BY ANDY WALGAMOTT, NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE
There’s never a guarantee with a Cowlitz smelt report, but this afternoon’s looks more promising for Saturday’s opener than the observations ahead of this Wednesday’s dip.
“Smelt were observed throughout the lower Cowlitz River, from the lower fishery boundary in Longview to the upper fishery boundary in Castle Rock, during afternoon sampling efforts on Friday,” WDFW reported on its smelt page late today.
According to an agency press release announcing the opener, dipnetting will be open Saturday, February 21, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. from the Highway 432 bridge near the mouth of the Cowlitz upstream to the Al Helenberg Memorial Boat Launch, about 15.5 river miles.
Between those two points are a number of public parks, roadside accesses and a boat ramp; see the map below.
This will be the second dip of the week. Wednesday’s yielded an estimated 14,675 pounds of smelt for 2,800 dippers.
The day before that one opened, there were mixed signals. WDFW reported that its own test dipping on Tuesday turned up no smelt in the Cowlitz, a bad sign, but biologists also noted both commercial catches and the presence of sea lions and other predators below the mouth and well downstream, two good signs.
Some folks doubted smelt would be in come in Wednesday, but those who tested it themselves that morning found fish in their nets – at least in the lower river up through Kelso. One local media outlet initially reported the opener was a “bust” after not seeing any smelt caught at two spots in Castle Rock.
Now the skinny little fish appear to have made it that far upstream.
Expect state game wardens – seen and unseen – to be patrolling the river tomorrow. They were out on Wednesday and seized over 1,000 pounds of smelt and issued 41 infractions and five criminal citations.
“How’d you guys catch me?” asks one dipper in a video posted to the interwebs.
“Well, we’ve got people watching,” says an officer.
“Oh, it’s undercover,” says the dipper. “Yeah, yeah, yep,” comes the reply.
Columbia smelt, also known as eulachon, are an Endangered Species Act-listed stock. Fisheries are dependent on the preseason forecast and runs are gauged by commercial and then recreational catches.
“WDFW Enforcement will be present to ensure public safety and enforce smelt fishing regulations, including the license requirement, 10-pound limit, and separate container requirement. Signs will be posted reminding fishers of the license requirement and regulations,” officers posted yesterday about Saturday’s opener.
Ten pounds of smelt is said to fill about a quarter of a 5-gallon bucket; dippers are advised to bring a scale to weigh their catch.
Smelt can also only be dipnetted from shore. Along with a long-handled net, waders and your own bucket, you might consider wearing a PFD for entering the river. The Cowlitz runs cold and swift this time of year.
A fishing license is required for all smelt dippers age 16 and older.
Even as the signs for tomorrow suggest a certain partylike atmosphere, the word for which I’m forbidden to use in this blog, in the press release announcing the dip, WDFW smelt wrangler Laura Heironimus said, “Like we saw this week, smelt migrations are highly variable, with conditions capable of changing rapidly, including overnight.”
Hopefully the smelt don’t read that and completely disappear before Saturday morning. Fingers crossed!
