Smelt jigging

[ouchfoss]

Its been a while since the last time I went smelt dipping up at Kalaloch and I think I might give it a try in the next few months when they start showing up but considering how bad my legs are nowadays I don't think I can go stand out in the surf anymore so I am going to try jigging for them. I tried it for the first time several years ago and it seemed to be really productive when the fish wouldn't come into the shallows of the beach and you could get 2 or 3 smelt with every cast. Well I tried looking up the rules for ONP and smelt jigging and I find cant anything that even talks about it or whether its even legal. Am I the only one who has ever thought of jigging for them? Does anybody else go smelt fishing up by Kalaloch? I'm almost positive it was legal to jig for them 7 or 8 years ago. 

[slayerofthesea]

yeah you can. 10 pounds of smelt and you need a fishing lisence i think. i do it during salmon  and a bit after to get smelt and i got 30 pounds in  about 25 mins every cast i had  5 to 6 fish each cast. they work great for stergeon fishing and  shark bait

[ouchfoss]

Good to hear that is still legal but what exactly is legal gear for jigging in the National park? Trebles? Barbless? How many hooks?

[slayerofthesea]

Good to hear that is still legal but what exactly is legal gear for jigging in the National park? Trebles? Barbless? How many hooks?

i use herring jig i think they have 6 or 9 hooks for smelt. in a park i think its 2 hooks and barblless i would ask someone who is fishing.  or call the game department they are always nice about things like that