Smelt

[lispeej]

It would be nice for the smelt(s) to run this week or weekend. The last time I checked, the weather was supposed to get better.

[MidCoast]

I was out for a bit yesterday and I did not even get a single smelt at all. Perhaps it really is over already.

[FishingRebel]

At what wind speed is it too windy to seign smelt on Lake Superior? Any ideas? I would think that if the waves are too big, waves would then push all the smelt out of the net.

[MidCoast]

Weather was nice yesterday. Made it out again. No smelt for the effort.

[Surface Tension]

If your out there now from 9PM to 12AM and not getting smelt one could conclude the run is over.

Typically the run is around mid April-May 1st. This year with the warmer temps things started about that same time but on account of temps the run peaked sooner. So when do you go in that 2 week period? When there are reports of smelt being taken you go. The run won't wait. A NE wind on a warm day pushes in warm water. If that wind clams in the evening and lake flattens out its perfect. If you have waves the smelt will still come in but it makes pulling a seine harder, your pulls shorter, and you fight the rip when you get to shore. If your from out of town check the current weather conditions and forecast. You can see first had the conditions by looking on line at the Harbor Cam.

[MidCoast]

Thanks. The run is over then.

[Fish Slayer]

My best pulls ever with a seine came when white caps were rolling in I was younger we must have been pulling 15 to 20 gallons each pull. The ropes on the net snapped from so many smelt and the pull from all the big waves. Probably wasnt to safe but we only had to go out about ten feet, and let the waves push them in to us, and only had to do a couple of pulls and then loaded up and went home.

[Surface Tension]

A lot of you are too young to know but when smelt were thick in Lake Superior, Park Point would have a wind row of dead smelt 20' from the waters edge all along the entire beach. So yes they come in shallow with big waves and a lot got washed up on shore.

[MidCoast]

From my experience, I seldom do well when it is windy with big waves. Just to hard for me to control the seign and have it in the proper netting position .

[Fish Slayer]

I would attach a chain of some sort to the bottom along with the sinkers to help hold the seine down when the weather is not the best to hold it better along the bottom. Worked well for me.

[shogun]

I would attach a chain of some sort to the bottom along with the sinkers to help hold the seine down when the weather is not the best to hold it better along the bottom. Worked well for me.

It's a good idea to do this anyway - wind or no wind. It will really improved the effectiveness of your net.

[ehskidoo]

so...the run is over...

[MidCoast]

I heard people were getting smelt over the weeked on Lester.

[Northlander]

Lots of smelt still in 20'-30' of water on Wi. Point. Coho were packed full of them.