Smelt Southern Ontario

[fishingnewbie]

Hi everybody,

 

My dad asked me to search online for good locations for smelt fishing and I haven't been able to find much so I figured there's got to be some good forums out there!

 

He's in Scarborough and doesn't mind driving up into Northern Ontario if he has to.

 

From searching through the forums I found mention of Dunnville, Ontario? Is that a good place to send him?

 

Thanks!

[ball9320]

Hey, I really have no clue about smelt fishing other than my moms Romanian and told me stories I always thought were gross of cookin them and eating them whole. Ha anyways for new info's sake i searched smelting spots, its an old thread but this should help you.

http://ontariosportfishing.com/view_topic....id=6&id=177

[jdmls]

pick almost any beach on simcoe....timing timing timing

[ohhenrygsr]

Anyone have a rough date when they usually run?

Edited March 25, 2009 by Henry Nguyen

[Nemo]

http://www.fishontario.com/species/Other/i...09_OtherSpecies

[bigugli]

The L Ontario shoreline in places like Frenchman's, Oshawa creek, Port hope used to be loaded in the day. Don't know how good it gets there now?

[Sinker]

The L Ontario shoreline in places like Frenchman's, Oshawa creek, Port hope used to be loaded in the day. Don't know how good it gets there now?

 

 

Your doing good if you get a pan full.

 

Its all about timing, and putting in your time around here. If you don't go every night, you won't get enough to make it worth while. Some nights you don't even see one, others you get a bucket full.

 

Its hardly worth it anymore, but I still go.......its more of a tradition than anything though.

 

Sinker

[RuNnYoOzE]

I have a smelting net and have never even taken it out of the package...anyone think I should use it for catching bait fish instead? Smelt are yummy!

[johnnyb]

Dang...I miss smelting....my dad used to make us go to bed early then wake us up at 10:30 or 11:00 and we'd go down to the pier under the bridge in Hamilton....the first few years it was a bonanza...but as I got older, there were fewer and fewer smelt...could have been timing as much as anything.

I'd love to hit up Simcoe on a nice warm night this April/May....somebody PM me! I think I got a smelt net kickin' around somewhere....no spreader tho....

[Marko]

Contact fishmaster, he is a member of this board as well or you can Google him.

He is down in Dunville and there were few reports on smelts in last 2-3 weeks.

That seems to be the place to be but he`ll give you more info.

[RuNnYoOzE]

Port Dover was a hotspot for smelts...we used to buy some fresh smelts and bread them..they stink to high heaven but full of good omega 3 goodness......like I said I have a smelt net and vehicle and I live in Hamilton anyone want to go P'M me .

[buckster]

Anyone have a rough date when they usually run?

 

 

You missed it by about 7-10 years lol

[fishingnewbie]

Thanks everybody for the responses! I think I'm going to send him to Dunnville and go find fishmasters store. The confusing thing is that I've found some reports in this forum that talk about ice fishing/catching smelt in February but the general info I found in most online searches say that best time for smelt fishing is late April or early May when water temperature is around 50F.

 

Anyway, this is an awesome forum!

[Terry]

on lake simcoe, it's the 2 weeks after the ice is first off the lake, but there hasn't been a good run of smelt on simcoe in years

last year the creeks were full and people were scooping them up to cook the tasty treats, too bad there were shiners not smelt they were catching

most docks can be used to fish for them

 

the Oro side of the lake and lagoon city seem to be the best areas, but now you get one or 2 days of them coming in instead of 2 weeks

so good luck hitting it at the right time

but I haven't gone in a few years

[Dara]

We still get em decent up here. We have had better days (darn salmon)

You gotta hit it right, but its only a 30 minute drive from home so we can try a few nights.

We scoop em in the small rivers up here.

 

Gotta have my spring feed of smelts

[Cudz]

My understanding is that there are very few smelt left in southern Ontario due to the fact that Darryl Choronzey might have eaten them all.

Not sure if this is true or not but that is the word on the creek.

[Terry]

Cudz, LOL you might be right....LOL

[walleyejigger]

there are still a few small runs (compared to yesteryears) all along the north shore of huron, unfortunately alot of the small creeks run thru private property and u are not permitted to cross the property to get to the creek or the creeks have been meshed off to prevent them from running said creek, bogus if ya ask me but i've seen it myself, reason i was given by an opp officer was so the anglers werent spread so far apart ( a couple dozen ppl on every creek) and their patrolls were easier to have masses of pll on a few larger rivers instead

 

doesnt discourage me, i go every year, only got half a pail last year but it was worth it, tradition i guess, i'll be bringin my tent trailer this year so i dont have to drive home at the weeeeeee hours of the mornin

[fishboy]

Dang...I miss smelting....my dad used to make us go to bed early then wake us up at 10:30 or 11:00 and we'd go down to the pier under the bridge in Hamilton....the first few years it was a bonanza...but as I got older, there were fewer and fewer smelt...could have been timing as much as anything.

I'd love to hit up Simcoe on a nice warm night this April/May....somebody PM me! I think I got a smelt net kickin' around somewhere....no spreader tho....

 

 

I don't go out myself but I have stopped under the Skyway to watch; last year guys seemed to be quite happy with their catches there. What amazed me was the investment they had in generators, lights & nets...

[CLofchik]

I don't go out myself but I have stopped under the Skyway to watch; last year guys seemed to be quite happy with their catches there. What amazed me was the investment they had in generators, lights & nets...

 

Yeah those guys go whole hog with the contraptions they come up with.

Usual setup is a 10' steel pole, folding 2x10's as a stand, pair of flood lights & Princess Auto genny to power them. Load it all up in a Lil' Red Wagon for the walk from the parking lot and you're golden.

 

Save the home made brandy until after dark, it gets friggin' cold.

 

 

No, the half dozen crews down there haven't caught much yet.

[mrpike]

Smelt should run the next full moon APRIL 09 AFTER MID NIGHT . IF we get a hard rain and it is warm in the day and in the night then it could start earlyer and the ice must be out.

 

 

 

Warm running water in to the lake and a full moon will start the run. You need a good rain storm warm temps and a full moon to get them to run up rivers. IF you can get this all togethere it should start around 01.00am and get heavyer around 03.00 am GOOD LUCK .

[Dara]

there are still a few small runs (compared to yesteryears) all along the north shore of huron, unfortunately alot of the small creeks run thru private property and u are not permitted to cross the property to get to the creek or the creeks have been meshed off to prevent them from running said creek, bogus if ya ask me but i've seen it myself, reason i was given by an opp officer was so the anglers werent spread so far apart ( a couple dozen ppl on every creek) and their patrolls were easier to have masses of pll on a few larger rivers instead

 

doesnt discourage me, i go every year, only got half a pail last year but it was worth it, tradition i guess, i'll be bringin my tent trailer this year so i dont have to drive home at the weeeeeee hours of the mornin

 

 

are you telling me that the OPP blocks spawning fish access to a creek?