smelting

I know that the time for smelting is coming up fast. every year i come up to duluth for smelting i always miss the run. funny that i keep trying when i live in the cities. i was just wondering if you guys can help me out. about what time should i come up there. should i come during the rain or not. rumor has it that the smelt run more in the rain. and what techniques are legal to use when it comes to smelting. i’ve seen people with sein nets bucket nets and cast nets. just wondering if they are legal. thanks for all the help.

I’m not an expert, but I have smelted in Duluth for about 15 years…dang has it been that long.

The start of the run is triggered by water temp.

The earliest I can remember was around the third week of April. The spring of ’97 I remember it being the 2nd week of May.

I don’t necessarily think it’s better during the rain, but the rain will help raise the water temperature. A good rain does get me excited.

Dip netting and seine nets both work. In the past 8 years, I’ve gone to strictly seine netting.

Here are your main smelting laws for MN water:

Quote:

---

Smelt may be taken night or day. Artificial lights may not be used to
lure or attract smelt. There is no limit on smelt, and smelt from Lake
Superior may be bought or sold. However, live smelt may not be
possessed or transported.
• Dip nets may be used for taking smelt. Minnow seines not more than 25
feet long or 4 feet deep may be used to take smelt in the St. Louis River
and in Lake Superior when more than 100 feet from the mouth of
any stream.

---

I hope that helps a little.

Sully

Good point!

I really wish IDA had a Field Staffer in the Duluth area that would report on the fishing around there. Sure is an area of opportunity.

I smelt every year. It usally starts the last 2 weeks in April and maybe into May. Depending on water temp, wind, and ice out. The best smelting in now takeing place with seine nets off Park Point in downtown Duluth. When there in there you can fill a cooler in two pulls. last year they ran hard in the Lester all day and night, but it lasted one day. I’ll post more on here when it gets shakin.

thanks for all the information. now with the sein nets. so if i were to go to the beach on the island, i forgot what it is called but that beach area on that island through the draw bridge, i can use as big of a sein net as i want right. it is not near the mouth of a river right. because i see people there with sein nets that are clearly longer than 25 ft.

thanks a lot for the information jimmy. with the minnow seines i was also wondering if you could use them in the rivers, for example lester river. if the net is less than 25 ft wide and 4 ft deep it should be valid right. and does anybody know where i can get a good seine for smelt? thanks.

IMO, these folks make the best net. H. Christiansen Co.

They designed a net just for smelting that has a flap on the bottom that prevents the smelt from escaping near the end of your pull.

It’s well worth the look.

Sully

Is there anywhere a guy could buy fresh, uncleaned smelt? I would like some for catfishing.

I live near duluth, i can maybe give you guys a heads up on the smelt run!!

I’ll post as soon as my buddies in the know who are lifelong residents here tell me its time to get after them. Some are “under employed” and are always on the ice/water/lake/river etc…Some of them I am not sure how they stay married.

Read the regulation book. But I think you need to be 100 yards from a creek or river mouth. The limit is 25 feet long I think. Thats what I use and it’s plenty long. The Christianson nets are the best but spendy. But I used the Frabill’s for years. I put decoy weights on the bottom so it would hug the bottom of the lake better.

I’ll give a holler here when the “time is right”…..not yet! Soon though.

I forgot! We have a FS person in that area!

Thanks Steve!

Im guessing it will be a lot like last year and about the 14th-19th it will get going. Anyone loking for fresh smelt can contact me and I will save you some.
Wade and Steve I had to post at least once when I saw you guys on here.

Good to see ya on IDA Northlander! We’ll have to get together this summer and do some fishing! Cya at Gander!

Hahahaha, Good to see you here Steve. Knowledge is a good thing, the more brains I can pick, the more fish I can catch. Hope to get out with you on the river sometime.

Ya Steve we need to hook up. Maybe the 3 of us should hit some of your old haunts. Either of yours old spots.

so has anybody attempted smelting yet. or has anybody seen any smelts yet? it is getting warmer

Haven’t heard of anybody out yet. Nobody looking for smelt nets at Gander yet. It’s easy to tell when the smelt are running…..everybody and their brother is asking for smelt nets!

a little early for smelt yet give it a week or two

No word yet….Still too cold. We are in a winter storm watch tomorrow with another 4-8 inches of snow coming. Spring just can’t come. I’ll keep people updated.

thanks for the info, i am really for you guys up theres update on the run.

At the rate the weather is going this year, the smelt run won;t be till opener, and opener will have to wait till the ice melts off the lakes in JUNE!

well the water is warmer now. if anybody tried smelting or heard of any smelting let us know on the results…

The water in the rivers and lake superior is still cold. REGARDLESS of the news story about it being 4.5 degrees warmer. The alarmists win again. 4.5 degrees warmer in 30 years of record keeping and the earth is how many Millions of yers old? Kinda like making one cast into mille lacs and if you don;t catch a fish saying it has no fish in it..

i was out testing the waters here in the twin cities and it was 58 degrees. what i wanted to know is the current tempature out there in the superior area. and has there been anybody smelting yet. cant wait for some action.

My buddies hit the Lester last night with…no luck. Still a lot of ice on the bay.

Sully

I think I am gonna try to dip a few stream mouths tonight. I’ll post results tomorrow.

well after all the rain i actually went out there on Saturday night and all that was caught was 5 smelts on the lester. but i have to say there was so much people there but only like five smelted. so, i think that i want to go again next weekend. it was warm out and the night was not so bad. i think if the run does not happen within the week it will be here forsure by the weekends. i tested the water temps and it was 44 degrees after the rain. i will post the results as i try again.

No luck here, but I was on a Southshore stream. Sorry, no thermometer so no temp report.