Smelt dipping

[Jamieb]

We got our2 limits in about 6 dips. Mostly big males. Half a limit soaking in brine will be smoked tomorrow, a few cleaned to eat tonight and a few bags in the freezer for later. If we could keep sturgeon on the Chehalis, I'd go again next weekend to get bait but we have enough for eating so I'm done.
 

[buckhorn2]

We watched 3 Asians packing bucket after bucket up but the good thing the fish and game must have been watching also because we saw them getting checked as we left. Finally get a chance to dip and always some ready to get it closed down for some reason or another.

[Boss .300 winmag]

We watched 3 Asians packing bucket after bucket up but the good thing the fish and game must have been watching also because we saw them getting checked as we left. Finally get a chance to dip and always some ready to get it closed down for some reason or another.

Hopefully they get fined heavy for their greed! 

[Jamieb]

I brought a scale so we knew when we had 10# per bucket.
Most folks were just filling their 5gal. bucket. The fine for taking over your limit must be small or the limit just isn't enforced, folks didn't even try to hide the fact that they were over limit by a bunch.

[HntnFsh]

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1 dip limits across from Carnival market. Better than what I saw at Castle Rock. Didn't start till about 10 though. In 2 limits I had 15 females. Not a lot of big males but enough. The smaller males that seemed to prevail would be awesome for pickled smelt!

Lots of limit abuse going on. Wasn't limited to race. The Gamies were busy at Rocky Point!

How many smelt does a person really need? !

[Utah]

Thanks for the reply
No License is good  but a 10 pound limit...  well ok that'll work although I can remember when that would of been only 3 dips of the net, must be the runs here are not that spectacular as far as the shear numbers of fish

J, this year and last one dip would fill a 5 gallon bucket to the top fish pouring onto the ground.   One dip was 2 limits today where I was.  Way to easy!

[Encore 280]

We went to the high banks and had two limits in 5 dips. Lottsa people and game wardens. Talked to a couple wardens and there were 18 of them in the area! Saw the beds of a couple of their trucks and they were loaded with big garbage bags full of smelt they confiscated!! And then it was a down pour on I-5 on the way back.

[duckmen1]

Crazy. I started at 6 am and out 75 or so people I saw in castlerock area people were only pulling up three fish on a good pull. 

[Utah]

Wonder what the hell the Game Dept is gonna do with all those confiscated smelt?   

[HntnFsh]

I almost asked them if they wanted to just give the wife and I, 10 lbs, apiece so they didn't have to mess with them.

[Jamieb]

The little chief is full
 

[scree]

This was my first time dipping since a growing up in Michigan.  The family had a blast, three limits in 15 minutes.  I think we are going out next weekend to put some in the freezer for my folks.  My dad can eat his weight in smelt and big runs in MI are mostly a thing of the past.  They really need a limit there too.

[lokidog]

Sounds like fun, wish I wasn't so far away.  There is a guy that does educational/commmercial beach seining here in the islands, I'm going to try to join him on his next pull if he is still doing it.

[goosegetter79]

Saw a video yesterday on FB that someone had posted to fishing washington state or washington state fishing. It was of a gal standing in the water just grabbing them with her hands. It was probably about 1-2 minutes long and she must have grabbed 10 or so.

[TheHunt]

To make it pay I went down with 6 people and we all got limits in about 2 hours.  We did not have the right net.  But it was still fun.  Cleaned them all yesterday and they are in the smoker and the canner.

I am heading down early on Saturday to make bait...