The hot ticket on the outdoor stage – smelt dipping on the Cowlitz River – dropped off dramatically early this week, but with any luck at all it should pick back up with warmer weather.
State Fish and Wildlife biologist Joe Hymer, at the Vancouver office, said test dipping on the river Tuesday resulted in only one to two smelt per five to 10 dips, well below the limit action of a week ago.
River flow, however, dropped to 19,000 cubic feet per second Tuesday, from 36,000 cfs on Friday, and water temperatures dropped to 40-41 degrees. Both those conditions act to keep smelt hanging in the Columbia, Hymer said.
“Commercial smelters report a lot of fish in the Columbia from Astoria upstream past Cathlamet,” Hymer said, “and they could show in the Cowlitz soon if water temperatures get back up to the 43-44 degree range.”
Smelt dipping is legal on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a 10-pound per person daily limit. Ten pounds is about a quarter of a five-gallon bucket, Hymer said. No license is required to dip smelt.
Eastside trout and kokanee: A fair number of anglers from this area head over the Cascades this time of year, to that odd but exciting trout fishery for the big triploid net-pen rainbows in the mid-Columbia River.
The area produced a state record ‘bow of 25-plus pounds last year, in a fishery open to both bank fishermen and boaters, on Rufus Woods Lake and other Columbia pools.
Almost as popular is action for smaller but still hefty rainbow and big wild-spawning kokanee in Roosevelt Lake, above Grand Coulee Dam. Fishing has been hot recently for rainbow going 15 to 20 inches and kokanee (landlocked sockeye salmon) running 19 to 22 inches. Catch rates for boaters on both species has been about a fish per hour per person, and for bank anglers, about the same for rainbow only.
Roosevelt kokes can go to 6 pounds or so, and 3- or 4-pounders are not uncommon as they start feeding actively near the surface in late winter and early spring. Most of the wild fish are probably spawned in Canadian tributaries, says state biologist Casey Baldwin, and big Lake Roosevelt is their “ocean.”
A popular rig is a three-ought or four-ought trout dodger, 16 inches of leader, and one of several different spinners or small spoons. Rooster Lite spinners are a favorite (size 3208), along with the Silver Magic spinner, Triple Teazer, Poe’s Cruise Minnow and others. Good colors are all fluorescents and include red (the top choice), pink, orange chartreuse and fire tiger.
A slow troll, just fast enough to keep the dodger working steadily, should allow the rig to drop deep enough to be effective without added weight. Many anglers tip their hooks with a maggot or a piece of white kernel corn.
Good access spots include Spring Canyon, three miles uplake from Grand Coulee, and at Keller Ferry.
Steelhead: Whitehorse Hatchery is recycling steelhead on the Stillaguamish, but is not getting a high percentage of the trucked fish back to the facility. Who knows why? Maybe they’re being caught. Some large fish are showing up this year, too, the manager says.
Fair numbers of natives are now on the Skagit and on the Snohomish system (remember wild steelhead must be released on most Puget Sound rivers) with better numbers probably to come.
There are some big Dolly Varden to be had on the upper Skagit and other local streams, according to Wade Erickson of Fish On Guide Services, Stanwood. Spoons are good.
Bank fishermen at Blue Creek on the Cowlitz continue to hit at a fish-per-rod rate some days, although it’s not as hot as it was earlier in the season and some of the fish are getting dark. Recent checks on the Kalama showed 119 bank anglers with 23 steelhead. Other good southwest Washington streams include the Grays, Elochoman and both forks of the Lewis.
Hatchery runs on the Forks-area rivers have slowed, but more natives are showing. Checks over the weekend on the Quillayute system showed 153 anglers with 20 hatchery and 11 wild fish, while on the Sol Duc it was 100 anglers with nine wild and five hatchery fish.
East of the Cascades, sagebrush steelheading continues good on several of the Snake River tribs. Checks on the Tucannon showed anglers taking two hours on the river per fish landed; on the Touchet, three-plus hours; and on the Walla Walla, seven hours.
Clams: While it’s probably late to get in on the current four-day razor clam dig on coastal beaches (last day Friday, afternoon only), another set has been tentatively scheduled for Feb. 27-March 2, afternoon tides, at Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks.
Whitefish: State fish biologist Curt Kraemer at the Mill Creek office says if the rivers are too low, clear and cold to do well steelheading, conditions are just right to land a few whitefish for the smoker.
Whitefish start schooling in the deeper holes on most area rivers this time of year, and anglers fish ‘em on the bottom with light trout tackle. Bait small hooks with a single egg, piece of worm, maggot or an imitation maggot fly.
Hunter ed: It’s not too early for young or first-time hunters to enroll in hunter education classes. Many volunteer instructors start classes next month and into the spring and summer, to avoid cutting into their own fall hunting time. Classes and contacts are listed by county at www.wa.gov/wdfw/outreach/hed/basic.htm.
Topo maps: There’s a new firm on the block, myTopo.com, which will allow you to center a map anywhere in the United States and customize it with a title and your name. The company, at its Montana headquarters, will custom print a large-format map on waterproof, tear-resistant paper and ship it to your door. Go to www.mytopo.com.
Boat show: Interesting facts from the recent Seattle Boat Show:
Some 17,000 people took advantage of the offer of free parking at Safeco Field in return for buying their tickets online.
Local salmon guru Larry Carpenter at Master Marine in Mount Vernon said there was huge interest in the technology of the new four-stroke outboards.
Big names seen at the show included Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who bought a 24-foot Cobalt 240; Seattle Mariner Edgar Martinez, said to be shopping for two boats and looking at the 35-foot Flame, from Nordic, the fastest boat in the show, and a Formula 400 Super Sport, dubbed the “sexiest” hull in the show. Jay Buhner and John Elway were also seen.
New pol: The new director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, confirmed by the Senate just before President Bush’s address to the nation Tuesday evening, is said to be a friend of the traditional sportsman.
Steve Williams, coming from a six-year stint at the helm of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, was strongly supported by organized sportsmen’s groups both before and after his June, 2000, nomination, according to activist Bob Kane of the Virginia Hunting Dog Owners’ Association.
Williams grew up fishing and hiking in rural New England, and professes the belief that the traditional outdoor sports are an essential connection for many people to the natural world, Kane says.
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