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Post by shredder on Apr 6, 2012 9:58:56 GMT -6
Hi guys, I will be standing on the breakwall by the lighthouse tonight with my throw net. Hi Cap'n Peter, I will be on the AM charter on the 12th of May, can't wait! Is dominodave son of hookertoo?? Where do they get smelt in Grand Rapids? And how? I know...lots of questions!
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Post by dominodaves on Apr 6, 2012 11:39:51 GMT -6
Dominodave is no relation to the Captain or Hookertoo. I'm just an avid smelter from just north of the cities that has been a smelter for as long as I can remember. I've been around for the glory days of smelting in the late 60's and 70's, and experienced the crash during the 80's. Now that we have a pretty stable population that is very small in comparison to the glory days, we have to be smarter and more tuned in to the information highway to get our tasty little critters in the frying pan, or deep fryer! So I just try to provide my information and experience of 48 years of doing this to try and help out where I can.
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Post by shredder on Apr 6, 2012 12:09:19 GMT -6
Ok, thanks for clearing that up, dominodave, I just wasn't sure. I will post tomorrow on what happens tonight. My days off are Fri/Sat and work very early AM all other days so unless I know for sure they are running, I am snoozing, or getting up for work. I grew up in Green Bay and we used to chase smelt from the bay to the lake, zigzagging across Door county, great memories. The last 3 yrs I've done well standing on the breakwall and, like I posted last year, killed them at the Temperance last yr ...on a weekend nite, with no one else there, on a beautiful moonlit evening...still can't get over that!
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Post by captainkirk on Apr 6, 2012 13:33:08 GMT -6
Just picked up my new seine from Christensens, I'll be testing the waters at WI point tonight. Grew up in NW wisconsin (1.5 hrs from the lake), bounced around and ended up in Duluth. Excited to get out this year!
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Post by aitkinbacon on Apr 6, 2012 14:24:17 GMT -6
I also remember the smelt runs in the early 60s when so many smelt came in that the water level would rise in the rivers. One time my metal cone net was so full that I found a small walleye in it. Can't remember what happened to the walleye tho. (heh heh). Will be out there again this year.
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Post by hookertoo on Apr 6, 2012 15:20:49 GMT -6
Hi guys, I will be standing on the breakwall by the lighthouse tonight with my throw net. Hi Cap'n Peter, I will be on the AM charter on the 12th of May, can't wait! Is dominodave son of hookertoo?? Where do they get smelt in Grand Rapids? And how? I know...lots of questions! Shredder No Dominodave is not my son. He knows quite a bit about the smelt run so take what he says seriously. They smelt in Pokagama lake on the mississippi reiver. I don't know if there are any public places to smelt there. I take it that most of the good spots are on private property or must be reached by boat. See you on the 12th of May - seems like a long way off. Good luck throwing the net. I never could get the hang of throwing one of those.
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Post by dominodaves on Apr 6, 2012 16:00:04 GMT -6
Thanks for the props Hookertoo...it doesn't matter how much I've learned over the years...there always seems to be more to be figured out!
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Post by shredder on Apr 7, 2012 7:03:10 GMT -6
Last night: 10 smelt in 2.5 hours off the breakwall, big waves and a nasty rip current wreaked havoc with my net the whole time. Couple groups tried the beach but didn't last long. Lots of vehicles at the Lester when I drove by at 11PM, but I didn't stop to check, should have.
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Post by mailman on Apr 7, 2012 7:44:50 GMT -6
The point had a stiff wind and way too much surf for my comfort level, we didn't even put on waders. Went to the Lester, maybe 15-20 people there by the time we left. One person netted a sucker and tossed it back. No smelt netted by anyone. We left at 11:20pm. I have to be in Duluth a couple evenings this week so I'll probably toss the gear in and give it a try Monday and Thursday evening at the Lester
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rdyzz
Full Member
Posts: 21
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Post by rdyzz on Apr 7, 2012 11:16:57 GMT -6
note that this has been my 2nd year since i was in elementry school comming to smelt, came with my parents back in the mid to late 90's, so im not quite sure what the names of the area are in duluth.
was out by the beach area next to the spinning light thing around 10:40pm. there was a group of two guys with their girls there before us, they where netting in maybe 1-2 per pull. we where there grilling some brats before we went in. we checked with them later around maybe 11:30 am or so and they ended up having the bottom area of the 5 gal bucket they were using filled, so maybe 15-20 if i had to guess. we finally went out into the water at around close to 12:40 am, we stayed til 1:45 am and got 6. we were using a seine net, but actually caught 5 of them from dipping nets. just doing random dips there at the beach around 3ft of water. a couple people stopped by to check it out too, but due to the wind and the waves no one else tried.
after we had gotten ready to leave and got to the lester around 2:30 am, no one was there. we talked with one of the guys scouting the area and he was saying no one got anything and everyone eventually left, but earlier that someone took water temps and it was around 39-40 degrees.
i think we'll try again next week, i told my group that we were more or less comming to check out how things where and that the chances of us actually seeing smelt last night was slim, we got to see 6 so it atlest helped keep the spirit high.
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Post by mailman on Apr 7, 2012 21:40:41 GMT -6
someone smack me down if I am off topic. As I said I will be in Duluth Monday and Thursday evening. If smelting is hot at park point I need a partner to man the other end of my seine. If wind, wave, smelt are poor at the point Lester River is my back up plan. I have a seine, 2 dip nets. You will need to own a pair of chest waders.
fre@citlink.net
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Post by aitkinbacon on Apr 9, 2012 4:07:40 GMT -6
What? No updates since rdyzz 0230 Saturday? Everyone gone SALTY GAGA? Dropped dead from heavy net lifts? Bamboozled by Bubba? Cold feet SOS? Watson xxxx I mean , what's on wit da smelt?
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Post by slapfish on Apr 9, 2012 8:58:50 GMT -6
Went out last night with my kids. Did a test pull at 9:30 (5 smelt). Waited 15min Did one more pull 250-300 smelt. 3/4 full 5 gallon bucket after 3 pulls. Got my fill for the year. Good Luck!
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Post by shredder on Apr 9, 2012 9:04:12 GMT -6
Slapfish, where were you?
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Post by madbrad104 on Apr 9, 2012 9:13:57 GMT -6
Went to Wisc. point saturday got 13 smelt for 6.5 hours of work and 8 hours drive time lol but my 8 year old son had a blast try again maybe this weekend !
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