Smelt

[LETSgoFISHIN]

anyone wanna smelt tonite? i got everything but someone to pull the "pocket seign" with. post and we can go from there. thanks,darren

[GottaGo]

I'm not making it out tonight, but those that are iffy, the lake was pretty calm down at park point all day, so you should be able to get some good pulls in.

[Magman]

I would be happy to help someone pull this week if they need help. I have always been a dipper but would like to give it a try. Getting enough smelt for a meal would be a bonus.

[BD110]

Four of us made it out to the Tot lot last night. We pulled for about 2 1/2 hours with a little success. There was always something in the seine but usually not more then a dozen.

We are planning on giving it another try tonight but I can't say forecasted winds for tonight look good.

[ATW]

Any spawning signs or reports on the water temperature - is it in the range where they could start running enmass this week? The wind forecast looks bad this week for Park Point - do they run with the surf crashing or will we still have a chance when things settle down later?

Thanks,

Paul

[spivak]

Last night a few smelt came in to the Lester. Females among the males. 2nd hand--heard the water temp was 52 degrees in the stream. Our family token smelt fry is tonight. I'm only allowed to do one a year.

[gardn184]

Anyone know how frozen smelt taste after they've been thawed, I'm supposed to bring a bunch for Wisconsin Fishing Opener but I don't think they'll keep in the fridge from now until till then. Open to any suggestions

[lispeej]

Anyone know how frozen smelt taste after they've been thawed, I'm supposed to bring a bunch for Wisconsin Fishing Opener but I don't think they'll keep in the fridge from now until till then. Open to any suggestions

Tastes good. As long as they were properly froze, they should be as good as they usually are.

Yummmm.

[lispeej]

Last night a few smelt came in to the Lester. Females among the males. 2nd hand--heard the water temp was 52 degrees in the stream. Our family token smelt fry is tonight. I'm only allowed to do one a year.

How much did you guys catch?

[gardn184]

I always freeze my fillets in water, would you do a smelt the same way, or does it need to be vaccum packed

[spivak]

One thing I've done to freeze smelt is to go ahead and bread them up (I do a 3 step process of dredging in flour, egg and then bread crumbs/cracker crumbs) and freeze them on a cookie sheet. You can then vacuum pack them and they are ready to go. I've done this when I'm going to cook some up anyway and go ahead and freeze the rest after I've breaded them. The egg/breading mixture helps to seal them.

[tyeeme]

Were do you find vacuum bags big enough for a cookie sheet? Sorry couldnt pass that one up!!

[catchsomefish]

Hey, so I would really enjoy going smelting but I lack the equipment and the extra person. If anyone needs someone to go with I am there. Shoot me an email to [email protected] with your phone number or I can send you mine and we can take it from there. Thanks, Micah.

[Fins-n-feathers]

We always freeze ours in water, and they still are worthy to be on the table!

[Bowfin]

I do what Fins-and-Feathers does. Clean them the same night as I catch them and freeze them in a block of ice. I've kept them for up to 2 years without them freezer burning.

[Mcfin]

I also do the same as Bowfin and Fins-n-feathers.I have put in some long nights cleaning those little buggers.

[kgpcr4]

I have taken smelt in the Lester, Talmadge, Stewart, Split Rock, Gooseberry and Beaver rivers. It was in the 70's and early 80's but one of the best runs i have ever seen was in the Split Rock and Beaver. Man it was wild. You could take a dip and have smelt boiling over the rim of your net it was so full.

[Quartersawn]

I'm looking for someone interested in going smelting on Park Point. Last year I went a few times and really enjoyed the experience. I've got chest waders, but no net - I would be willing to help someone catch all they wanted - I only need enough for a meal for my family.

[Steve Foss]

Just gotta say great avatar and handle, Quartersawn. My wife and I have been in love with quarter-sawn white oak antiques all our lives. Welcome to HSO. Great to have you here.

Don't mean to pull this off topic. Let the smelt talk continue!

[BD110]

catchsomefish & Quartersawn,

I'm always looking for extra help so the seine stays in the water doing what seines do. However with this wind, work and the fact that I'm leaving town early Friday morning I will not be looking at getting out on Park Point again until Sunday 18th& Monday 19th. If you're able to go either of those nights my e-mail address is listed below. Please put something about the smelt run or HotSpotOutdoors in the subject line.

If anyone is even thinking about taking a ride down to Park Point tonight to seine for smelt save yourself the gas. The waves are almost cresting the pier walls.

[jigginjim]

Could we use cast nets for smelt? I bought on a few years back never been out of the box. only a 3ft radius though.

[gardn184]

Thanks for the help on the smelt freezing fellas, I froze half in water and half in freezer bags with the air removed, I didn't have too many only about 4 quart bags so we'll see which taste better on fishing opener!

[Quartersawn]

Thanks for the warm welcome. My wife and I love mission furniture, so for the past few years I've been building pieces as I am able. Good luck with the smelting! And thanks, Tom, for the invitation.

[Icefisherman79]

I hear that the wind is going to switch to s s/w if the waves die down before tommarow night...it might be a good night with the warm rain!!! I plan on going either way! I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!!!

[upnorth]

Not sure if this is real common knowledge, but seen it in the Duluth News Tribune this am.

Quote:

New limits on smelting

As the smelt run begins in the Duluth area, people who harvest the silvery forage fish are being told they can be used only for eating, not as bait.

By: Sam Cook, Duluth News Tribune

Steve Sutherland of Superior transfers a net of smelt into Billy Anderson’s net to go in a bucket while fishing in the Lester River. Sutherland, who had been taking advantage of the smelt run and fished from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. that day, returned for the night fishing. (2006 file / News Tribune)

More...

* VHS found near Apostle Islands

As the smelt run begins in the Duluth area, people who harvest the silvery forage fish are being told they can be used only for eating, not as bait.

The message is being spread in an effort to limit the movement of VHS, a virus that has caused fish kills elsewhere on the Great Lakes. The disease is not harmful to humans.

“We’re saying go ahead and harvest, but do it for consumption only,” said Mike Scott, a DNR conservation officer specializing in invasive species.

Existing law prevents the harvest of minnows or fish as bait from any Minnesota water designated as “infested waters.” Lake Superior has been in that category for several years because of invasive species such as the spiny water flea, zebra mussels and others.

But until it was announced in January that VHS was found in a few fish from Lake Superior in a Cornell University study, the smelt-as-bait rule was virtually unenforced by conservation officers.

On Tuesday, Wisconsin DNR officials announced that VHS had been found in lake herring in the Apostle Islands, further confirming the presence of VHS in Lake Superior.

The Minnesota DNR had considered closing the harvest of smelt statewide, but declined to go that far, said Chris Johnson, DNR district enforcement supervisor at Two Harbors.

Meanwhile, smelters are getting a few smelt on Minnesota Point and in the Lester River, though not a lot, said DNR conservation officer Kipp Duncan of Duluth.

“Sunday night, they were catching smelt, but not a ton,” he said. “Saturday night, before midnight, they were catching some smelt.”

He said reaction varied among smelters informed of the DNR’s policy regarding Lake Superior smelt.

“We did it quite a bit on Thursday, Friday and Saturday on Park Point,” Duncan said. “We told them, ‘These smelt are supposed to be for consumption only, not bait.’ Some said, ‘Where does it say that?’ ”

The ruling is part of the Minnesota fishing regulations synopsis, but it does require a close reading to interpret. And it remains confusing because the rule has existed in the past without being enforced. It was difficult to enforce the law because smelt also live in a few inland lakes across Northeastern Minnesota, and it’s all but impossible to determine where the smelt originated, enforcement officers say.

The new effort to curb the use of smelt as bait also applies to the use of herring and ciscoes and any other Lake Superior fish used as bait, Scott said.

Anglers on Lake Superior sometimes used ciscoes or smelt when fishing for lake trout. Many anglers like to use smelt or ciscoes for bait when fishing for lake trout in inland lakes.

[LETSgoFISHIN]

we got about 10 gallons of smelt last nite in only 4 pulls. the waves were huge and it was wet and the smelt are here! anyone wanna go tonite? thanks,darren

[Icefisherman79]

Wher about? The bridge or the airport? I am going tonight!!!

[lispeej]

we got about 10 gallons of smelt last nite in only 4 pulls. the waves were huge and it was wet and the smelt are here! anyone wanna go tonite? thanks,darren

Where about? I plan on going out thursday nite.

[NeverEnough]

Could we use cast nets for smelt? I bought on a few years back never been out of the box. only a 3ft radius though.

I checked on that a few years ago because I bough and used one in Florida. The DNR said they are illegal to use in Minnesota.

[lispeej]

Could we use cast nets for smelt? I bought on a few years back never been out of the box. only a 3ft radius though.

No.

Although it isn't stated in the reg book, it isn't allowed. I spoke to the conservation officer last week about it and that's what he told me.