SMELT Report

[GregE]

That's not the past tense of smell....           but a tasty fish that comes into fresh water to spawn - they don't eat in the fresh water so they need to dip netted by sporties ( netted by commercials) 




We were on the Cowlitz S of Castle Rock and it took two cold hours in crotch deep water to get ours.






Several were 9.5 "



10# carefully weighed.  Guess what's for dinner?



Some eat them whole  but Dinner tonight was sans heads, guts and bones.  Remnants are going into the bait buckets for shrimp, crabs

[ICEMAN]

GregE, you are making me so jealous! Great pics!

I sure hope they re-open for us sportsmen!

Butter fried  till crispy?

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Those look real good!!!

[TheHunt]

Let's hope they open it up this coming weekend.

[HntnFsh]

I was on the Camelot side south of Castle Rock as it was a safer place for the grankids.  It was steady but not great dipping. Still had a blast. Got our limits. The Hiway side at the park below Castle Rock was lights out. 1 and 2 dip limits were the norm.

[Fishaholic]

Your eating all the bait!!!!!

[ICEMAN]

 

Your eating all the bait!!!!!

[TheHunt]

Your eating all the bait!!!!!

Hahahaha...  They open it up again I am going to find someone to go with that has a net.  I am more interested in just dipping. 

I might take home some bait 1 or 2 baits and try it out.

[gasman]

I remember as a kid going smelting on the Cow.''Dad and uncle did al the dipping, we had to stay around for them to get our limit too
once they got all our limits we were allowed to go play in the water or what ever we wanted  then when we got home it was time to clean many buckets of smelt  some were cleaned (as soon as dad got tired of cleaning them, we stopped and froze them whole  ) Mom would fill empty ice cream buckets with fish and freeze them.

Smelt for dinner, smoked smelt, and any time mom was in the mood, she would take a bucket out of the freezer and yep, you guessed it, smelt for a week 


God do I miss those day 

[bullcanyon]

Too funny! That's my brother and I in the first picture you took. We were only there 15 minutes tops. That was his daughters first smelting experience.

[Encore 280]

I went a time or two back in the late 70's with my dad somewhere around Kelso but I can't remember where it was. I'd really like to try it again sometime but don't know where to go. I have a net so maybe I'll just have to drive down there and find where all the dippers are and give it a try.

[TheHunt]

I went a time or two back in the late 70's with my dad somewhere around Kelso but I can't remember where it was. I'd really like to try it again sometime but don't know where to go. I have a net so maybe I'll just have to drive down there and find where all the dippers are and give it a try.

I would go with you if they open it up again.  I just want the experience.

[Encore 280]

I don't think I can go this coming Sat. as the Kitsap guys are having a get together so might have to be the following unless "The Warden" comes up with something she wants to do.

[TheHunt]

I do not think it is open any more.

[plunker01]

2hrs to get ur limit! We wentboutb that morning and it took us 15 min to get 4 limits. It was packed at carnival market but with 1 or 2 dip limits most people were in and out