Smelt Any News

[Trapper John]

Has anybody heard anything if there is going to be  a season for them yet?
JC

[HntnFsh]

Opening it up the 25th for 1 day. I didn't see any sign of smelt Saturday though.

[nontypical176]

The Columbia is loaded with fish.  My parents been watching huge schools of birds and sea lions for the last week down by cathlamet.  Seems like the cold water pushed the fish back out into the ocean for a while but they are heading for some smaller river any time.   Hope they hit the cowlitz hard.   My property is on Cowlitz gardens rd in north Kelso.  I own the most northern lot on that rd which is the corner called Rocky point.   My property is cotton woods and has a shed.   All members here are welcome to come give it a shot, I'll be there all day monitoring chaos.   If I know your from this site I can let you park down on my property, I keep it off limits to other vehicles, just make them park on the road.   My property has traditionally been a hot spot and everyone limited last time.   I let all comers fish there respectfully, just limit parking on my property to friends, neighbors and I suppose if members from here can get my attention or figure out witch goon I am, I will let them have access to prized parking spots also.   Really the big limiting factor for my fishing spot....parking.   Good luck Fishers!

[HntnFsh]

I know exactly where your talking about. Very generous offer!

[Blacklab]

I know exactly where your talking about. Very generous offer!

 

[shadowless_nite]

The Columbia is loaded with fish.  My parents been watching huge schools of birds and sea lions for the last week down by cathlamet.  Seems like the cold water pushed the fish back out into the ocean for a while but they are heading for some smaller river any time.   Hope they hit the cowlitz hard.   My property is on Cowlitz gardens rd in north Kelso.  I own the most northern lot on that rd which is the corner called Rocky point.   My property is cotton woods and has a shed.   All members here are welcome to come give it a shot, I'll be there all day monitoring chaos.   If I know your from this site I can let you park down on my property, I keep it off limits to other vehicles, just make them park on the road.   My property has traditionally been a hot spot and everyone limited last time.   I let all comers fish there respectfully, just limit parking on my property to friends, neighbors and I suppose if members from here can get my attention or figure out witch goon I am, I will let them have access to prized parking spots also.   Really the big limiting factor for my fishing spot....parking.   Good luck Fishers!

Pm inbound!!!!

[Jason]

One-day smelt fishery set to open
on Cowlitz River


VANCOUVER, Wash. – State fishery managers approved a limited sport fishery for smelt on the Cowlitz River for Saturday, Feb. 25.
Under this year's rules, a portion of the Cowlitz River will be open to recreational dip netting along the shore from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. for one day only.
The area open to sport dipping stretches from the Highway 432 Bridge upstream to the Al Helenberg Memorial Boat Ramp, located approximately 1,300 feet upstream from the Highway 411/A Street Bridge in Castle Rock.
Each dip-netter may retain 10 pounds of smelt per day, with no more than one day's limit in possession. Ten pounds is about a quarter of a five-gallon bucket. No fishing license is required to dip for smelt in Washington state.
This marks the fourth year that the state has allowed smelt fishing since 2010, when the species – also known as eulachon – was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) along the Pacific Coast.
NOAA Fisheries, which oversees ESA-listed stocks, supports limited fisheries that contribute to research, said Cindy Le Fleur, regional fish program manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
"We're expecting a modest return of about 3 million pounds of smelt to the Columbia River this year," Le Fleur said. "That compares to an estimated 16.6 million pounds in 2014, when the run reached its recent peak."
The sport fishery was also limited to one day in 2016, when the run was estimated at 5.1 million pounds. Le Fleur said these fisheries have a limited impact on the overall smelt return, while providing biological data on the species' abundance.
Le Fleur said WDFW announced the decision to open this year's sport fishery after tracking catch rates in the ongoing commercial test fishery in the mainstem Columbia River. Managers were looking for weekly average landings to reach at least 150 pounds per fisher to feel confident that the run was likely as large as anticipated pre-season she said, noting that last week's landings averaged 281 pounds per fisher.

[Firedogg]

5 hrs to get about 1.25 gallons of smelt. Miss the old days when that was only the first dip net full.

[nontypical176]

   My property is wet and 4 wheel drives would be best.  Undeveloped land that's just river spoils but it's pretty solid.   I should have a net or 2 for people to borrow.  And what makes me happiest is when people bring the kids because stuff like this is important.  I don't have a mail box but the address is 191 Cowlitz gardens rd.  Property has 2 entrances, one will be blocked by cars looking for parking the other will just be road baracades that can be moved to let people down at the southern (down stream) end of my parcel.   Second drive kinda hidden but will have a couple fold up style road signs.  Little bit of a drop off, so no low riders. 

[Ripper]

What a great offer, my hat is off to you sir. Parking on your property and a dip net!    I've never gone smelt dipping here but I wish I could Come down for a few hours. If they have another opening and your offer still stands, I just may show up. Kudo's to you.

[WAPatriot]

Ripper I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I think there's a good chance that this Saturday will be the last chance you get to dip for many years to come. Hope I'm wrong tho.

[Ghost Hunter]

Great offer.    PM sent.  Would love to bring the grandkids, but parents picked this week to take them to the beach.

[tritt007]

This is exciting ! Love smelting .

[Lucky1]

Dipping should be good. Lots of gulls, sea lions and seals in the river.

[nontypical176]

Yep. Was there this evening.  Lots of lions working by my place   I'm going to clear some brush tomorrow to help the nets.  Water is hi so the dipping might be difficult due to steep river banks.  Be careful and bring a long pole. 

[pcal]

Thanks for the offer.I am getting my gear together to go down but need to know if my 2004 honda pilot has enough clearance for your drive.If not I would park on the road.I might have 3 children and 4 adults but are more interested in the experience than a lot of smelt.How is the park for access for really young kids?Thanks again,pcal.

[shadowless_nite]

Sounds like there will be a few forum members there tomorrow! It'll be nice to meet a few new faces and families! I'll be there with my wife and kids! And  I too and more there for the experience than the limits of smelt. Never been smelt dipping and been watching the downward trend so I figured I better give it a go before it gets shut down for good.

Ill be a driving a big white toyota landcruiser, hard to miss if you see me holler! Asian guy with glasses, beard and man bun

[WAPatriot]

No smelt by castle rock Any luck down river?

[pens fan]

Its dead at castle rock south and north bank so far.

[WAPatriot]

Anyone catching

[WAcoueshunter]

 Nope, haven't seen a one. Game warden said they were here two weeks ago. Great. 

[shadowless_nite]

Just got home from nontypical176's place in kelso. Didn't see a single fish caught. People left just as fast as they showed up. We gave it go off and on from 8-9am before calling it quits, which is unfortunate since I had a car load of kids willing to give it a shot.

[WAcoueshunter]

Just caught one!

[shadowless_nite]

Just caught one!

Lucky day! Don't forget to buy a lottery ticket on the way home!

[WAcoueshunter]

No kidding. Have three now. At least it's a nice day.

[WAPatriot]

what part of the river

[WAcoueshunter]

Just downstream from the kelso bridge.

[WAPatriot]

3 is the most I've heard of anyone getting today

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

No kidding. Have three now. At least it's a nice day.

Boy if this were a smelt dipping tournament? I think you just won the whole pot of monies!!!!    We showed up to the gracious nontypicals place and didn't even deploy the net. Always good to chat with a couple members. We did cruise over and around through Rainier and check out all the free loaders on the marina dock. The kiddos  liked watching them bark and lay on each other. Should have brought the slingshoots and ball bearings.

[Bullkllr]

3 is the most I've heard of anyone getting today

3 is the new possession limit. At least there was "opportunity".

Kinda funny that in the old days no license was needed because there were so many. Now, no license is needed because there aren't any. I'm still shocked the opened it.

[Ghost Hunter]

Just need to open it when they're in.  Oh well, at Seaside with the grandkids now.

[WAcoueshunter]

We wound up with 10.  Enough for my buddy and I to have some for dinner, he'd never seen a smelt before.  Really glad we stuck it out just so we could eat a few, I almost left before we got the net out based on what we were seeing. 

I too am surprised they opened it.  Better to not open at all than to send a few thousand home disappointed.   

[nontypical176]

There were at least some fish yesterday.   Parents say birds and lions are working hard by cathlamet now.  Maybe more will come.    Not trying to thread jack, but there was sure a lot of money spent on those little fish.   You'd think we could justify a few days a year and dump that money back into fish management.   People drove a long way to have some fun and all were wanting to show the kids.   Glad to meet some members today, stupid fish wouldn't cooperate.  The smelt were all males I seen and still full of sperm, nice looking big fish too.

[mdbuck5x5]

 I spoke with a couple game wardens earlier and they said they had seen only 5 caught during their checks. Said they were giving more tickets out than fish. Apparently with really nobody getting many a lot of people were bouncing around more than normal and a lot of trespassing going on. Sea lions were definitely way thicker 2 weeks ago. When you're not seeing tons of them along will gulls, hawks and eagles you know it's not gonna be good! The wardens said they were just as surprised as everyone that the department was opening it but they had to go with what Olympia wanted and do their job.

[WAPatriot]

Wdfw f'd the weekend warriors again its typical and expected

[bullfisher]

Joe blow, tax paying fisherman always pays the price for over commercial harvest and miss management. If the smelt count is low enough to squash rec fishing then nobody should be making off these fish. I see commercial fishermen were allowed 60,000 pounds of smelt this year but we were allowed baisically zero. The state manages fishermen not fish, and they don't even do that right. How's that sturgeon population coming along? Fish eat fish remember? I see the commercials managed to buy themselves a decent salmon quota again this year wonder what we'll get. Can we start reducing some sea lions yet? Ok sorry rant over 

[Ridgeratt]

http://www.khq.com/story/34604716/thousands-go-home-empty-handed-after-one-day-smelt-fishery


Thousands go home empty-handed after one-day smelt fishery

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) - Washington state's Department of Fish and Wildlife opened up a highly anticipated one-day season for smelt fishing on the lower Cowlitz River - but maybe no one told the smelt.
Thousands of people turned out with dip-nets in hand Saturday morning, but when the five-hour fishery ended, most everyone went home with empty buckets. The Columbian newspaper reports (https://goo.gl/62Fc0A ) that at most locations checked, the catch was zero. The top dipper at one boat ramp had a whopping two smelt.
The small, silvery fish were listed as threatened in 2010. Saturday's short season was intended to serve as research fishery, but also to keep a minimal connection between the public and once-plentiful species.
The limit was 10 pounds per person, which is about a quarter of a five-gallon bucket.
The decision to open the season came after officials tracked catch rates in a commercial test fishery in the lower Columbia. Landings averaged 281 pounds per commercial fisherman last week.

[BNAElkhntr]

Wdfw f'd the weekend warriors again its typical and expected

Its Not Enforcement  its     The Biologist's  you know the ones that think we need Wolves and Grizzlies

[singleshot12]

Joe blow, tax paying fisherman always pays the price for over commercial harvest and miss management. If the smelt count is low enough to squash rec fishing then nobody should be making off these fish. I see commercial fishermen were allowed 60,000 pounds of smelt this year but we were allowed baisically zero. The state manages fishermen not fish, and they don't even do that right. How's that sturgeon population coming along? Fish eat fish remember? I see the commercials managed to buy themselves a decent salmon quota again this year wonder what we'll get. Can we start reducing some sea lions yet? Ok sorry rant over 

  Only in Washington!  And they still wonder why we complain and have had enough

[Trapper John]

I was reading your guys report on my way down, it didn't sound good.
So I took a right turn onto 101 in Olympia and went to Ocean Shores and picked up my limit of Razor Clams.
Razor Clams ........ its whats for dinner tonight.
JC   

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

That was a great right turn to make! I'm still grinding my thoughts on this whole 5hr no smelt to be had except for the very few dippers that hopefully bought some lottery tickets before there great fish Fry! The smelts have been in the river for at least a couple weeks from what I've come up with.  So for our 5hr slot of nothing how much have or going to have do the commercials get? I've always looked at a smelt opener as the annual Trout opener. Load the family and friends and go coon em! Seems like another layer of iceing on the cake of how the state doesn't support sportsmen, sports women and kids in this state. I can only imagine if we all payed a fee for the 5hr slot and still no smelts where that monies would go to? Another floating bridge, more toll lanes or just lining pockets of a worthless politician............... OK my Sunday night rant is over. I really hope I'm out in left field about this but I don't think I am........................

[Lucky1]

I was thinking today that the 5 hour season was strictly a money grab. They knew that they would sell some more licenses and I didn't not think the season had much to do with managing the resource. 

[bigtex]

I was thinking today that the 5 hour season was strictly a money grab. They knew that they would sell some more licenses and I didn't not think the season had much to do with managing the resource. 

You don't need a license for smelt......

[Lucky1]

I was thinking today that the 5 hour season was strictly a money grab. They knew that they would sell some more licenses and I didn't not think the season had much to do with managing the resource. 

You don't need a license for smelt......

Cool. Thanks for that info. I would have made sure I had my license with me if I went. Anything else we can do with out a license?

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

I was thinking today that the 5 hour season was strictly a money grab. They knew that they would sell some more licenses and I didn't not think the season had much to do with managing the resource. 

As Big Tex said no license to dip smelt. It's gotta be the classic move of give the sporties an opener and the commercials get plenty. But again I hope I'm really wrong on this. 

[bigtex]

I was thinking today that the 5 hour season was strictly a money grab. They knew that they would sell some more licenses and I didn't not think the season had much to do with managing the resource. 

You don't need a license for smelt......

Cool. Thanks for that info. I would have made sure I had my license with me if I went. Anything else we can do with out a license?

Carp, crawdads, and bullfrogs.

FYI, WDFW is trying to get the smelt exemption removed. It wont happen this "season" but it will happen eventually.