Smelting

[masterp]

Here is some good info from up north - Maine. Average temp last ten days in the single digits. Fishing has been great though. I went smelt fishing in Meerymmeting bay and caught 80 smelts last Thusday night. My partner caught 150 in the same cabin. For you southern boys smelts are herrings in the 6" to 12" range coming up into the tributaries to spawn. We fish for them in smelting camps we rent from an outfitter such as Tad Hunter - Topsham, Maine. He has the camp fired up for us and provides enough wood (for the wood stove) and bait for the day or night (depending on what tide you fish). We fish through a rectangular hole on one or both sides of the cabin known as a race hole. The cabins are rigged with hand lines which are baited with small pieces of blood worms. The pace can get fast and furious when they are running or down right boring when they're not.

 

[JB]

Re: Smelting

Ah, Yes, MasterP. I am familiar with smelting.<br /><br />You get the ore hot enough and the metal melts and runs out into the crucible. Right??<br /><br />I have been smelting on the Lake Superior north shore when they come in to spawn. Then we did it with dip nets, and measured the catch by the barrel.<br /><br />I can't forget the fragrance of deep frying smelt that carries for miles.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Smelting

JB has it right. Superior or Michigan, truckloads of smelt. We watched as 300 fisherman were getting cold on the breakwater one night. We decided not to join them as their buckets were empty. We walked into 2 feet of water on the pea gravel beach and were pulling up 3 gallons at a time with a 6x6 dip net. They were so thick that you could feel waves of them pushing on your waders. Had 60 gallons of smelt in an hour. Then drove out to the throngs to show 'em what they missed out on. <br /><br />We helped 2 guys get their seine onto the beach, they filled 2, 34 quart coolers in opne pull. Its hard to hit the spawn just at the peak, but if you do, you'll be cleanin fish for 3 days.

 

[RIStriperFisherman]

Re: Smelting

ANY SMELT IN RHODE ISLAND AREA?? i got cabin fever, need to fish! <br /><br />how big do Smelt get? what do they go after? I am just a striped-bass, Fluke and bluefish fisherman. i have no idea what a 'Smelt' is. LOL. are they salt or freshwater fish?<br /><br />Sounds like fun on Ultra light taclkle<br /><br />tight lines<br />mike

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: Smelting

When the herring runs would come in on the <br />west coast, we would collect them with rakes,<br />from small boats . Herring rakes are long wooden<br />poles with spikes like a comb, raked through<br />the schools of fish.

 

[masterp]

Re: Smelting

Sorry guys - I haven't been that deep in smelt up here, but it sure is fun. I rig some of them and freeze them with the hooks on to go after landlocked salmon. Has anyone used a sewn on smelt for stripper fishing?