smelt season

[WAUB-MUKWA]

Okay, I guess I'll pop the "cherry" here. The smelt season around here has been non existant for about 5 years. Some say it's laker's? What do you think? I didn't even go this year, and the salmon run really wasn't there either.:(

[Nine Milly]

I can't speak for the population as a whole but I'll tell you what I've noticed over the past 5-10 years. I use a drop net off of a pier in the New Buffalo area in S.W. Michigan. I haven't saw the smelt "run black" in I believe 6-7 years. The main problem that I encounter is that with the water level so low, I can' not effectivley dip anymore off of that pier. This low water, also diverted a creek that flowed along the pier causing the smelt to shift their run southernly along the area that I dip them. In the last two years I have all but given up on smelt dipping with a drop net and because of the dwindling #'s I no longer persistantly pursue them, opting instead to chase the steelhead during that time of the year. I know that timeing is critical. The big run can come at any given time, generally in the night, but I have heard of mid-late may catches in the middle of the day. I sure miss seeing them run black and I hope that you find the answer to your question because I am courious as well.

[WAUB-MUKWA]

I would think the water levels would have something to do with it too, and some of the little creeks and streams get blocked up with the lakeshore sand. I noticed that more often this summer too. Usually the rivers are fast enough to keep the mouths open.

[Fishndude]

of exotic species intoduced into the Great Lakes in the last 10 - 15 years, and they are definitely affecting the natural species. I am from Bay City, and when I was growing up, we could dip smelt all over Saginaw Bay and expect to do well. From what I have been told no one goes Smelt dipping in Saginaw Bay anymore.

I have read a lot of articles which address exotic species which are destroying the BOTTOM of the food chain - competing with small creatures which Smelt, Alewives, and other small fish feed heavily on. Scary stuff, and I have never read an article about this type of thing that sounded like the problem would correct itself or go away - only increase. Luckily, I have years of memories of great Salmon and Steelhead fishing. Hopefully none of this gloom and doom comes to be.

[duckman#1]

A DNR bio told me 2 years ago that "one" of the problems is because of the lower water levels, the smelt are spawning out on sand bars future out from shore so we just don't see them in numbers down here on the southern end of the big lake. Another problem was from commercial netting on the Wisconsin side for smelt to use in pet food ( I believe they said that pratice has been stopped)
I too have almost given up on smelt runs. I would love to get into a old fashion run in the U.P. I did hear they had a couple of decent nights by the Soo somewhere, but that was it.
Fresh caught smelt sure tastes alot better than the frozen store type!

[Luv2hunteup]

I can remember some very good runs of smelt in the Houghton-Hancock waterway system.

You could dip all you wanted some years during the day in Chassel or go to Cole's creek for the all night parties.

But that was when you still could get Bosch and Sauna Beer from the brewery in Houghton. :eek: Hopefully I'll always remember the days of my youth.

[WAUB-MUKWA]

Hey luv2hunteup! We probably have met then if you were at cole's. I had been going there just about every year since about 73!:D

[Luv2hunteup]

WAUB-MUKWA

I was there every year for the annual spring parties and at times for some smelt. I'm sure you'll recognize me, I was the one with the white 5 gal bucket, smelt net, flash light and bottle of Boones Farm wine. LOL that didn't narrow it down much did it?

Back then I worked nights at Diamond Mike's and when I wasn't working you could find me at Al's Halfway in South Range. It was a great area to spend some of my youthful years. I miss the area but the wife has no desire to move back.

[bigsid]

I fondly remember the days of heading up to the Carp, Nunns, and as a last (but usually successful) resort, the Cutt river. If anybody thinks the Tippy Dam steps are bad, they should try the steps at the Cutt w/ a net, 2 five gallon bucketfuls and whatever else you have! It's been about ten years now and I miss it bad!! Whatever the problem is, IT SUCKS!! I'm a boatnerd also, and it really bugs me knowing that what I love to watch helped bring this on. (exotic species)
Take care...Sid

[Whit1]

Many years ago four of us carried two tubs of smelt out of the Cut River Gorge. We were early for the nighttime run on the creeks west of the bridge and stopped there as a time killer. It was about 4PM. We walked down the stairs, without waders, nets, etc., and when we got to the last landing above the creek (it isn't really river size) we saw a guy who was dipping haul out a net full of smelt.

It took one glance at each other and the four of us raced back up the stairs for our gear.

Before dark we had filled two wash tubs full of smelt and were back at the car after struggling to carry the fish, gear and ourselves back up that long flight of steps.

Of course, two tubs were not enough and we headed west to Davenport Cr. where we really hit the smelt right under the US2 bridge.

[WAUB-MUKWA]

That's what I miss whit1 is just stopping somewhere and realizing they are there and you fill a couple buckets. Now it's like you are the weather man and you throw a coin in the air to see where the smelt will be next. Even if you do your homework and go thru your previous logs of recent runs you are still hit and miss. Maybe it will pick up again once the game fish go after something else and water levels rise:D

[Whit1]

Along the Lake Michigan shoreline, at least in this part of it, we haven't had a decent smelt run in years. Most of our dipping is off the piers as the small streams entering the lake are few and far between. I don't even go looking anymore, but the reports from friends who do have not been good. They can easily count the number of smelt they take, usually in the teens.

[WAUB-MUKWA]

That's how it was two years ago. We went out around midnight for 4 nights straight and we had about a dozen from one of those nights. But those few were fun catching. Skill was required because you only saw one or two at a time. Maybe it will change soon and we can get a bucket full to last throughout the year.
One thing though what we are catching here on the big lake is the cisco's, the oily salmon as the bad river tribe call them. They could almost be caught offshore in the shallows by a dip net. They are like the big smelt's you catch on a hook down there thru the ice.

[Whit1]

WM,
Are the ciscoes good to eat?

[WAUB-MUKWA]

They are pretty good. I make fish boil with them and potatoes and corn. Some like to smoke them. They school up just like the smelt too, so the action is heavy at times.