolts? We should be walking on fish with that many smolts being released! Even at a 1 percent survival rate, we should be seeing tens of thousands of adult winters returning. So no, I don't think that we are doing that great on the Cowlitz either.


Cowlitzfisherman

Just curious CFM,Finally, you said "Considering the statewide conditions the cowlitz ain't doing all that bad." Well you right, but when you consider how many smolts have been released, you may want to reconsider your thoughts! You should be seeing the returns now from the release of 635,000 early Winter run, 85,000 late Winter run, 430,000 Summer run. That's a total of 1,150,000.00 smolts that should be coming back. And that is not including any "natural" late run smolts that were released that past through the new Cowlitz Falls Fish Collection Facilities.

Well any idea what happend to all of them? Hatchery lied or El Nino?

By the way I agree with you, that it is slow, dead slow.

15 fish over 19lbs. I'd have to see em to believe it...

I'm curious CFM, I remember reading an early post from someone who said they did quite well glowballing at Blue Creek - I think he said they hooked a dozen or so fish. If this is true, do you think that with the river running so low that the fish are spooked more than in past years and that could be part of the poor fishing?

When we do the clean up this weekend our plan is to glowball Friday evening/night so that'll be a test I guess. Just wondering if you had any thoughts on this theory.

What happened to all the smolts then? I know the survival rate is less than 2% but that is still 23000 fish or so.
You're right about the 15 19lbers, but the guy not known to be a bull$hitter. I said the same , Have to see to believe. He says he has pics so I guess i will see. The derby fish don't lie though.
Oh well I just wanted to let you give your fingers a work out and see what they come up with.
Have a good one cow.
GLOW