Cowlitz Springers/Steelhead

[Scheindogg]

Likely going down to the Cow Thursday for some hopefully Springer/late winter steel action.

What technique do you guys think will work right now?
My father in law and his friend are more experienced than me and they strictly drift fish beads. But I feel with the high water a head wouldn't be very effective..
should I try and drift just a bigger corky instead of a bead? Maybe that would be more effective?
Should I float some eggs?

Any help would be great thanks guys

[Henrydog]

IMO you can never go wrong with eggs.  If the water is off color just go to a darker bead

[SERVOSKI]

What part of the river you fishing ?  The dam?

[D-Rock425]

What part of the river are you fishing.

[Mfowl]

You could try eggs drifted or under a float with a bead/corky "cheater" off your main hook. This will let the fish tell you what they want. However it can be a time consuming rig to tie up, especially several times in a day. As long as you don't have more than 3 hooks on your line it is perfectly legal. Some jigs have an additional eye under the jighead specifically for this style of rigging. I'll be back down there on Fri to plunk since my boat is inaccessible right now. Please post a report on how you did.

[Scheindogg]

I will either be at barrier dam or right below the trout hatchery.

I will definitely report here and at northwestfishingreports.com when I go.

No one does cowlitz reviews on there lately even though I know fish are being caught 🤔

[WSU]

No one does cowlitz reviews on there lately even though I know fish are being caught 🤔

Maybe there is a reason for that.

[Scheindogg]

What reason would that be? Just to keep the crowd away?

[WSU]

What reason would that be? Just to keep the crowd away?

That and fishing isn't great.  The winter run this year wasn't good, plus the water was crazy high.  As of last week, 391 springers had returned compared to roughly 2400 by the same time last year.  Again, water conditions are high (but have dropped a bit).

But, even if fishing was good, those catching fish probably don't want an extra thousand people to compete with, and they therefore don't post reports on the interwebz to make sure their fishing experience is worse the next time they go fishing.

I don't fish the terminal areas, so I can't help with your original question.  But I can say that barrier wasn't busy last week, which tells me the springer fishing at the dam isn't good yet.  Can't speak to the winters at BC.

[HntnFsh]

Did see a pic of a 35-40 lb. Buck that went through the separator last week. It was a pig!

[WSU]

Did see a pic of a 35-40 lb. Buck that went through the separator last week. It was a pig!

Pics or it didn't happen!!!

[HntnFsh]

I'll see what I can do tonight.

[Scheindogg]

So whatcha got 

[HntnFsh]

Hope this works! May have to resize!

[SkookumHntr]

Ya he's a toad!!