SMELT FISHING in Lake Superior (HUGE NETS FULL)

Рет қаралды 69,355

5 жыл бұрын

We decided to do something completely different this week and do some smelting! For those of you who haven't smelted, or don't know what it is, then this this is an awesome episode for you to check out! Smelting is a Wisconsin tradition that has been going on a long time. We join our good friend, Tommy Hicks of Beyond the Catch, and he takes us to do some salmon fishing, as well! You Don't Want To Miss It!!!
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Пікірлер: 132

@kentuuri8272 5 жыл бұрын

Can’t beat a Smelt battered in Tempura and dipped in seafood sauce👌🏻

@johnhelms8226 2 ай бұрын

Good pulls, boys! Never waste a good smelt!

@kenwindsoron1399 2 жыл бұрын

Again you never disappoint Larry ❤️🙏🏼🇨🇦🇨🇦

@LarrySmithOutdoors 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks buddy! We couldn't do it without you

@koolwaters99 4 жыл бұрын

Thats a lot of smelt! always good to limit your harvest so these runs continue for years to come.

@alexfamie5255 4 жыл бұрын

It looked like a few plates no doubt. But I remember my dad bringing garbage bags half full of smelt! So much good eating!

@chaosofpeace5150 4 жыл бұрын

There's is a limit. It's in the gallons/person

@joshogdan8498 3 жыл бұрын

@@chaosofpeace5150 Minnesota= no limit and open season at this time.

@tylerbennett190 3 жыл бұрын

Haha u must not go smelting never get rid of them omg what a comment

@joshogdan8498 3 жыл бұрын

@@tylerbennett190 Out in Maine sure, not yet for freshwater smelt... In Maine by dip net I think it was a few quarts when allowed. Pretty excited to be able to get sick of the amount I can keep. I won't.

@rogerbeaird3320 9 ай бұрын

Great video thanks guys looking forward to coming smelting this spring great information and contents

@JesusReyes-nj2ge 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome! That reminds me of when I was a child!📡😎👍👍🐟☺

@LarrySmithOutdoors 3 жыл бұрын

Very cool!! Thanks for watching!

@Jazz1959 Жыл бұрын

They say not to eat a lot of them now due to high levels in the smelt. I use to smelt in my younger years.

@adrianalvarez8865 4 жыл бұрын

Best we did on 79th st Lake Michigan Chicago was 5- 5 gallon buckets 1978-79 Long time ago, We ran out of buckets Thank God! Cleaning Smelt for 5 Hrs. with 5-6 people.... I heard they don't run in Chicago anymore!

@GreybeardAdventures Жыл бұрын

Great smelt catch guys! Thanks for sharing.

@LarrySmithOutdoors Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@guyserenko1354 5 жыл бұрын

Very cool show great stuff yum!

@danny88dh 3 жыл бұрын

OMG! what a haul! Thats crazy

@LarrySmithOutdoors 3 жыл бұрын

RIGHT!??! What a fun day!

@shawngleason1345 3 жыл бұрын

Live in Massachusetts now but glad to see they're coming back!

@LarrySmithOutdoors 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching!!

@jonathanboerema2872 4 жыл бұрын

I hope we are aloud to do this. These year .

@kencarr2998 2 жыл бұрын

We had a little net Guys like these two filled por washtub So great

@LarrySmithOutdoors 2 жыл бұрын

No doubt Ken

@joeblow9568 4 жыл бұрын

My dad and friends would do this on the Mn Side of superior in the early 70s. I was too young to go with but I recall a large chest freezer half full of ice cream pails and half gallon butter tubs in our basement. I am guessing they had some good pulls back then if that was his share of the smelt.

@LarrySmithOutdoors 4 жыл бұрын

Thats some killer pulls!

@shawngleason1345 3 жыл бұрын

Used to go with my father early 70's can remember going home with 33gal garbage can full. Used to hand them out to anybody in town that wanted some and froze the rest. Good ole days

@ZenBJJ10p Жыл бұрын

@@shawngleason1345 maybe if people didn’t over harvest and waste back then, the good ole days would still be had 😉

@shawngleason1345 Жыл бұрын

@@ZenBJJ10p There's several articles on the history of the Trout smelt available online you should read a few you won't find any mention of the disappearance of the smelt being blamed on the fishing done.

@ZenBJJ10p Жыл бұрын

@@shawngleason1345 I’ve read plenty of articles on the subject. Changes in diet, environment, zebra mussels, thriving lake trout populations all play a role. But you’d be completely off base to suggest the truck loads and truck loads people used to take just to fertilize their gardens, give to neighbors, and let go to waste didn’t play a role in their population downfall. This isn’t speculation it’s a fact and any fisheries biologist will tell you the same thing.

@gregoryhunts3006 3 жыл бұрын

I haven't been smelting there since the early 90s. Always use to keep a bunch frozen for big northern on tip ups. I wouldn't mind a few hundred, but I wouldn't want to ever clean a 106qt cooler full.. I remember as a kid bringing home bucket's and bucket's full of em from under the Hoan Bridge. Like to eat a few but hated cleaning them.

@LarrySmithOutdoors 3 жыл бұрын

Very cool! Definitely delicious!

@dvredleg9622 4 жыл бұрын

Holy sh*t! Man that’s crazy. We’re only allowed 10lbs per person and dip net. First time we’ve had a dip was this year since 2007!

@janathanboerema7564 5 жыл бұрын

I got to do this for the first time in Michigan where I live this year all the older guy said it was the first time in 21 years when they ran it was so much fun I just thought it was comical also a bunch of . Growin in men getting super excited catching minnows LOL.

@MsMonica1724 3 жыл бұрын

Back in the late 1970’s we (about 5 cars) would drive from Detroit to Pt. Pelee around the end of March I believe when the smelts were running (up stream to lay their eggs; or is it down stream?) and with one large net my dad and cousin would pull in hundreds of smelts in least than 1/2 hour. We would have at least 10 large garbage bags of smelts.

@LarrySmithOutdoors 3 жыл бұрын

wow!

@practicaliching2311 10 ай бұрын

It's up stream. Like salmon. Smelt are related to salmon.

@michaelkirkham1410 4 жыл бұрын

So tasty. If anyone knows of a run in the Ottawa area get back to me.

@kencarr2998 2 жыл бұрын

We did this every year when a kid lake erie Great to eat

@LarrySmithOutdoors 2 жыл бұрын

Yes indeed

@deadpoolcane5255 4 жыл бұрын

Cool

@webb-cast1030 3 жыл бұрын

There should be an agreement between Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ontario, Canada on smelt fishing. They CAN be wiped out. Smelt haven't ran in any numbers in the Marquette, Mi area for over 30 years due to overfishing. Some South shore tributaries East and West of Marquette have small runs, but the "good ol' days" are long over. Over harvest plain and simple. Marquette has the biggest population and it's not a coinsedence that smelt disapeared here first. Overall the dipping in the entire UP is very poor. I worked at the Gander Mountain in Marquette for 15 years until they went bankrupt. I can't tell you how many times I overheard Older guys saying things like "We used to fill the back of our pickups every year with smelt. We would sell 'em to mink farms, fertilize our gardens with them." Then there would be a pause and one of them would say "I can't figure out why there's not any smelt running anymore!" Geez I wonder why?

@craignelson6560 3 жыл бұрын

Since they are considered a non-native invasive species some states don't care how many you take as long as you don't waste them.

@webb-cast1030 3 жыл бұрын

@@craignelson6560 That makes no sense. Coho salmon, chinook salmon, rainbow trout, brown trout, and splake are not native to the Great Lakes either. But all of the states care how many you take. Smelt were tranplanted from Maine just before WWI to the Great Lakes to provide forage for game fish. They are needed to maintain the above listed non-native sport fish. I was just pointing out that they can and have been overfished in many parts of the Great Lakes. If they continue to be fished unchecked in the West end of Lake Superior, the same thing is going to happen there as it did here on the South shore.

@craignelson6560 3 жыл бұрын

@@webb-cast1030 All of those sport fish species were intentionally released by the various states and provinces. Smelt eat the eggs and young of these species that is why there is no limit in many places.

@webb-cast1030 3 жыл бұрын

@@craignelson6560 Smelt were intentionally released as well. All of the above species also eat eggs and young of other species. I've caught more rainbows on spawn than any other bait. The bottom line is that if smelt continue to be over harvested, it won't be good for sport fish. There is a reason the MI DNR put a 2 gal limit on smelt. And by the way, the MI DNR is the reason for the coho fishery in Lake Superior. Minnesota, Ontario, and Wisconsin didn't come on board with coho planting. But the anglers from those states and their respective State Agencies benefit from those fish. Sport fish need something to eat, and in many cases it's smelt.

@webb-cast1030 3 жыл бұрын

Edit: Minnesota did plant some cohos between 1969 and 1974. Ontario did between 1969 and 1971.

@offensivejerk 4 жыл бұрын

Anyone know if the schmelt are back in Wisconsin?

@RRRIBEYE 4 жыл бұрын

What's that game you guys were playing at the end of the video there? And how's the schmeltin' 2020 going? I'm guessing "HERE THEY COME!" is going on right about now! (4/25/20)

@kencarr2998 2 жыл бұрын

We for greatful

@LarrySmithOutdoors 2 жыл бұрын

🙌🙌🙌

@bdis89 Жыл бұрын

Joe Rohan brought me here

@kenjr9396 5 жыл бұрын

Never tried them. Sure look good though!!!

@29sentz 3 жыл бұрын

They are a delicacy up here. A requirement practically in late March. No better small fish to batter and fry that I can think of. Melt in your mouth.

@OutdoorsygalO 5 жыл бұрын

I can’t believe you ate a raw smelt head....🤢 We sure miss the smelt run in Lake Simcoe 😕 The hauls were amazing many years ago, but we had a big temperature fluctuation die off in the 1990’s, and of course cormorants didn’t help either. We watched the whole video, gave you a LIKE 👍🏻 And also sent you a “U-boat” or “long sandwich.” LOL! 😉. Tight lines eh?

@tedstriker9772 5 жыл бұрын

I haven't heard them pronounced as "schmelt" since I lived in Wisconsin.

@stanford2444 5 жыл бұрын

At least he didn't mispronounce Chequamegon again.

@drtdbbt2588 5 жыл бұрын

That's because it didn't show all the empty cans of Schmitt Beer laying around the fire and shoreline that Larry drank that night!!!

@joshogdan8498 3 жыл бұрын

That's what we call the native sea run smelt back home in Maine

@charlesly3270 3 ай бұрын

What time is a good time to go

@foodreview3187 Жыл бұрын

Do u know any lake or river that has smelting that is near Saint Paul I’m willing to drive about 2-3 hrs. Duluth kinda far. Thanks

@LarrySmithOutdoors Жыл бұрын

Not sure

@markstuut4024 6 ай бұрын

What time of year?

@chrislaprise398 2 жыл бұрын

Leave some for the fish, eh?

@LarrySmithOutdoors 2 жыл бұрын

We did?

@chrislaprise398 2 жыл бұрын

@@LarrySmithOutdoors so you are questioning it?

@chrislaprise398 2 жыл бұрын

@@LarrySmithOutdoors saying you will give them to friends and family...most would not be possible if you don’t clean the thousand or more you caught, freeze them and deliver them before they went bad. It happens too often. I’ve seen it too many times back in the day when there were many more smelt than now.

@LarrySmithOutdoors 2 жыл бұрын

@@chrislaprise398 Well Chris I love to eat smelt as much as any fish in the lake, I guess I'll have to wrestle a lake trout next time!

@chrislaprise398 2 жыл бұрын

@@LarrySmithOutdoors Can't blame ya for liking smelt! Lakers would be okay.

@imnotimportant 5 жыл бұрын

Ever get any fry/fingerlings from other fish up shallow like that at night? Small walleye or bass or something

@Brandon-xx2vt 5 жыл бұрын

People get other fish in the net but can't keep them

@imnotimportant 5 жыл бұрын

@@Brandon-xx2vt but they didnt even check, just dump into coolers.. if there was a small "other" fish in there, how would they know?

@Brandon-xx2vt 5 жыл бұрын

Because you can see if there was or not due to the size difference and body shape which stands out compared to smelt, i could see that there wasnt just by watching the video.

@RRRIBEYE 4 жыл бұрын

Nope!

@tylerbennett190 3 жыл бұрын

We eat them whole no cleaning required

@LarrySmithOutdoors 3 жыл бұрын

YUM! 🤤

@markstuut4024 6 ай бұрын

What is the limit?

@jamessowash2006 4 жыл бұрын

No Limit?

@gerardhaubert8210 4 жыл бұрын

Can these be freeze dried. They make great walleye bait but get soft

@FeldwebelWolfenstool 3 жыл бұрын

Using smelt for bait has permanently ruined a LOT of Lake Trout lakes in N.Ontario. That's why it is banned.

@MightyMarioBros378 3 жыл бұрын

@@FeldwebelWolfenstool what if this guy lives in the States Side of lake Superior?

@porkypig26 5 жыл бұрын

Can you invite me next time???! Minus biting the head off. I wanna go!!

@LarrySmithOutdoors 5 жыл бұрын

Biting the head off is the best part!

@markstuut4024 3 жыл бұрын

How many times lift the net ,on to the cleaning

@LarrySmithOutdoors 2 жыл бұрын

Depends

@mohammedchowdhury6101 3 жыл бұрын

Could you please suggest what is the best time to catch smelt fishes in such big sizes?

@LarrySmithOutdoors 3 жыл бұрын

We catch them in spring!

@luzvimindawarmanen2097 3 жыл бұрын

Where this place

@LarrySmithOutdoors 3 жыл бұрын

🤫 🤫 🤫

@elifaber40 5 жыл бұрын

Shmelt

@pahanin2480 4 жыл бұрын

That’s not smelt. Those are Muskie shiners

@larrabeejl 5 ай бұрын

People overharvest and then wonder why the population is down. I heard people taking multiple buckets in one night and then going back the next night.

@bidencrimefamily2484 5 жыл бұрын

Why do you need so many???

@wishiniwasfishin8164 5 жыл бұрын

Because the people that go there are greedy, I've seen people leave there with coolers upon coolers full of them. They fight shoulder to shoulder for these little things. Most of them burn pallets and leave beer cans around on the beach or bust the glass beer bottles on the rocks so the kids that visit the beach in the summer cut their feet.

@Brandon-xx2vt 5 жыл бұрын

They are an invasive species so they can take all they want, some people are litterbugs but not everyone. He paints a hateful picture but unfortunately there is some people like that.

@RRRIBEYE 4 жыл бұрын

We go up with our friends at the Izaac Walton League and we'll get several large coolers full and then we pack them on ice and drive home and everyone back home who couldn't go know that our annual big schmelt-fry is going to be soon and we'll have 150-250 people show up to the lodge and it's always the same story - "I wish there was more!!" It's kindof like morel mushrooms. Those are going to be popping here real soon too. Get'm while you can. It's a seasonal treat!

@RRRIBEYE 4 жыл бұрын

@My American So...you gearing up for your boy-Biden to get his ass handed to him Nov. 3rd!? (and you really should learn how to spell. Makes you look oh, about as 'intelligent' as you no doubt are).

@alexfamie5255 4 жыл бұрын

These fish are at best 5 inches mabey 6? How many bites you think just 1 smelt is? I'd guess about 2. So a fry with 100 smelt is average for a dinner. There really no bigger than a french fry.

@chrislaprise398 2 жыл бұрын

C’mon guys, you have enough.

@LarrySmithOutdoors 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Chris

@joshborgen4880 5 жыл бұрын

Right when our population gets better let’s advertise it for someone to make 300 bucks on a video. Just like when I was a kid people would fill the backs of trucks and then they were scarce, resulted in bad fishing all around. Here we go again

@nex7671 5 жыл бұрын

First

@IndoorHydroponix 2 жыл бұрын

This is just ridiculous. One or two big pulls would have been enough for a few meals. That’s all you need. Don’t be harvesting as a nice guys for all your friends and family. Harvest enough for your family and let the smelt reproduce. This is exactly why you can’t catch a smelt in Tawas or Grand Haven anymore. In the 80’s you could walk on the smelt across the water. Now there isn’t one. Guys would go night after night catching so many. I know guys that caught so many that they sat in chest freezers for many years. So much waste!

@LarrySmithOutdoors 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your insight