Smelts running!

J

Jon Zuccolo

Active member
Howdy all, I have seen pacific salmon, pike and even carp running up river to spawn, but never seen smelts. I heard they started running, so headed up the river to check it out...

There were so many of these things that you could just grab them. My buddy was so hungry after the 2 hour mud hike we did to find them, that we stopped in on a little party/smelt festival, and he devoured at least 50 of those little fried fishies and they kept bringing him more... I lost count, but he definately put a dent in their numbers :p



A bit hard to tell what your looking at, but all that dark stuff is fish.
 
Man yer makin' me hungry! I can eat those Delicious little fish til I Burst. A Smelt Festival, now thats my kind of Good Time...........
 
Yummy. That's sure is a sign of a healthy river. Anything chasing them downriver? We get landlocked Atlantic Salmon after them when they come up out of Lk. Champlain nearby. Plus Bass and Pike. Should be happening here soon. Thanks for the pic.
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I am just wondering why you didn't get a net and a trash can.....or a lot of buckets......


A lot of work catching and cleaning but well worth the effort!
 
John, I am saying this on hearsay only, but there may be some sea-run brook trout behind those smelts. I know many of the streams on PEI are known for sea-run brookies.

On some of the New Brunwick salmon rivers, post-spawned Atlantic salmon gorge on the smelt run as they are headed back out to sea.
 
Yep, not much but at least you still have them. Here in Wisconsin the smelt run is a fond memory most years. The last time we hit it good we arrived at our spot about midnight with two 5 gal pails and hoped for enough for a good fish fry. Just after we set up out net the run really started and we ended up with 30 gals of smelt. Had to send my brother to an all night store for garbage bags to stick in the buckets. Cleaned fish for hours the next day. None went to waste either, the little ones were just right for frying and the big ones were used for ice fishing bait the following year.

The Lions Club I belong to still has an annual smelt fry every spring. Usually 800-1000 people served. It's a big hit, especially for the older folks.
 
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Wow, that is not much. By the looks of that run you could hit your limit in one dip! I remember the days (long ago) of dipping on Lake Huron and one good night would give everyone enough smelt to last the year with some used as pike bait.

Oh, but those hand cramps from using scissors all day would hurt pretty good!! A little batter and deep fry action would cure those cramps though.......
 
My buddies and i try to get to maine once year to smelt fish. Every once and a while we will fill a bucket but most trips the buckets are filled with empties instead.

Looks like you will have an awesome fish fry
 
I remember smelt fishing in Lake Michigan when I was growing up. I haven't thought about that for a long time.

Thanks,

Tom
 
All you need is a large dip net with a fine mess and your good to go. Be ready for the mess when you're cleaning them, you'll be doing the spawning for them. The fertile roe sticks to anyhing like glue
 
Ahh, fond memories of dip netting in the Oswego River in the evening. It was good to have an electric frying pan in the painting studio.. Heads and guts off, and into the pan--Good eats, for sure.
 
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