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Cowlitz River Report
Cowlitz County, WA

Details

10/29/2013
61° - 65°
Casting
Cutthroat Trout
Worms
Sunny
Hook & Bait
Afternoon
10/29/2013
4
2022

Played a little hooky from work this afternoon and headed with a buddy up to the Blue Creek hatchery on the Cowlitz. Wading out and casting night crawlers, the fishing was hot immediately, well at least for my buddy. I began floating a crawler under a bobber, but the trout weren't having any of that offering. About the time my buddy had his sixth trout drifting a crawler with no bobber, I ditched my bobber and followed suit. I immediately began getting fish on and the bite kept on until we had to leave. Had a few get off the barbless hooks, but we were C&Ring anyway and it was still fun. What a beautiful day on the river! Weather was shirt sleeve and not a cloud in the sky. In the end we C&R'd over a dozen between us.


Comments

eat-sleep-fish
10/30/2013 9:49:00 AM
If you caught and released 12, went over your daily limit by 2 between you when fishing with bait. Unless they were wild fish that must be released regardless.
mizm05
10/30/2013 10:07:00 AM
The way I understood his report is they didn't keep any. I think they C&R'd all of the fish they caught. Correct me if I'm wrong but you can C&R all day long if you're not at your limit of retained fish.
eat-sleep-fish
10/30/2013 10:54:00 AM
mizm05, if fishing for trout with bait, trout kept or released count towards your daily limit. So if you are on Rufus Woods and C&R two trout caught on bait, you are done since the limit is two. Cowlitz states limit of five trout, min size 12", two over 20", release wild cutthroat. You can C&R all day with lures, just not bait, at least on trout.
Anonymous
10/30/2013 1:40:00 PM
Ear-sleep -fish is correct, bad form Trout Hunter. Always tough to release fish when they have a hook in their belly.
xd2005
10/30/2013 1:45:00 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but they would only be over limit if more than 5 of the fish caught were over 12", with no more than two over 20". I assume any wild cutthroat would not count, as no retention is allowed.
Gringo Pescador
10/30/2013 3:32:00 PM
The statewide freshwater species rules for trout are.... "In rivers, streams, and beaver ponds: Min. size 8". Daily limit 2. When fishing with bait, all TROUT (except STEELHEAD) equal to or greater than the minimum size are counted as part of the daily limit whether kept or released."........Not knowing the area very well it is hard for me to decipher if you were fishing Blue Creek or the Cowlitz. I am assuming Blue Creek. The regs for Blue Creek are as follows .... "Min. size 12". Daily limit 5 trout. Up to 2 over 20" may be retained. Release wild CUTTHROAT." So if Trout Hunter was fishing for trout in Blue Creek with bait he could C&R up to 5 trout 12" or larger. Once he did that, he would be done for the day. Trout Hunter does not say what the size of the fish are so I see no verifyable rule violation here. Move along...
eat-sleep-fish
10/30/2013 4:46:00 PM
Sorry GP and Trout_hunter, meant no harm, possibly stuck my nose in where it does not belong. Good luck all and hope you river guys get some rain and strike silver! Love to make it over to the west side and dunk eggs for coho and dogs, been a long time since I have.
Trout_hunter
10/30/2013 7:13:00 PM
Good to see someone applied critical thinking (thanks Gringo!) before piling on with rules violations accusations. No I didn't say how many I caught nor mention size on any of them. And FYI Predator 1, all were lip hooked on circle hooks, never took the pliers to any of 'em. I read and follow regs. If you have to make guesses and assumptions to find rules violators, you need to spend more time on the water and less time on the computer.
fishermick
11/1/2013 9:56:00 AM
Nicely said Trout Hunter. Have noticed the past couple of years, people are pretty quick to assume and jump on someone if they "think" you broke the rules.. It`s OK to be educated, but to get hammered on is just stupid. Nice report and always appreciated.. Tight lines............
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Available Guide

Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service

Phone: (509) 687-0709