# Where are the smelt ???



## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

I didnt catch any til january last year. What happened to catching them at halloween? Its tradition to have smelt for chritmas afterall.. 

Just seems theres been a smelt extinction. Perhaps the walleye are eating them all.. dunno

Anybody out there had any smelt hookups?


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Jeepers creepers...lol. I like smelt too. I take it they are to be caught in erie off a freezing cold breakwall or seawall? It's bad enough that I've been struggling with the ever popular steelhead...which we all know by now that I finally got...but SMELT! in my opinion now...tastes better than steelhead. Have been wanting to do the smelt thing for awhile now and look foward to doing just that. Any information with this is much appreciated. 

I have you tubed it and do believe I've seen a ezbite video once with him catching them? 

Don


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## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

Fish a minnow or half minnow on bottom. Size 14 hook. Slip sinker set up.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

We used pin mins with maggots in the Geneva marina years ago when the smelt came in through the ice and some steel were caught at the same time.


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## steelhead1 (May 14, 2004)

The population crashed a few years ago. I used to have a blast before ice up off the short wall in Mentor. There was always a chance of catching a Burbot as well.

Here's a read:

https://www.freep.com/story/news/lo...melt-decline-lake-michigan-invasive/25292463/


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## Specwar (Sep 22, 2014)

Used to dip Smelt with a net on a 20' handle in the Sandy River in Oregon. You were allowed two 5 gallon buckets full back then. Used a pair of scissors to clean them, first cut took off the head, second cut from the where the head was removed toward the tail, removed the innards with a swipe of the thumb and tossed them in clean water to wash. Light cornmeal breading and drop in hot grease or oil (375 degrees) once they floated to the top remove and enjoy with a cold Rainier Beer. I'm getting homesick thinking about it...


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## Steelhauler (Apr 7, 2004)

It's been a few years since I have fished for them, but's been my experience that they really don't start coming in to shore until the water temps are right around 40 degrees. I don't think the lake is quite there yet.


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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

been a looong while since I had smelt. sibiki rigs at night used to work.


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## Ty-Tara (Oct 26, 2014)

I used to go to Snug Harbor in Conneaut and did well in late November thru December up until 2012 but haven't heard any reports that warrant my making the trip. If anyone does get into some in the area please post report because I would enjoy getting into some. I usually call Snug Harbor Bait and Tackle and check the stream report to see if they are reporting any smelt action. This is very nice of them because it saves me as well as others from making the drive up if nothing is happening.


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## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

Steelhauler said:


> It's been a few years since I have fished for them, but's been my experience that they really don't start coming in to shore until the water temps are right around 40 degrees. I don't think the lake is quite there yet.


Says on lake erie weather toledo is 35 degrees, cleveland is 45 degrees and erie is 43 degrees.


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## homerun (Nov 22, 2009)

Like many, I noticed a decline in both the size and number of smelt. I loved catching them at Edgewater in December before ice up. I haven't even gone smelt fishing in the last 3 years. I used to catch 6-7" fish. Now the average size is 4-5" I could catch a few hundred in an evening. The last 2 trips produced 20 - 50, hardly enough for a meal for family.


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## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

Snug harbor in conneaut reported a few guys trying for smelt but nobody catching anything


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

smelt count way off shiner count way off ,some thing fishy going on?


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

hailtothethief said:


> Fish a minnow or half minnow on bottom. Size 14 hook. Slip sinker set up.


I knw they're voracious little critters( kinda like skinny, little piranhas!) with their needle-like teeth, but it does sound kinda wierd, catching "minnows"-with
"minnows"!


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## Archer4life (Apr 16, 2013)

We used to fish the launch docks at Neff rd in the late 80s early 90s and fill a five gallon bucket in a evenings fishing . Big smelt too. Just hung a lantern , scooped up some emeralds. You could walk on the emeralds. Perch spreader. Pulled in doubles. Started in mid November. Guys would get them through the ice after freeze up. Great eating..


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

I don't go up until after the 1st of the year. I'll do another video 2018


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

When I was a kid I fished off the breakwater in Cleveland in the fall, I caught a 5 gal bucket of Perch and another bucket of Smelt every time we went. Not winter.. was fall perch fishing time, smelt were always present.


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## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

Popspastime said:


> When I was a kid I fished off the breakwater in Cleveland in the fall, I caught a 5 gal bucket of Perch and another bucket of Smelt every time we went. Not winter.. was fall perch fishing time, smelt were always present.


That’s right! What happened to change the smelts behavior? They used to always come in early.


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## fishingfool101 (Mar 2, 2014)

Any Italian and Greek store carries them. Buying them is easier then trying to fish for them.


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

fishingfool101 said:


> Any Italian and Greek store carries them. Buying them is easier then trying to fish for them.


I will eat fish only what I catch.
the fish from market smell like fish and my fish do not smell like fish ,I gess somting must be wrong with my fish,


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Giant eagle had Canadian caught smelt in the frozen section.


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## floater99 (May 21, 2010)

I remember catching smelt while perching late season it also seemed they were quite bigger 6 7 inch we never kept them boy did I miss out on that treat ( my mom didn't like them said they smelled like bad cukecumbers ? ) used see a lot of guys ice fishing edgewater for them


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## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

The cucumber smell is weird but they really do have that smell.


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## Steelhauler (Apr 7, 2004)

I always thought they smelled like watermelon


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## joekacz (Sep 11, 2013)

We use to call them "watermelon pike" because of their odor and tiny teeth.


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## ldrjay (Apr 2, 2009)

ever since that big kill off around 2012 it's been on the decline.


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## Osmerus (Dec 5, 2012)

Even with the lower numbers they are there still. Just gota put in the time ice fishing the harbors if they freeze up. Sabiki rigs, small emeralds and small tungeston jigs with waxies work. Erie and its tribs are not great smelt habitat compared to the n. great lakes. If you searioulsy wana find smelt head north to N. Michigan or Canada. Lots of the inland lakes and bays along superior, huron and michgan have good smelt fishin. Just a bummer their not easier to catch in erie.


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## chrisrf815 (Jul 6, 2014)

Some people dont get it


HappySnag said:


> I will eat fish only what I catch.
> the fish from market smell like fish and my fish do not smell like fish ,I gess somting must be wrong with my fish,


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Many years ago I used to deliver beer and wine to a large seafood market in Warren, OH. I'd wheel a buggy load in through the front door, and the funk would about knock me to my knees! Think I'd buy anything there?


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## REY298 (Apr 3, 2014)

twistedcatfish1971 said:


> Jeepers creepers...lol. I like smelt too. I take it they are to be caught in erie off a freezing cold breakwall or seawall? It's bad enough that I've been struggling with the ever popular steelhead...which we all know by now that I finally got...but SMELT! in my opinion now...tastes better than steelhead. Have been wanting to do the smelt thing for awhile now and look foward to doing just that. Any information with this is much appreciated.
> 
> I have you tubed it and do believe I've seen a ezbite video once with him catching them?
> 
> Don


I have no idea why I can't make those things (steelhead) taste good! I baked them, poached em, boiled them in oil and they still taste like crap! Any help would be much appreciated.


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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

cook it on a board throw fish away eat board lol


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## ldrjay (Apr 2, 2009)

make patties. easy and tastey


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## floater99 (May 21, 2010)

Go panfishing to eat especialy through the ice YUMOLA


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## icehuntR (Dec 18, 2005)

yeah, it was a lot of fun back in the 80s/90s with smelt. When I started ice fishing we'd go to edgewater for smelt. Discovered we could get them in November too. But the fishery seems to have dried up . Tear drops / pinmins with wax worms worked the best for me. Their teeth stick in the worm. I miss frying up a batch of fresh smelt, those store bought ones are smelly, strong tasting. & Seven seas Tartar sauce the best!!!


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## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

Smelt chips are the best!


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## Osmerus (Dec 5, 2012)

Yup, smelt are one of the best eating fish. Easy to prepare and taste great. They are the original fish stick.


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## REY298 (Apr 3, 2014)

chrisrf815 said:


> Some people dont get it


Fresh fish don't smell fishy, especially if keep live or on ice.


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## dennyk (Apr 10, 2012)

I think the walleyes, salmon,and trout have put an end to the great smelt fishing we had back in the sixties. They averaged 8-9 inches and a lot of 10's. caught them up to 12 inches and fat. My dad and I used to cut off the heads and tails, then gut them, then pull the backbone out from the belly side because the bones were too big for that size smelt. It looked like half of a fillet from a jumbo perch. Best freshwater fish I ever ate.
We didn't bother with minnows. We dropped a lantern over the edge of the concrete pier at Gordon Park and used maggots and just kept reeling them up.


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## Osmerus (Dec 5, 2012)

Ya i hear stories from older guys about filling up truck beds with smelt there were so many of them. You can still find big runs but not around here. Me and my buddies usually get a couple gallons each every spring but you just gota drive up north to get them. I have notticed a increase in some runs which i think is due to a decrease in salmon stocking in the upper great lakes. Mi is not putting near as many salmon into the lakes as they used to. But yes the overall trend is a decrease in great lakes smelt populations. Part in due to the disappearance of alewifes. Salmonids in the lakes have turned to smelt since the alewife population crash.


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## James F (Jul 2, 2005)

Love the smelt! We pinched the barbs on our hooks, and shook in the bucket.We also just gutted them and fried em up heads and tails. Tails make great chips! went up with my uncles looong time ago, and used a long handle net throw them on ice and head home around midnight, my cousins and I would be past out after a few minutes on the ride home.The good old days. My dad ,and my brother fished a lot for trout ,we steamed the trout and fixed them like tuna salad, that was the best way for trout, that we liked.


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