Had a chance on Sunday to try some old stuff again under the "return to my roots" theme for fishing. Went north to Whidbey Island and jigged for smelt. After three stabs at finding the proper Marina, I ended up at the correct one. Went out to the dock and put on the 7 tiny little flies leader and it turned out I was in a smelt bonanza.

Found out that three good sized herring will put a good bend in a light rod.

I woulda tried the three treble hook rig for snagging smelt, but when I try that method I feel I need to toss the rod and run whenever strangers get near me.

This place had enough smelt in it where there were even cormorants diving for them. I did wonder how long that light leader (1.5 pounds) would last if a cormie grabbed one of the smelt.

Tonight the frypan gets broke out.

I had a little corky on the line as a smelt "indicator" and it wiggles when a smelt is on one of the hooks.

Cool! I should go up there and catch a few. Great tasting fish deep fryed. Did you fish a tide change or was it good throughout?

Mike,

Didn't check the tides at all. Just showed up at 1PM as I "dawdled" at home and got a late starte. Jigged to about 3PM and ended up with 4-5 pounds. Found out towards the end that the bigger schools were out in the middle of the marina and not under the docks where everyone was jigging. Guess the secret is to watch and see where the cormorants are working.

I'll be back up one day this weekend.

Ate some on Monday night. It was the first for me in over 20 years as for some reason I stopped doing it at La Conner. Beats me why I quit. Back then I used three treble hooks on the line and got snagged a lot.

Bill

As I was reading your post on Smelt it made me think back when I was a kid going after these fish,but back in those days we just used them for bait. I didn't know that you could eat them. Well to go on,when we snagged them for bait we used up to 10 treble hooks in a line to do it off the docks in Poulsbo. As I see that when I did this it was before all the Regs changed everything.

The smelt are really good. As I recall, you clean them in warm water which loosens the backbone and it pulls right out. Been 10+ years...

Does that sound right Zen?

Mike,

These are the surf smelt and I dont' bother to remove the backbone as the fish are small enough I just crunch them up.

The Columbia smelt are lots bigger and removing the backbone of them might be needed. Also, these smelt are lots softer than the surf smelt.

I gave up trying to cook up the Columbia smelt as I never could get them crisp enough. They were still mushy. Now... when I smoked the Columbia smelt... different story and they are oily enough to smoke good.

Columbia smelt are just starting. Our traditional time to best net them was Presidents day weekend. Seemed we could always count on a good run by Kelso that date.

I'll be back up at Whidbey Island one day this weekend again. This time I'll get there earlier.

Now I do feel old since you're talking about roots. Used ta be where you were able to go to the different docks to fish for them, but, with the changing times they've fenced them up and put many more businesses. Its my turn now to kick back and watch my kids get them. Turns out some of the adults get pretty serious about these tender morsles. One of my boys would get a hot streak going then all of a sudden I turn my back a get my fish off the jiggs and turn back around to check on him and he'd have adults trying to crowd him out. Glad gamakatsu made it soo much easier to fish for them cause back when, I'd only have the trebles, but with the jiggs, kids have a blast with lite gear. AND remember guys to stop off in Burlington at the tackle shop to get some chum pellets for the smelt........

Robert

p.s. don't forget the smelt are in down south castlerock/kelso area also.

And yes Mike, that is the method to taking the back bone out of them. My youngest can't handle the bones so we do de-bone quite a few for him. Don't forget to get your lattes/coffee at the coffee shop before you go out to the docks to fish. Another thing is to try frying the fish in peanut oil. Tried olive oil and didn't care too much for the flavor. Dang, I've got cravings now. Might have to go up there this weekend. Probably see you guys there.

Robert

What kind of jig do you use for smelt? Is it the same as you'd use for herring?

Do you actually "jig" them or do they hook themselves. Cast out and let drop,or vertical jig?

As you can tell I've never done this,but it sounds pretty cool.

Thanks.

I bought the rig that's the 7 little dropper "flies" on a line. It's about 50/50 for the ones that bite it vs. the ones that get snagged. Most tackle/marinas/bait shops in the smelt areas have them for sale. Also check local gas stations..

How about directions to the marina that allows smelt jigging?

I went to the marina in Oak Harbor,last Friday,and caught 3-4lbs in about an hour. The catching came and went,fast and furious,then slow,slow,slow.

To get to the marina just get to Oak Harbor,then follow the signs down to the waterfront. I can't remember the exact directions,but it's real easy to find. I think it ends up being NE Regatta Way or Dr. Just be sure to slow down in the school zone,cause you pass 2-3 schools on the way to the marina.

Good luck.

Was down to Grays River on Monday and the smelt are in the rivers in SW Washington saw people netting them with Dip nets from the bank on the Cowlitz at Longview and Kelso as I crossed the Bridge as I turned on SR 4. I also saw them dip netting them on Grays River and on some of the rivers coming up 101 from Nasalle to Raymond on Tuesday

Like HBP said. Take the Regatta road off of the highway, stay on that road and at the "T" (waterfront), turn left. It's right before the entrance for the Seaplane base. Don't go there. The marina is about 100-200 yard past the turn for the "T".

Cornet Bay marina also has smelt, but don't think as many this time of the year.

Just remember, there's a big difference between surf smelt and Columbia river smelt. I think the surf smelt taste lots better, probably because they're firmer.

Having said that, I'm headed down to Kelso tomorrow for netting some Columbia river smelt. I'd like some to smoke up and some to use for...err... bait. Got a local sturgeon hole I want to "plumb". Was told about these holes about 20 years ago and think I'm finally gonna check them out.

Did go out to La Connors & Coronet for last Sat. and was sloooww. Talked with a few locals at La Conners and said they haven't seen any the past weekends they've been checking. Guess the smelt derby won't be all that good. However, seen many a boats with rods in the holder and 'riggers set goin' out for salmon. While at Cornet in the afternoon, spoke with young lady at the store and asked her how the salmon fishing was and said the other day she saw three getting cleaned about 8-10#, then while I was on the dock jiggiing, a guy pulled up in his boat and let his buddy off and carried a nice fish about 13#. Darn should've brought the boat instead. <img border="0" alt="[Goldfish]" title="" src="graemlins/goldfish.gif" />

Robert

p.s. don't forget about the parking fee at Cornet Bay. Seen park ranger hang envelopes on the windshields that didn't pay.

Smelt are in down on the Cowlitz. Most of the spots we tried were "onesey, twosey"... but when we got to Castle Rock, we hit the mother lode.

I got a limit of smelt (20 pounds) in two dips. First dip was in the 13-14 pound range and the second one was less. Weighed the bucket of smelt and with the bucket itself subtracted out, it came to 21 pounds.

Turns out you don't need a fishing license or food fish stamp for netting smelt. A game warden showed up and told me that.

Found a good smoked smelt recipe in the Luhr Jensen book. I got a new smoker for an x-mas present and it made it's maiden "run" yesterday. Group at work approves of it... the smelt I mean.