SMELT

[abishop]

WATER TEMPS ARE NEARING THAT 42-45 DEGREE MARK WHEN THE SMELT COME CLOSE TO SHORE TO SPAWN. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS IT SEEMS LIKE WE MISS THE SEASON OR THE SMELT GO PAST OUR SHORES TO LAY THEIR EGGS. CAN REMEMBER IN THE 70'S YOU COULD BUILD FIRES ON LAKE STREET BEACH AND SEIN FOR THEM, SET UP GILL NETS, AND TAKE THEM BY THE BUCKETFULLS. OH, THE GOOD OLD DAYS. I THINK MAY 1ST IS OPENING DAY FOR ILLINOIS. ANYONE KNOW IF AND WHEN SEASON OPENS FOR US HERE IN INDIANA. HAS ANYONE DONE WELL IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. WEST BEACH OR MAYBE IT WAS WELLS BEACH HAS SMALL GRAVEL PEBBLES ON SHORE FOR SAND. THIS ATTRACTS SMELT, ANYONE TRY HERE? WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS?

[DADDY-O]

there havent been any smelt around here for many years. i'm talking from east chicago to michiagan city.

[abishop]

According to my cousin, he still gets them every year. However, he does have a u.s. steel badge and is allowed to throw his gill gets in 25 fow.

[Crappie Expree]

last year i did this for the first time up in  minnesota on lake superior.you can get pickup truck loads up there its crazy.

[Boomer]

Smelt season in Indiana this year is 1 March to 30 May. Are you using a gill net? Regs mention the use of dip nets and seines but no such reference to gill nets.  Love those little fish. Would love to try and dip a few buckets. My brother quite commonly went for them when he lived in Michigan. Luckily for me he remembered who his brother was! I always thought the smaller the better in taste.

[abishop]

I agree, smaller is better. I also remember that they always had a bit of an oily taste. Don't know if that was from the steel mills or what. Haven't had a smelt dinner in over 10 years. I remember cleaning buckets full. Cut the heads off with sissors, snip open the belly, batter fry, and eat. Bones,skin, and all could really pound them down.(With a few beers of course). Ahh! those were the days.

[Boomer]

A friend of mine goes to U.P. of Michigan quite often - he has a place up there - and during smelt dipping time you can go into a bar and have all you want - for free! Of course they put a little slt on the critters and hope you buy something to wash it down.  Mmmmmmmmmmmm