SMELTING RUN

[kgpcr4]

How high are the rivers? Also has anyone ever smelted in the rain? I have smelted since the mid 70's and i have smelted in snow and they kept running that night even though we got 5" of snow but i have never smelted in thte rain. Have any of you smelted in the rain? how does it impact the run. I know after a rain can be outstanding but my question is during the rain.

[MOBY RICHARD*]

Well, the main body of storms is tracking just West and parallel with the North Shore. Looks like it will eventually curl over to the shore and nail it good.

Looks like most of Sunday will be steady rain, unless it swings East.

Upstreams should already be getting hit and tommoro should rise considerably.

If this is warm rain, it could change everything quickly.

The North Shore Boys should know by tommoro evening, how much.

[kgpcr4]

Northlander and the rest of the FM crew, THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REPORTS!! Guys i just wanted to say thanks for all your reports, It sure does help one save some of that 3.00 a gallon gas. Did anythig happen on saturday night?

[Northlander]

Nothing to report from last night guys. Didnt see 1 smelt netted. Hopefully in the next few days we will get a warm rain and it will start things up.

[Monks]

Hey steve, has the water temp changed at all or is it still around 44-45 ? I should be down there again tonight but now I don't know if its even worth trying till we get some rain

[Northlander]

Monks temps are still about 39-41 about 10pm then they are dropping. Im sure its warm enough mid day but with the cold nights the river just isnt warming up too fats.

The warmest I heard of was 43 one early night. I sure hope we get a few warm days and some warm rain and get that temp at a steady 45 or better.

Who knows maybe there wont even be a run in that river this year.

[jimbo1969usus]

Was there saturday night(4-21-07) saw only 3 that was comeing in.. maybe this week

[MOBY RICHARD*]

Ok, the weather system that is spinning clockwise, and that was over the lake, and holding back the counter clockwise rain system, has finally given way, and is moving off to the Northeast, with the rain system in fast pursuit.

The rain is entering Duluth as we post. It is a massive, swirling system, centered in Nebraska, but I cannot tell how much water is in it.

Reports coming out of the Cities, indicate not as much as a system like this would indicate.

There is rain coming, for sure and for a while, but no telling how much.

[midminnesota]

Well people another year, so far no smelt, but when the water temps. go up and people start getting some I'll be back. Just got home, I live in Isanti south of cambridge. We got up to the lester 8 p.m. friday, nothing! The knife was 44 degrees friday night at 10 p.m. and the same at the stewart where we camped out. Saturday morning the water was 40 degrees at 8 a.m. on the stewart. Then we walked up the stewart about 2-3 miles to try our luck for trout and I have never seen so much ice pack on the river shore this late. I mean there were areas 1-2 f.t. thick 10 f.t. wide and 100 yds. long. Then when my friends and I got up this morning to pack up and leave I went and checked the water temp. on the stewart at 8 a.m. it was only 38 degrees. With the ice pack in the main bay and the ice pack I saw on the river, which I'm guessing there all the same, I'm guessing they start runnig last week of april first weekend in may. I hope sooner but thats my guess. But I'll check in daily thanks for the posting and I hope it happens before fishing opener. Ha-Ha. But I will be back and get my fill of smelt, so I'll wait and hope sooner than later happens. Later!!!!!

[Orlip]

No big gully washers here (south metro) but it has been raining since 1:00 ish. Steady rain, more than a drizzle but less than a flood. So it should rain there for awhile.

Update: I guess I spoke to soon its letting up now.

[MOBY RICHARD*]

midminnesota, Good point about the river icepacks. I had thought wrongly that the rivers were ice free by now, but that definately would keep cooling them down. Even as they melt they are putting very cold water into the system.

Hope the rain takes them out. Thanks for the info.

Orlip, thanks for the update.

Classic signature line! One of the best. Thats why I no longer attend office parties... or is it that I am not invited... can't remember... better not to...

[traveler]

I live up from the french, and we just got about an inch 9at least) of rain in the past 1/2 hour. AND it's a warm rain!

[Nate McVey]

It could be interesting tonight....the Stewart was 45 this afternoon, so who knows what this rain did.

[andrew chadwick]

does it realy go from a zero night to a run night? I figured it would be gradual.

[Northlander]

When they come in they come in waves. You can have O one night and fill several coolers the next. Thats why we keep going hoping to get them on the 1st night or 2. Plus it may only last 2-3 days like last year then we had to seign the beaches off the points.

[midminnesota]

chadwick the answer to your question is yes. I've been on the rivers before for hours on end nothing happening and all of a sudden 1/2 hr. we have 20 gallons of smelt. Thats when it gets fun because after that it doesn't take long at all to have 40-60 people in the river smelting, drinking and haveing fun.

[BD110]

Northlander,

Give me a call on my cell when you are getting ready to head out tonight.

[Nate McVey]

Northlander, let me know as well when you head out if you want some xtra company.

[fishin789]

Does anyone ever go smelting out at chester creek anymore? I haven't been able to get up there smelting for the last 3 years but thats where i've always gone when I lived up there and have done pretty good when they are running and no crowds.

[MOBY RICHARD*]

I have heard about people smelting the Chester way back, but not lately.

I heard from a fairly reliable source in the Cities, that the smelt are running around Taylors Falls/St Croix Falls, at the Markup Place Foods, on top of the hill.

$4.99/lb., fresh, cleaned and packaged. A bit spendy, but cheaper for those in that area, than a skunk trip to Duluth, if you just want a taste, and are not into catching them.

They did not state where they were taken from. But they must be running somewhere.

Also the Chisago City Fire Dept is advertising a smelt fry for April 27. I know other Fire Depts in that area, and around the State, have held them in the past.

Anybody know if any of the grocerys up on the North and South shores, are stocking any yet and what price? Or maybe Everetts out of Port Wing?

[kgpcr4]

I was up tonight and nothing at all. it was raining pretty good and that might just break things loose. Sunday night was a bust. my guess is tuesday night they will start but that is just a wild guess.

[Northlander]

Not a thing again last night. BD110 and Papawoodie dipped while I sat and watched and had a beverage. The rivers were flowing pretty good and muddy. Didnt seem to be much warmer either.

Well like said above it may be tues or later but it looks like the ice on the points is moving out.

We will keep trying and keep everyone up to date.

[william wallace]

If a guy were to grill some smelt, what would be the best technique?

[Jiffy]

Charcoal

[Northlander]

Deep Fried is the only way to go. Grilling smelt? Never heard of it and I dont know of any way that even would sound good. Maybe Cheffrey will pipe in and have something up his sleeve.

Deep Frying helps to get rid of some of the bones and I only deep fry the smaller ones and then use the big ones for bait.

[william wallace]

Deep fried is the only way I have ever eaten them. I want to try something different. I was thinking some olive oil, s&p garlic salt and butter sauce(oh and a little lemon). Northlander do have a recipe for deep frying? What type of batter is the best? I have tried them with pancake mix and bisquik but they never come out the same.

[william wallace]

thanks

[Cruizin for Fish]

Never grilled them either but if I was going to - I would cut some of my favorite fixins (potato's, carrots, onions, etc.), lay out a piece of tin foil, drop on the fixins and smelt, add some butter and seasonings, wrap it up then let ur cook. This is how I have done several species and I am sure smelt would turn out fine also.

Cruizin

[Viking]

Myself, I use shore lunch and fry magic. I do some beer batter and some just roleed in the breading mix. That way people have a choice of the batters, both by brand, and by coating. after you eat a couple dozen, the beer batter gets kind of thick, and the light coating works great. I usually fry them in peanut oil on a coleman grill, so it can be done outside. Hope you get a bunch.

[Monks]

ALLRIGHT, EVERYONE Pray to the smelt gods because I can't take it anymore!!! Where are those little buggers?????