2011 Smelt Run

[reinhard1]

if it's a good rain i will agree with you. good luck.

[dougger222]

Not that many.... what, a couple hundred people, tops? For one week out of the year....

Might as well promote the rusty crayfish while we're at it. Sure are tasty little buggers, and I bet people would spend all sorts of money on tackle to pursue them....... Who really cares about native ecosystems anyway......

[dougger222]

[smelt are NOT a good thing, PERIOD!.

[fish_4_fun]

ok. so enough of the bad talking... please. I just got off the phone with a friend who said he was out on monday night at one of the beachs on wisconsin side. he did really well, had about 25 gallons worth or more. I asked him if he had gone to ashland, he said they were not in ashland. they took hwy 2 across to min, than took county rd 13 north to a small town and stopped there at a public beach. its his first time so he did not know the name of the town, but he knows for sure its not ashland. he said they could see duluth from the wis side. i'm trying to piece the puzzle together through google maps, but I cant seem to make it out. is there any other small town on the wis side of the lake aside from ashland that people catch smelt?

[Jim Almquist]

Was he in Port Wing or Herbster ?

[MichaelSwan]

Little known fact about smelt - to me anyway:

Both smelt and alewives contain thiaminase -- an enzyme that destroys thiamine (Vitamin B1) and causes deficiencies in fish. It didn’t take mink farmers long to realize that when mink were fed raw smelt, they didn’t reproduce. It took longer to realize that what was described as early mortality syndrome (EMS) in lake trout and other salmonids was caused by a thiamine deficiency resulting from eating smelt and alewives. It eventually became clear that fish that fed heavily on smelt and alewives produced larvae that didn’t survive very well. This is likely slowing lake trout rehabilitation efforts in the other Great Lakes.

[LOVETOFISHBASS]

I live in sheboygan WI and Iv been out evry night for the past 2 weeks and only got 3 smelt does anyone kno anywher close that i could catch more? It would be great appreciation thanks!

[fish_4_fun]

It sure sounds like he was at port wings to me. do they catch smelt over there too?

anyways, does eating smelt have any effects on humans too?

[reinhard1]

do eating smelt have an affect on humans? yes they make you fat . good luck.

[LOVETOFISHBASS]

any info on a place close to me where I could catch a bucket full to feed about 20 people would be wonderful sheboygan WI thanks

[Northlander]

I think you would be better off posting in the Wisconsin forum for info in your area.

I will be hitting Wisconsin and Park Points tonight. I will report back tomorrow.

[LOVETOFISHBASS]

wel thanks but i dnt know how to do that so ill just stay here

[oilandwater]

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/186/1/Lake_Michigan_Port_Washington_

Here's the link to your area forum. Says Sheboygan Co...

[shogun]

any info on a place close to me where I could catch a bucket full to feed about 20 people would be wonderful sheboygan WI thanks

not sure one bucket would feed 20? hard to say - that's a lot of smelt.

[Northlander]

Well boys its on! Both Wisconsin and Park Points had a decent run of smelt tonight.

BD110, Duluth guy and myself managed 5 gallons in 3 hours with only the 2 of them pulling. Will only get better now. This weekend should be real good if the weather stays as predicted.

[fsnrod]

Has anybody checked the rivers yet?

[Jarrid Houston]

I have also gotten word that they are running now! Still need to go and experience this sometime. Doesn't look like it will be this weekend though. Blue Gill Fishing is calling my name!

[spivak]

Was down at the Lester from 10 to 11 last night. About 30 folks dipping. The smelt were there and if you spent time at it you could catch what you wanted. I only dipped for 20 minutes or so and had the 3 doz. I wanted for dinner. I threw back the females when they're coming in steady--those little eggs stick to everything when I'm cleaning them. I'm sure this weekend it will be very busy. As reinhard1 says, "Good luck!"

[SKIPPERS KID]

There is some smelt in the Lester river and all the ice is gone on park point and the water temp on the big lake is 35.4 and the St. Lous river is 41.7 so it is starting in some rivers. The net severson has the gulls are all over just inside the harbor. He also had 2200 pounds there 3 days ago. Just a update to any one that might be looking.

[Lhmoobvaj]

Park point was okay for the start of the run. We managed 1 cooler and a half. Came home at 12 midnight

[Jarrid Houston]

Thanks for the SLR Temp update. The Walleye should be under way gettting busy now!

[Yourmumsfishtank]

I'm on pins and needles hoping the run is still strong this weekend, The soonest I can get up there is Sunday night!

[Northlander]

You will be fine. Tonight is a bust exept for dipping in the rivers. Lake Superior is rolling and its raining. Im going to go dip the Lester for a bit if there is room. May have to stay under the bridge the whole time.

[Yourmumsfishtank]

I appreciate the update and the reassurance, I'm bringing a good friend and first timer to the run up with me, so I hope not to disappoint the guy (though disappointment may ensue regardless as I have not informed him what he must do after he catches his first smelt...) We will more than likely be dipping the Lester as I don't have a seine net (as of yet).

[dougger222]

Good to hear some are finaly showing up on the North Shore. After a second night of smelting in WI done for the year.

Took several videos, you have to see it to believe it!!! I Won't post them online but willing to email them to any intersted viewers, dougger222 at hotmail . com

Showed a few of my friends and they were shocked...

[fishinfey8]

Went smelting for the first time last night! We went off park point and pulled for about an hour. Netted plenty of smelt for the deep fryer and had a smelt fry with some friends. I gotta say, they are pretty tasty if you clean them thoroughly!

[klee]

I was wandering if anyone has smelted during the day like say around 6pm-8pm before the sun goes down? We always thought it was best at night time.

[Quartersawn]

Does anyone know if the shoreline on Park Point is ice free? Earlier this spring it looked like there was enough ice stacked up to last until June. Has anyone heard of any smelt action on Park Point yet? Thanks for the reports - I'll keep you all informed of my smelting exploits.

[reinhard1]

you probably didn't look at a post a couple back where they are catching smelt at park point in the bay side. the run has started in the rivers as well. good luck.

[Lhmoobvaj]

Park Point is ice free! I agree, yesterday was a bust, but that might just be what is needed to get the north shore going. Tonight and Sunday night might be the night...who knows.

I hear that Thursday night the Wisconsin side was great! It did NOT disappoint! Unfortunately, I got convinced to go to Park Point and ended up being somewhat disappointed (maybe 5 gallon between 5 people).

Any other updates?