Smelt:

As in the past two years, fishery managers approved a limited fishery for smelt on the Cowlitz River to help gather data on the species’ abundance.

Recreational smelt dipping will be restricted to the hours of 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6.

The limit per person is 10 pounds – about one-quarter of a five-gallon bucket. Smelt dipping is not allowed from boats.


Probably need to have "take a number", to be able to get close to the river.

You hear that?

......it's the stampede of poaching tickets storming in!


Watch facebook for the pics folks, this should be fun.

"Could" be a zoo?

It will be a zoo. They had 2 similar openers last year a week apart. I blew it and missed the first weekend when 2-3 dips yielded a limit. The next weekend, word was out how great it was but the bulk of the run had blown through. It took me 2-3 hrs of one's and two's to get a miserable limit and in some insane crowding.

I wish they'd consider just giving the full day…..it would really help with the cluster**k factor.

I hope Bob's or the dept. will give updates this coming week as to what's being seen as far as bird activity & Columbia/Cowitz sightings. Gonna have trouble going that distance on blind faith they'll be there.

The shore dipping is next weekend on the Cowlitz. The main stem CR is running close to 44* F.

I'm in !
Gotta get me some cigarettes and a track suit !

You should brush up on your Russian accent as well.

I'm hoping somebody posts pictures of the spectacle.

That and I need to practice maintaining a 2" long ash while hauling in a net load, waded out pecker-deep, rockin' the patent leather loafers.
The chicks will dig that schitt.

The toothless ones for sure!!

I'm out.Good luck,

SZ

Hopefully the game dept. Is fully out in force. Been told many times about the immigrants doubling or tripling the limits. Soon the muslim immigrants will be in the mix too.

Yeah, let's not forget all the "muslim immigrants" that will be out netting, can't let a chance to join in on all the hysteria that chokes out what our country really stands for , can we? Don't we get more then enough of that crap on fux news? Let's keep this about smelt and not a bunch of political B.S. and immigrant bashing. I'm sure that more then 90% of those cited for over harvesting were white. Bob R

had no clue you were a mod bob r. STFU

Unlike you, I had a pretty good idea you were a moron. It doesn't take a mod to tell someone he is an idiot who prob. thinks the "Donald" is America's salvation. bob r P.S. You didn't question the fact that most poachers are white trash.

right to the name calling I see. nice.


by the way i'm more of a "feel the Bern" supporter

Kinda wish the commercial nets, would not fish for 5 or 6 years.

It wasn't the "sport catch" that put the smelt runs in the dire straits, that they are now.

Oh my word......12 hours to "dip and run".....hope everyone has a good time?????

12 hrs????.........I wish.


7am to 1pm= 6 hr clusterf**k

But I'm still going to give it a whirl.

Nooooooo I meant it was 7:00 pm when I posted, 12 hrs. at that time to the "start gun" fires.......

I really do hope that all those that make the trip.....get a limit.

I thought that's why the nets have such long handles. To avoid problems like that.

I don't think that anything shorter then 30 ft. would help with that. Bob R

The major problem.......getting close to the river. In some areas, there are so many people, just waiting their turn to be able "to dip", not all areas are good for dipping.

Will be lots of good eating tonight, IF YOU LIKE SMELT.....not everyone does.

Just saw a report on live TV, guy called in, all done 3 dips.

We need to get runs in more rivers in the State......late 80's or early 90's, Wynoochee had a run show up, millions of smelt. I'm sure there were limit amounts but I never saw anyone with a bucket get checked. Did see LE, have a drift boat pulled up on the gravel......no kidding that boat was about half full....

I used to smelt in the sound in the early '80's, a little tougher but the smelt are firmer and a sweeter taste from the salt. I saw an old timer (he was prob. my age now, in the 60's) in the late '80's smelting in the surf off the Olympic coast, really cold, guy had no waders and went in up to his chest. He got smelt but it was tough going, his wife was by the fire, he would do it as long as he could take it and then warm up. He got enough for a nice meal, said they were the best tasting smelt available, with the salt from the open ocean and water even colder then the sound I didn't doubt it. He gave me hints on when to go after them, (birds, seals, other indicators) but it looked too cold for me for a limited return. Bob R

Are the smelt that randomly run up some of the coastal rivers like the Chehalis the same as Columbia River smelt/Eulachon?

The ocean beach smelt aren't the same apparently.

From what I've read, the Chehalis/Columbia fish are one in the same or very similar. Theory has it that in some years, if conditions aren't right, they'll use River B instead of River A.

The beach or "surf smelt" spawn in the surf, never actually going upriver.

Just what I've heard/read.

The smelt this year ARE AWESOME, I didn't go but gota a phone call....Bill, do want some smelt???? I'll be right over, gallon bag full was waiting....then I get another phone call and a cell phone message, offering more.....I do like to eat them.....but after a few big "messes", that's it for this year.

Cooked up a bunch for lunch......used 2 different recipes.....they were good with either recipe..