Fished the morning/day with another WaLaker on the Cowlitz with no luck (see report). So decided to check out Riffe. Hit the fishing stairs off hwy 12 at the dam around 5:30pm. About 10 people spread along the stairs. I tied up a bare 1/6oz steelhead jig with a white head and a 1" piece of pink plastic worm and tipped it with cured prawn. It seemed to be the ticket as in the next 1.5 hours I limited while others around me caught fish but not nearly as consistently. Nice bunch of people there though, really friendly and fun to banter back & forth with (wish that was the norm when fishing in crowds). The bottom section of the stairs was under water so once hooked you had to lift the fish up the cliffside about 15' which made it a little more interesting. I tied my 1st fish on the stringer and then to the railing right at the waterline. Didn't take long before there was a big ol otter swimming his way up the submerged stairs towards my fish. Had to run down and grab it before he did. Thank you to the nice couple next to us for letting me keep my fish in their bucket and out of the Otter's reach! The bite wasn't HOT, but it was consistent and you really had to be on the ball with your hookset or you'd miss em. I'll be back!

djw0414

4/30/2012 9:07:00 AM

Gringo was the man at the dam. We waffled on whether we would even fish it that late in the day with just a little action going on but we guessed on setups and rigged up and took up a couple spots on the stairs. Gringo gets a hit on his first cast which surprised the locals but he was just getting started. He limited in just over an hour and had the locals taking lessons on his setup and bait. I had a couple bites and a single hookup which I lost so I should have taken the lesson, also. ;) Great bunch of diverse fisherman to talk to and share jokes with so it was a fun ending to a long slow day at the Cowlitz which Gringo reported on.

fishtremble

5/5/2012 9:54:00 AM

You have to watch out for that river otter. It will go after ones you are reeling in also.

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