Cowlitz river plunking

[PointBlank]

Any reports on plunking steelhead on the cowlitz? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thinking of running up and trying in the next couple days and not sure if people are getting any… seems about the right time for the run to start showing up. Will give a report after and will also keep my eyes open for any signs of smelt. Thanks  in advance

[Encore 280]

I heard yesterday that the smelt are in along with plenty of sea lions.

[HntnFsh]

I heard yesterday that the smelt are in along with plenty of sea lions.

Didn't see any sign of them in the lower yesterday.

[supagoose]

I've been down to the Cowlitz a couple times it's been really slow. I haven't caught anything. I've heard there's a few that are caught here and there down at Blue Creek but nothing above that. I stopped at the dam last week on my way out and there was no one fishing there. I talked to a hatchery staff and he said they're looking at shutting the season down and the springer season also because the forecast doesn't look good.

[metlhead]

Odd. Peak of steelhead run at the hatchery aligns either side of 10 April. The numbers already showing seem high for this early.

[steeleywhopper]

Fished Sunday and whacked 2, four rods in the boat.

[BigGoonTuna]

Odd. Peak of steelhead run at the hatchery aligns either side of 10 April. The numbers already showing seem high for this early.

it sounds promising from what I’ve seen, and of course my boat needs a bunch of work to get back on the water again

The last 10 years or so it seems like I’ve waited for fishing to get good for the “late” steelhead, only to have the run peter out before they show in good numbers. Going from the old early chambers stock to what they have now was a downgrade…

[Smokeploe]

The hatchery killed the winter run 5 years ago.  They posted last week there was only 44 winter fish at the hatchery.

Smokeploe

[2MANY]

Tacoma Power sucks.
They sold a dam to the people, flooded their homesteads, and then found a way to weasel out of their fish mitigation responsibilities.
Just sayin'.

[metlhead]

Run will never be what I enjoyed in the '70s and '80s. So with it being the only game in town, 44 fish for the last week in January' sounds promising. One more duck hunt this weekend coming up, then the boat gets cleaned up and rerigged for fishing.

[Smokeploe]

They signed a contract to do certain things and they are not doing what they promised per contract.  All it takes is to sue them for non-performance, a lot of money!  Start pressuring fish and game and hound and harass state and local politicians till they start doing what they contracted to do.

Smokeploe

Ps where are the groups who are suppose to watch and make sure all these thing the hatcheries owners are supposed to do, were they paid off to look the other way?

[2MANY]

They found a loophole in the ESA with wild fish.
Complete bunch of crap.
I say rip the dams out.

[2MANY]

Oh the 70's and 80's were soooo good.

[metlhead]

I grew up in one of first wooden sleds to ply the Cowlitz. Dad was buddies with some of the big name guides and others from the local Steelheaders.

[2MANY]

Ah yes.
Anchored against the clay banks.
Pearl corkies and glow balls.
Andy and Agnus Anderson?
Roger Smith?
Kelly?
Rich and Sonny?
Corkie?
Grew up on the Cowlitz mid 70's forward.
Fishing the Toutle out of a sled.
Upper Nisqually right below the dam.
Oh the good old days..

[metlhead]

Fished and hunted with Roger many times. Dad and him were buddies. Even traded some yard work for an Abu5500D. Mike Kelley had that place in Salkum. Dad would drop me off at the store with Agnes while he fished and cleaned the hatchery after the eruption. Learned a lot.

[2MANY]

Roger was a great springer fisherman.
Agnus always had great corkie earrings. Lol

[metlhead]

I remember the earrings being Spin-n-glo! You jivin me? Springers, yes! Back when they were real. Dad and Roger both took some journalists from Yakima down one day to fish. I got parked on the big rocks above I5. What a field day they had. Got some BnW photos of fish on.

[2MANY]

Do you not remember Rich and Sonny?
Rich had one arm and Sonny was a school teacher in sumner I think.
They had lots in Timber Trails back in the day.

[metlhead]

Them I do not remember. We would rough launch at TT some times. There were other groups there that would join. Summer runs and the folks partying. Teens to run free. Better days

[metlhead]

I'm sure our paths crossed through the years. Like I said, the numbers look promising, so I'll  be gearing up to chase some fish. That river fed my chilhood family, and still feeds ours today. If you see my small camo sled backing old school tadpollies above mission, say hi. As far as plunking to the OP, go for it. Never a wasted moment by the fire.

[PointBlank]

Thanks to all packing my gear right now got a window with no work. Let the chrome hit the bank today

[Dhoey07]

I'm sure our paths crossed through the years. Like I said, the numbers look promising, so I'll  be gearing up to chase some fish. That river fed my chilhood family, and still feeds ours today. If you see my small camo sled backing old school tadpollies above mission, say hi. As far as plunking to the OP, go for it. Never a wasted moment by the fire.

I'll keep an eye out for ya.  We have a family cabin at Massey. 

[HntnFsh]

Prety sure you guys are thinking of Corky Smith. Lived on third street in Toledo. I think if he wasnt working he was fishing!

[metlhead]

No, Roger Smith. He lived in Lacey behind the Walmart and behind the saw shop off Pacific. I thought Corky had his place overlooking Lincoln creek.

[2MANY]

Corkie had a duck hunt club on Lincoln creek.
Back in the day his boat was a Smokercraft.
If I remember right he was a ginger with a beard.
Nice guy when I spoke to him.

[HntnFsh]

2many, your right.
I was thinking of somebody else.

[MADMAX]

Haven’t heard the name corky smith since they quit printing the liars news
AKA Fishing and Hunting news 🤣

[BigCutty3]

Ginger with a beard, lol.  And a big old smile with a heart of gold.  I remember hooking a steelhead off the bank across from the intake from the trout hatchery.  I was around 13 years old, using a light 9ft homemade fly rod converted into a spin rod with 8llb main and 6lb leader, 1bb split shot and straight eggs.  Anyway, this fish kicked my butt and about spooled me.  Dad fired up the 15horse evinrude on our 12 foot high laker.  About the time I jumped in the Boat Corky floated by in his orange smoker and a bunch of dudes.  They floated next to us the whole time I fought the fish, cheering me on and telling me to take my time.  There were boats everywhere, and he would make sure they all knew I had a good fish on.  Finally landed it in front of the boat ramp, and he came over and congratulated me and my dad.  That kind of stuff doesn’t happen anymore.  Ran into him all over the place, and he always remembered me.  He was a master of southwest Washington and especially the cowlitz and chehalis and a true sportsman.

[87Ford]

Fished with Corky many years ago on the Humptulips

[ASHQUACK]

Corky's grandson Beau guides  now for steelhead and salmon. He's become a real fish catching force.

[PointBlank]

Sounds like this thread has brought back some great memories! Not much of a fishing report from me… had 2 solid drive byes before noon and then they started to jack the water up and debris started to mess with the lines so we called it a day… always a fun time though!

[BigGoonTuna]

Corky's grandson Beau guides  now for steelhead and salmon. He's become a real fish catching force.

Heh, I see that guy all over the Washington fishing facebook group, never drew that connection before.

I'm a little young to have any Corky stories, but I'm sure I saw him down there and my dad used to talk about him.  My dad's steelhead mentor was an old WWII sub vet named Bud, he lived in the South Bay grange in Olympia.

I did spend a lot of time anchored off the clay banks in my dad's boat in the '90s-early 2000s before boondogging became the top fishing method down there.  He still has that old sled, it started out red and white, then black and white, then army green, now it's been camo for about 10 years.  Doesn't get out too much these days, though.  What we would call good fishing these days wouldn't have been enough to get most of the old timers out of bed back then.

[metlhead]

Always wondered about the term boondoggling. Been doing it many years before that term came out. Pre-kicker days, we just called it free drifting. Dad dragged the inner tube full of river rocks as an anchor. Slipped back just enough to get that perfect drift. Probably hell on the habitat, but less two stroke smoke evened things out.

[2MANY]

Yup before the guys came down from the Skagit and showed the Cow boys how to freedrift with oars everyone drug their anchor or something.
Man once we started freedrifting with noodling rods in the 80's it was like cheating.

[metlhead]

I do recall those huge Skagit sleds intruding upon our southwest territory.