Evening to Everyone ..... Spring Smelts

[MistyHollow]

Sitting here hoping for some ice down  south here this year, but not holding my breath with the way the temperatures are suppose to climb again, so sitting and thinking about some spring smelt fishing. Yes I am old enough to remember netting in the glory days with pails of smelt, beach cook outs of frying smelt, and taking naps on the rocks beside the fire. I was lucky to fish the big runs of the early70's growing up and later the smaller runs of the 80's and then the Niagara runs in the 90's still bringing home a pail or two to last the family for the year.

I know the old runs are gone but I also know that there are still a few smelt along the Port Maitland pier and I wonder about the Port Dover pier. Does anyone on here watch for them along either of these spots? I know come about the 2nd week of April I will be out looking in the old haunts and then about the 3rd or 4th week be heading up Huntsville / Dorset way to meet up with a couple of friends to see if we can connect with a few for the pan.

If anyone is catching them through the ice I would love to hear about it as I have never tried this yet, although I am hoping to if the Welland River freezes up or if I can get some information on trying this on Simcoe.

 

Thank All

 

[Big Cliff]

I sure remember the old days of smelt fishing but those days are long gone. I have fished smrlts through the ice down in Wellend and it was a lot of fun. They seamed to be smaller than what i remembered but tasted just as good. Would love to get into enough for a feed again but won't hold my breath. 😊

[16 Footer]

Many years ago my dad and I got lots of smelt in Parry Sound under the railway bridge, that's gone. Later with a buddy smelted on Simcoe at Brechin, we had to work it to get a bucket. Where have all the smelts gone?   

[CrowMan]

Yeah, those were the glory days. As a kid in the 60's and 70's, I used to go down to the Bronte pier on a warm April night with my Dad and Uncles. It was a real party atmosphere. Some of the contraptions that folks made to net them...like mini cranes..were real feats of engineering. On the right night, with a half dozen dips of our net we could fill a bushel. We would fill the bathtub with them to clean them with scissors, and then a big fry up in the wee hours of the night.

These days, the only place I consistently see them caught in big numbers are the tribs of Lake Superior. Most of creeks and rivers north of the Soo along Hwy 17 still get substantial runs...Harmony, Chippewa, Pancake, Speckled Trout, etc. Our group heads up there for Steelhead the week after the Trout opener down south...so last week of April / first week of May. We usually have no problem getting our fill of Smelt in the evening...a little smaller than the ones we used to get on Lake O years ago...but just as sweet. Some of the local restaurants along 17 even feature them as a special that time of year.

 

 

 

 

[bigugli]

2 hours ago, Big Cliff said:

I sure remember the old days of smelt fishing but those days are long gone. I have fished smrlts through the ice down in Wellend and it was a lot of fun. They seamed to be smaller than what i remembered but tasted just as good. Would love to get into enough for a feed again but won't hold my breath. 😊

They seemed to have disappeared from those grounds since the salvage yard closed. Starting to weed up.

 

[dave524]

7 hours ago, bigugli said:

They seemed to have disappeared from those grounds since the salvage yard closed. Starting to weed up.

 

Ramey's Bend was where we used to ice fish them with dad sixty plus years ago too

[CrowMan]

4 hours ago, dave524 said:

Ramey's Bend was where we used to ice fish them with dad sixty plus years ago too

Yep, back in the day we would ice fish at night for Smelt at Ramey's Bend in Port Colborne. The other spot we'd go to in Welland was Dain City. A lantern would attract them to the hole...and we'd use a hook with a little yarn that would get caught in their teeth...just shake them off.  Haven't been there in many years.

These days, one of the few places where you can still catch Smelt through the ice in good numbers is Muskrat Lake up by Ottawa. 

 

[MistyHollow]

CrowMan, I am hoping to try Dain City if it ever freezes solid this year.

 

[CrowMan]

9 minutes ago, MistyHollow said:

CrowMan, I am hoping to try Dain City if it ever freezes solid this year.

 

Haven't been there in at least 20 years. Let me know how you make out. 

One of the fond memories I have is the sweet smell of fresh Smelts in a bucket...reminds me of fresh cut cucumbers of all things.

Best of luck !

[Headhunter]

Bait!

HH