smelt dipping

[ARROW383]

does anybody have any good spots around the lower half of Michigan they care to share ?
my dad and i want to give it a shot, he used to go years ago, and i have never tried it,
so i was thinking it might be a fun weekend trip.
from what ive heard they dont run nearly as much as they used to but i would still like to give it a try.
if anything it will be a good excuse to get a early camping trip in.

[cam81]

does anybody have any good spots around the lower half of Michigan they care to share ?
my dad and i want to give it a shot, he used to go years ago, and i have never tried it,
so i was thinking it might be a fun weekend trip.
from what ive heard they dont run nearly as much as they used to but i would still like to give it a try.
if anything it will be a good excuse to get a early camping trip in.

I always had good luck at port sanilac but it has been years since i last dipped. Its best to find a peer with lights on it cause the light will attract plankton and the smelt will come in to feed on them. Good luck with a location its seems like they are not as thick as they used to be.

[2091]

My brother and I used to dip in the St. Clair River right under the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron.

My friend Ben is a Charter Captain out of Harbor Beach. He said Smelt numbers are rebounding nicely due to the collapse of the Lake Huron Salmon fishery.

He believes this may be the best Smelt season Lake Huron has seen in years!

[DHR racecars]

I thought smelt were our lil treat out here in the NW!!!!

[2091]

Canada's Pt. Pelee in Lake Erie used to get some legendary Smelt runs.

Now the best runs are found on Lake Superior tribuataries.

[Mod]

I thought smelt were our lil treat out here in the NW!!!!


Not this year,,the run up the Cowlitz river was nothing. guys were pulling maybe 10 smelt for a hr of dipping. they only opened the river for 2 days of dipping, 8 hrs each day, it was a circus.

2006 you could reach down and grab a handfull along the edge of the river. They ran in real close to the bank and up on top.

Back in the day (30+years ago),,1 swipe of the net and it was spilling over full. 1 dip of the net and you were limited out. done!

[BlkY2k]

Whoohoo smelt drinking, now theres some memories. Singing bridge by AuGres used to be real good.

[ARROW383]

Whoohoo smelt drinking, now theres some memories. Singing bridge by AuGres used to be real good.

my dad had said the same thing about the singing bridge, but it had been a long time since he has been there for smelt.
that might work out pretty well, if we start a port huron one night then move to port sanilac the next, and end up at the singing bridge.
i was kinda wanting to leave on a friday night after work and come back home on a monday.
when is a good time to start planning on giving it a try ?
i would think with the way the weather has been it should be getting pretty close for them to start running.
thanks for the suggestions :)

[2091]

Usually early to mid April...

I think 45 degree water temp is what triggers the run, but don't quote me on that...

[ARROW383]

any idea on how long they run for usually ?

[DHR racecars]

Not this year,,the run up the Cowlitz river was nothing. guys were pulling maybe 10 smelt for a hr of dipping. they only opened the river for 2 days of dipping, 8 hrs each day, it was a circus.

2006 you could reach down and grab a handfull along the edge of the river. They ran in real close to the bank and up on top.

Back in the day (30+years ago),,1 swipe of the net and it was spilling over full. 1 dip of the net and you were limited out. done!
Where are you from??
I live in LV.
about 10 min from the cowlitz;)

[2091]

any idea on how long they run for usually ?

It's usually pretty short. Only two weeks or so...

[2091]

From the MDNR website...

Each year, more than 250,00 Michigan anglers eagerly await the warm spring days and rainy evenings that trigger rainbow-smelt spawning runs. Like salmon, lake-dwelling smelt ascend tributary streams to spawn over gravel beds. Spawning runs begin in early spring, soon after the ice disappears, and extend over a 3-week period, as long as the temperatures stay in the low to mid--forties.

What you need...

During the spring spawning run, people dip-net them from the streams by the thousands, but remember, keep only those you intend to use. It's easy and it's fun. All you need is a valid Michigan fishing license, a net and bucket, some warm clothes, dry waders, a personal floatation device (life jacket) and a flashlight. In some areas, especially where the current is strong and the water is deep, a long-handled dip net comes in mighty handy.

When to go...

Depending on where you live or plan to travel, prime dipping season is mid-April to early May--earlier in the Lower Peninsula, later in the Upper Peninsula. Note that prolonged cold temperatures generally make for later smelt runs - ideal stream temps are 42-44 degrees. Precise predictions of just when and where the smelt will run are nearly impossible to make. And, as with all fishing endeavors, great success can't be guaranteed.

For more information about smelt, read the Fishing Guide. The Department of Natural Resources Fishing Report line is open 24/7 and will be reporting when the smelt are running. Call 517-373-0908. The best smelt-dipping hours are between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. each night as the smelt spawn.


Hit this link for Michigan Smelt Dipping Location Tips ------> http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Smelt_17565_7.pdf

[ARROW383]

well it kinda looks like it will just be pure luck if we happen to pick the right weekend to give it a try.
but even if we dont get anything it will still be a fun trip.
thanks to everybody for all the help.

[2091]

Yeah, seriously!

I was looking at some fishing message boards and many people are saying it's usually just one good night all year - if at all!

...and of course it'll be 'last night'!

[ARROW383]

well were going to give it a shot this weekend, sounds like the weather will be great so that will be nice.
were going to try by the singing bridge in tawas .
even if the smelt aren't running im thinking we will get to do some regular fishing.
i will let you all know how it goes :)

[ARROW383]

well no luck, got up there late Friday and gave it a shot, and didn't get anything.
then the weather got real cold and windy Saturday night so we decided to not go out that night.
stopped at a little market and the lady there said they haven't gotten much in a few years there.
oh' well it was something to do for the weekend.
it did look like they were catching some perch off the pier in town but it was really windy and cold so we passed on that also