# Anymore Smelt in Erie?



## Super G (Oct 3, 2012)

I used to go to point Pelee in Canada for smelt dipping when I was a kid. We’d bring home plenty for the freezer and to share with the neighbors. Haven’t heard anyone talk about it in recent years. Are there any runs along the south shore anymore? Also heard of people using ice fishing gear off docks to catch them. But again not recently. Any info on this out there?


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

Super G said:


> I used to go to point Pelee in Canada for smelt dipping when I was a kid. We’d bring home plenty for the freezer and to share with the neighbors. Haven’t heard anyone talk about it in recent years. Are there any runs along the south shore anymore? Also heard of people using ice fishing gear off docks to catch them. But again not recently. Any info on this out there?


There are smelt in LakevErie but not in the numbers that there used to be. Haven't heard of anyone working the smelt run in years.


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## CoonDawg92 (Jun 1, 2016)

Vaguely related - Avon Brewing Company had a fried smelt appetizer that I ordered last week, came with an orange ginger dipping sauce. Not bad. Asked the server where the smelt came from and he had no idea, didn’t know what a smelt was before it came on the menu. I was thinking it must be that time of year but wondered how far away they came from.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

CoonDawg92 said:


> Vaguely related - Avon Brewing Company had a fried smelt appetizer that I ordered last week, came with an orange ginger dipping sauce. Not bad. Asked the server where the smelt came from and he had no idea, didn’t know what a smelt was before it came on the menu. I was thinking it must be that time of year but wondered how far away they came from.


Likely came from Canada. The trawlers get them over there.


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## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

Lake is not polluted enough to support outrageous smelt populations like it did.


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## overcheck (Dec 13, 2010)

Super G said:


> I used to go to point Pelee in Canada for smelt dipping when I was a kid. We’d bring home plenty for the freezer and to share with the neighbors. Haven’t heard anyone talk about it in recent years. Are there any runs along the south shore anymore? Also heard of people using ice fishing gear off docks to catch them. But again not recently. Any info on this out there?


I caught smelt though the ice at edge water and wildwood marina gave up on it about ten years ago it was great fishing before then.


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## Lewis (Apr 5, 2004)

They probably turned into food for all those hungry walleyes.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

I made this video about 9 years ago, its went downhill IMO since then, I haven't tried in about 5 years because we got skunked too many times in a row


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Several years ago, a group of us would get together and fish Edgewater for smelt. We would share our catch and retire to my Garage for fried smelt and beer. Had a lot of fun and enjoyed the fresh smelt. The last smelt i caught was about ten years ago while Perch'n.


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## MikeC (Jun 26, 2005)

I remember one of the earlier FishCrazy Walleye Derbies there was a line on everybody's graph for a few days in a row at the same depth between the Gold Coast and downtown at least . Finally, somebody dropped some bait or a lure on them and reported them to be smelt when they hauled it up.


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## dontknowmuch (Sep 26, 2014)

I had several in fish and in my live well that walleye and trout had spit up in mid July.


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## Mattiba (Apr 7, 2020)

I caught a few several years back and didn’t know what they were. How do you clean them?


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

Cut around the head and down the belly and put the head and guts out that's about it!


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I have been able to purchase fresh smelt from Giant Eagle around Christmas. The frozen smelt Can't compare but are better than "no smelt at all". 🙂


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## bowhunter1487 (Aug 13, 2014)

They were the primary forage for the eastern central basin walleye all last summer so I assume they were relatively more abudant than shad compared to the prior few years.


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## fishermanbob (Dec 14, 2011)

ezbite said:


> I made this video about 9 years ago, its went downhill IMO since then, I haven't tried in about 5 years because we got skunked too many times in a row


I CAN REMEMBER GRANPA FRYING UP SMELT WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD.I AM 78 NOW. LONG TIME IN BETWEEN.


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## Fishinfoolin (Apr 26, 2009)

Super G said:


> I used to go to point Pelee in Canada for smelt dipping when I was a kid. We’d bring home plenty for the freezer and to share with the neighbors. Haven’t heard anyone talk about it in recent years. Are there any runs along the south shore anymore? Also heard of people using ice fishing gear off docks to catch them. But again not recently. Any info on this out there?


Walleye population and other successful game fish consumed their numbers


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## mach1cj (Apr 11, 2004)

Mom bought smelt at the old A & P store in the mid 60's for 39¢ a pound.


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## floater99 (May 21, 2010)

I remember catching smelt off brk wall at edgwtr and give to my neighbor my mom didn't want them in the house I ate some many years later boy did I miss out we would get them late in the season when perch fishing also


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## Whitefin (Sep 4, 2008)

We marked schools of smelt off Ashtabula last year and walleyes were spitting them up after being caught. I haven't tried catching them for ten year and haven't heard any good reports either.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

They are out there, we netted a few this winter before ice locked everything up, I mark them out deep in the summer, they mark like Christmas trees on sonar on the bottom.


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## Super G (Oct 3, 2012)

K gonefishin said:


> They are out there, we netted a few this winter before ice locked everything up, I mark them out deep in the summer, they mark like Christmas trees on sonar on the bottom.


Well, I just read that the estimated Walleye population is 121 MILLION! With that many fish I'm sure they're devouring the shad, smelt, perch and anything else they can get their jaws on!


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## dbd31463 (Jun 24, 2012)

I don't miss the stench of rotting Smelt on the beach back in the 70's. I do miss the buckets of Smelt we netted and fried up, easy to clean too.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

The sonar marks that smelt make to me look just like hay stakes in an Amish field . But I've seen them over by Erieau just a 7' deep mass.


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## Super G (Oct 3, 2012)

Just saw Michigan DNR advising against eating smelt from Lake Superior in an article yesterday, due to high mercury content. Sad and Scary!
Did you know that the Great Lakes make up 20% of the WORLD'S fresh water supply. Scary that tiny little fish are so loaded with mercury to the point you can't eat them! It was a tragedy what happened to Lake Erie in the 60's and 70's - and a true blessing it's recovered, but we need to take better care of and protect this great natural resource (the Great Lakes)!


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

K gonefishin said:


> They are out there, we netted a few this winter before ice locked everything up, I mark them out deep in the summer, they mark like Christmas trees on sonar on the bottom.


We mark those Christmas trees on the sonar out of Ashtabula on a regular basis.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk


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## Osmerus (Dec 5, 2012)

Super G said:


> Just saw Michigan DNR advising against eating smelt from Lake Superior in an article yesterday, due to high mercury content. Sad and Scary!
> Did you know that the Great Lakes make up 20% of the WORLD'S fresh water supply. Scary that tiny little fish are so loaded with mercury to the point you can't eat them! It was a tragedy what happened to Lake Erie in the 60's and 70's - and a true blessing it's recovered, but we need to take better care of and protect this great natural resource (the Great Lakes)!


The issue is PFAS . It's a chemical component in fire retardants, non stick items, clothing and all types of other products. It's an issue all over the great lakes in all our fish
All fisherman should be concerned about this. They are trying to figure out why a fish so.low on the food chain has such elevated levels. The fish sampled were in Wisconsin waters. Article below









Michigan warns of PFAS levels in Lake Superior rainbow smelt


Fish consumption advisory recommends limit of one serving per month.




www.mlive.com


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