smelting?

[Xplorer]

dougger222 wrote:

Although I own 4 properties in Wisconsin my residency is Minnesota. In the next few years planning to move into our lake home. My smelting partner who lives in Wisconsin sells them. What other information do you need? I’m guessing you would love cordinances, LOL!

What we do is 100% legal. Someone asked what we do with them, answer sell them, pretty straight forward!

No coordinates needed, I’ve smelted from Hurley to Duluth since 1986. If a person cant find smelt living up here they really are not trying at all LOL.

Technically, according to a friend who is a WI DNR CO, you are breaking the law. Any smelt that you assist in harvesting cannot be sold since you are a non-resident. With that being said, i see no way that there would be a snowballs chance in heck that you’d get caught unless they monitored your whole group from seining to selling, which would be a huge undertaking.

But whatever, the run is on here in Duluth. Wind is calm at the moment so I’d assume there will be tons of folks seining/dipping tonight. Should be a good week overall, no big winds predicted at the moment. Come gettum while they last.

Xplorer

[dougger222]

That’s interesting about the helping thing, never heard of that “rule”. I’ll have to ask around on that. The last thing i would want is to end up in jail over smelt! I’ve found it strange over the years how you hear different things from different DNR.
The same seems to be true of CVI officers.

Sounds like last night was real good on park point as one group got around 1,000 lbs.

My cousin is up there now with the little 25ft purse sein. Sounds like a super nice night. Having smelted 5 nights already this season gonna stay home. If the weather holds out should last a few more days.

[Nick14zup]

Did 2 pulls and got 5 gallons last night that’s all we needed to take could’ve filled a truck bed if you wanted to last night.

[Xplorer]

Yup, the peepers are out in force and the wind is pretty calm.
I expect alot of smelt to come off the point tonight ” title=”” class=”bbcode_smiley” />

My buddy (been a CO since late 80’s) said that basically the law is written that any smelt a nonres hauls can only be used personally per the way the law is written, he said no selling, bartering, trading etc…..however he also said that it is pretty much an unenforcable one. As in your case, if one person in a group is a WI resident and they take all the smelt and sell them, the only way the DNR could make a case was to watch your group from the seining of the smelt to the actual sale, and then establishing that some of the participants were not WI residents. Longshot doesnt even begin to describe the odds, but saying you guys do things 100% legal is not accurate either.

Its alot of work to get the #’s you do, you guys earn every penney thats for sure. Happy smelting, and may the Christiansen be with you ” title=”” class=”bbcode_smiley” />

Xplorer

[dougger222]

Well my cousin won’t answer his phone so guessing he’s up to his eye balls in smelt!

Seems last few years have been getting better in the Duluth area for smelting.

Xplorer, you going to get in on the action? I’m going to try my hardest to get up tomorrow night. These smelt are legal game!!!

[Xplorer]

Betting they did really well last night.
Was an awesome sunrise over the big lake this morning, flat calm.

I’ve got all the smelt I need for the year so good there, might be out trolling the point tomorrow am. I’m actually contemplating taking a flyer and maybe trolling tonight, before and after dark while the smelt are running. I’ve always wondered if the salmon and lakers that run up in the shallows at night would hit. Maybe just too much natural chow to hit a stickbait, but I’m curious. We’ll see.

Right now its showing 8 outta the ENE for sundown, and the same ENE at 10-15 for tomorrow.

Have a good one if you come up, if you see running iights on the water that’ll be me trolling the 8′ contour ” title=”” class=”bbcode_smiley” />

Xplorer

[Anonymous]

Xplorer wrote:
Betting they did really well last night.
Was an awesome sunrise over the big lake this morning, flat calm.

I’ve got all the smelt I need for the year so good there, might be out trolling the point tomorrow am. I’m actually contemplating taking a flyer and maybe trolling tonight, before and after dark while the smelt are running. I’ve always wondered if the salmon and lakers that run up in the shallows at night would hit. Maybe just too much natural chow to hit a stickbait, but I’m curious. We’ll see.

Right now its showing 8 outta the ENE for sundown, and the same ENE at 10-15 for tomorrow.

Have a good one if you come up, if you see running iights on the water that’ll be me trolling the 8′ contour ” title=”” class=”bbcode_smiley” />

I have heard that artificials don’t even have a chance when the smelt r in the shallows…at least that’s what the guys trolling the point the other afternoon said…they also said that before the smelt start to run at all the shallow bite is great

[Reinhard]

They are still catching coho out there. Daylight hours are producing. Don’t know about night time trolling. good luck.

http://www.sausageheavenoutdoors.com

Die young as old as possible.

[Xplorer]

The evening was just too nice at home so I ended up BB queuing and having a fire in the fire pit instead. Doing a smelt fry for the family tonight. Hope you guys that came up did well. I’m out of town for the weekend so done for the year. Will be back on the big lake next week trolling.

Xplorer

[Anonymous]

I heard the waves were interesting on the point last night…the guys that lasted a little bit got em but they did get wet

[Nick14zup]

Any predictions on when the smelt will start to run? My guess would be opening of fishing, and its gonna be in the rivers. Its gonna be tough to get on park point with 10-15ft of ice on it

[Oldstar]

Any word on the smelt? heard a few good reports.

[broman]

I was netting the Lester last night. I ended up with about a gallon. But this was my first trip ever. One guy had his 5 gallons in 20 minutes. I didn’t see anyone raking in net fulls. But some were doing better than me. Whatever you do don’t ever buy the Frabill smelt nets off of Amazon. The netting ripped and then the handle bent. I had to break the head off and use that.

[broman]

I was netting the Lester last night. I ended up with about a gallon. But this was my first trip ever. One guy had his 5 gallons in 20 minutes. I didn’t see anyone raking in net fulls. But some were doing better than me. Whatever you do don’t ever buy the Frabill smelt nets off of Amazon. The netting ripped and then the handle bent. I had to break the head off and use that.

[Oldstar]

Pretty quiet. Sounds like the run is on but the beach is frozen still. I might try my luck Saturday. I did well up there years past….

[Author]

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