Smelts running!

Like many else here thanks for the reminder. We smelted in the NY finger lakes when I was a young boy and what memories of staying up late, getting wet and great eats. I'd love to get Gus out and have looked into it, but all the runs have dried up in the areas we used to do it.
 
Wow, that's pretty cool!
If we had runs like that here, my wife would make me fill the freezer.
We've bought them at large Asian markets before and grilled them: Marinate in a teriyaki-style sauce & then grill, turning & basting until done.
One tip, don't bother cleaning them before you grill them. The eggs are good to eat too once you cook them. Scrape the other innards out & put aside.
 
Pic made me feels Misty. The misspent days of my youth all came rushing back. Running the South Western Lake Michigan Shore line. From St. Joe, to Grand Haven. When the run was on in the 70's we could literally pull hundreds of gallons of them in. Scissors and sore fingers rewarded us with great family memeories of fries gone by.

My last run was a proffesional one, and a sad comment on the state of the smelt. I had a DNR permit to gather smelt for a large exhibit tank we created at the zoo I worked for. A 100 ft sein net and boat to drag the shore. 4 nights of trauling gathered 10. WE ended up driving up to the UP Marinette/Menominee and going out into 500 feet of water and purse seigning for them.

To those who still get a run, enjoy it! the memories it leaves you are priceless, and the eatin ain't half bad either.

Regards, B
 
Jon

I'm takin' the 4wt out for trout this afternoon, but now I have a craving for a Large platter of fresh Smelt! Your 2 hours fishin' for them was time well spent, and had to be a blast.


"The Voice" - Your gettin' Misty over days gone by.........Is a Sure sign of Geezerhood, and how much Life in the Outdoors makes Living on God's Green Earth so rewarding.
 
Pic made me feels Misty. The misspent days of my youth all came rushing back. Running the South Western Lake Michigan Shore line. From St. Joe, to Grand Haven. When the run was on in the 70's we could literally pull hundreds of gallons of them in. Scissors and sore fingers rewarded us with great family memeories of fries gone by.

My last run was a proffesional one, and a sad comment on the state of the smelt. I had a DNR permit to gather smelt for a large exhibit tank we created at the zoo I worked for. A 100 ft sein net and boat to drag the shore. 4 nights of trauling gathered 10. WE ended up driving up to the UP Marinette/Menominee and going out into 500 feet of water and purse seigning for them.

To those who still get a run, enjoy it! the memories it leaves you are priceless, and the eatin ain't half bad either.

Regards, B
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Like Brian, I remember the days of the awesome Michigan smelt runs but nowadays with the changes in the Great Lakes, it just doesn't happen like that anymore.

(As I recall my starving student college days, when free food like smelt was so abundant, we referred to the sport as "smelt drinkin')

:)
 
We have a local fishing event up here every June at which accounts are settled from a high stakes bet on the UNH-UMaine hockey game. In the good years, the loser has to eat a live smelt. In the bad years, a shiner has to substitute.
 
brings back memories....i always fried 'em up in Drakes crispy fry mix...

this was aired in the '80s...does anybody remember days like this????


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o9jC_1dXvQ&feature=share&list=FLa4JKEX6Z8numTZaUlSor_A
 
I don"t know about days but I remember nights like that.....last time I smelt dipped was 1995 in the UP near Houghton. They were on the decline back then and hard to come by.....
 
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