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Author Topic: Smelt Any News  (Read 10725 times)

Offline Ghost Hunter

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #30 on: February 25, 2017, 03:54:44 PM »
Just need to open it when they're in.  Oh well, at Seaside with the grandkids now.
Economy failure = Too many people spending money they don't have on things they don't need to impress people they don't like.

Offline WAcoueshunter

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #31 on: February 25, 2017, 05:19:27 PM »
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.   :dunno:

Offline nontypical176

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #32 on: February 25, 2017, 05:48:04 PM »
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.

Offline mdbuck5x5

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #33 on: February 25, 2017, 05:53:05 PM »
 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.

Offline WAPatriot

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #34 on: February 25, 2017, 10:58:23 PM »
Wdfw f'd the weekend warriors again its typical and expected

Offline bullfisher

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #35 on: February 25, 2017, 11:36:20 PM »
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  :hello:

Offline Ridgeratt

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #36 on: February 26, 2017, 07:14:31 AM »
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.

Offline BNAElkhntr

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #37 on: February 26, 2017, 07:22:57 AM »

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

Offline singleshot12

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #38 on: February 26, 2017, 11:14:50 AM »
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  :hello:

 :yeah: Only in Washington!  And they still wonder why we complain and have had enough :rolleyes:
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Offline Trapper John

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #39 on: February 26, 2017, 04:29:13 PM »

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   :hello:



Offline HUNTINCOUPLE

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #40 on: February 26, 2017, 08:13:26 PM »
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........................
Slap some bacon on a biscut and lets go, were burrnin daylight!

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Offline Lucky1

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #41 on: February 26, 2017, 08:18:10 PM »
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.  :twocents:
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Offline bigtex

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #42 on: February 26, 2017, 08:19:14 PM »
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.  :twocents:
You don't need a license for smelt......

Offline Lucky1

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #43 on: February 26, 2017, 08:24:32 PM »
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.  :twocents:
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?
Socialism
Is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. It’s inherent value is the equal sharing of misery. - Winston Churchill

Offline HUNTINCOUPLE

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Re: Smelt Any News
« Reply #44 on: February 26, 2017, 08:26:31 PM »
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.  :twocents:


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.  :dunno:
Slap some bacon on a biscut and lets go, were burrnin daylight!

Most peoples health is a decision not a condition?

Kill your television!  ICEMAN SAID TO!

Life Member of Hunting  Washington  Forum.

Time in the woods is more important than timing the moon.

 


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