Deaf Fisherman

bill - I think the reason why smelts don't quite catch that amount of fish during the day is that is when big fish are awake. Then in search of foods in which it is smelts. However, during the night time, most of big fish are sleep. Therefore, smelts are come up in search for foods. Maybe I am wrong about this but that is what I am sure about it so far.

Oh yeah, fishing is little slow but if we found right spot, it will be hot day of fishing for everyone. Hopefully, in the end of day, we will get elbow injury. It is sign of good fishing.. We should get together on this Saturday evening, so we can jigging for lakers for couple hours. when it is get dark, we can go smelt fishing! It should be fun! Who want to go there?

Yeah, I did have hut with me but I discovered that I had two broken sticks so I can't set up hut. I have 4 man hut. But I need to find the replaces. I don't know when I can do that. Yeah, it is totally freezing but lucky me, I always prepared for it. I had two sweatshirt under my big black jacket along with short under the two sweatpants. That's probably explain why I look like huge person out there. Plus, I have that hand warmer packets. Also, I live in Rochester. Yeah, I would love to jigging for lakers! I already have smelts and lakers fever now. Only thinking when I can go out again from work and college. This week is week 9th. Since my school have quarter system, not semester. Therefore, it will be busy until end of February. But I was hoping to go out again this Thursday night. Then on Saturday, I'm inviting couple of my friends that had no inexperience of ice fishing for trout.

I went fishing with bloodshot. After he explained me how to catch them and where they are at fow out 25 fow. After couple of minutes of waiting, on my 20 minutes, boom, first smelt! I got excite for it. I learned how to pull rod lightly when smelt hit. Since I was used to have "monster hit" and pulled rod hard to get good hook on fish. Next hour, my line was off hook! but only managed 5 smelts because I fumbled them all just right out of water then they fell off back into water! bloodshot comes up to check on me to make sure I have right hook/bait for smelts. He already caught tons of them. Suddenly, my action was just beginning! for last 30 minutes, managed to keep another 25 smelts! Most fun part was caught 3 smelts on 3 hooks for four times in row! Right now, they are storage in my freezer until I get all things for recipe from bloodshot and slimyfish. Unfortunately, I had to leave early because accident spilled whole spikes box into hole but managed get plastic box back with only 3 spikes left. I used it all then left. This is not bad for only two hours of fishing! This is wicked addict smelt fishing! They are continue hitting spikes everytime I dropped a line. It is little hard to feel them to hit a line but it was great! Thanks bloodshot, you really help me out. We gotta go out there again! Keep contact me about when you want to go out again since I might willing to go. Also, hows did you do? p.s. slimyfish, Thanks for advice on 18 size hooks! It is really work!

bloodshot - this is sound like good to eat it. I might give it a try on this one and slimyfish's recipe too.

bloodshot - allright, I might can make it on Monday night. I'll attempt to arrive there before 7pm. one more thing, how can I know it is you when I got there? any kind of ID that I might able to recognize such as hut or something? or simply give me, your text number in PM so I can give text ya when I get there?

slimyfish - haha! I never tried taste smelts before. until I told my parent about that story that happened at yesterday and my parent said they was delicious so I might try one. Your recipe sound good! I guess I have to go out again sometimes this week to attempt catch smelts. Hopefully it will be good like everyone who targeting them. I will let you know if I like it or not.

bloodshot - Yeah, this is what I planned to do sometimes this week since I live 2-3 minutes away from Gander MTN. Hopefully, I can find some hooks like you told me. I'm definitely knowing that I am hooked on smelts fishing but that first day of smelts fishing, already made me doubting about it. But after lifetime of fishing experience, I knew it is part of fishing game! there are up and down days of fishing. I cannot complain about it since it is my first time. Targeting on trout program, I learned lot things from simply watch them after them on jigging and tipups on same time. I will attempt go after them again this Saturday if it is possible for me to get out of work on that day. From what I saw, most of them line up 5 tipups on from nearby shore to 80 FOW but everyone was put out line between 10-20 FOW each tipup. then pick a hole to jigging for them. They was using fathead or perch shiners to after them. I wondering if few smelts on tipups will be working? if it is effective. This method that I might will try them out. Anyway, when are you being available to go out again? I might be available on Tuesday-Thursday night. If it is, just PM me to met you at there. I will let you know if I could go or not.

Sean Youngblood - Yeah, I realized that since I was using 3 pound line. sound idiotic to targeting them. But hey, it is so fun to have longer battle with them if you can keep them on line. But yeah, this is my mistake. I was using two heavy action rods with 3 pounds line for smelts however, I am still using them as bass/pike on ice fishing. Trout is add up on that list. I might using 10 pounds line for them when I have the chance to go out again. Also, I saw couple fisherman has gaff but I always grew up hating using the gaff. After saw many people using gaff to catch many fish that are small then released back into water with hole dotted on their bodies. But it is still good advice for anyone who want keep trout for dinner. Thanks. I am more of catch and release fisherman. or you can say, doing the CPR until I feel I want to have the dinner then I'll kept one or two.

Captain Vince Pierleoni - Thanks!

slimyfish - Yeah! I was wicked exciting when caught one! Now, I'm working on rainbow because I never caught one in my lifetime. Maybe it will be another cool post if i caught one.. Also, I am no expert on fly fishing stuff but still hang on the learning curve. Anyway, have any idea on how can I tell the 18-20 fly hook? Since small hook seems like same to me. so any ideas?

bloodshot - Yeah those four smelts was caught bottom of lake. unsure what FOW is. but I assume it was between 25-50 feet deep. Since this lake seem smaller than I was originally thought when I saw the map from google to tell me graph for depth of lake. This is probably my small mistake. that might be huge deal but maybe it is not big deal. Anyway, I was fishing right out of north boat launch and walk straight to left. probably walk down around 50 feet down or so. then work it up to north. I moved 15 feet away from each hole I made. End up where another person arrive at same spot where I was still fishing at. then that person caught two lakers before I decide to switch the laker program.

I just went smelt fishing this morning, 3am-9am, I saw tons of them surface below the ice but very difficult to get hooked even I had smallest hook on spike. But managed get 4 of them. It is my first time to caught the smelt! Somehow, all smelts was gone in matter of seconds. I realized that there is bigger fish around so I used smelts as bait, boom boom boom, three smallmouth bass in row before I lost my fourth smelt. This is my first time to caught them through ice again! Then at 7am, switched to trout program, lost 4 of them right before hit the ice. One trout was close to ice and it was around 25 incher, however, it kept screaming my reel for couple of times then somehow, my reel was disassemble down and cause the broke line! If one of you guys found a laker with a hook on it, it is probably mine. Lucky, I have another extra rod/reel on me, next cast, I caught 18incher laker! First time through on ice! :beer: for me to finally to able cross off my mini fishing bucket list for smelts, smallmouth bass, and trout through ice.

Dude, you need to take me out sometime this week! I found that spot where you was talking about it but I need to learn how to strike it right or maybe I have wrong hook size for smelts. I just went smelt fishing this morning, 3am-9am, I saw tons of them surface below the ice but very difficult to get hooked even I had smallest hook on spike. But managed get 4 of them. It is my first time to caught the smelt! I hope that you might able to tell what I might did wrong on this one when we get together sometime soon.

Nice fish!

Is there any way of posting that photo on that record walleye or sturgeon that been caught? must be very great fishing day for them!

Yeah, I know! I saw those like couple weeks ago. I don't even understand why people kept allow the trawlers to catch striper bass. They are quite easy catch as largemouth bass in lake or ponds except it is at ocean. I mean, it is not that hard to catch that amount of striper bass for commercial quota on rod/reel method.

I am one of those commercial fishermen, we normally caught max 30 fish that equal between 450-550 pounds on average. Therefore, this losses of 6,000 pounds could be hurt for between 12-15 hard-work fisherman. Its really big number.

This person already made tons of commercial fishermen looking bad for next year with extra lower day pay their catches. I wondering what they will response something like this? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 05531.html what's your thoughts? This is makes me . I do enjoying to catch them. However, if I don't need to keep them, I tend to released them back.

Blood shot - I will be definitely up at next weekend to fish there. Maybe I tag along with you so we can have blast time to jiggin for them! Since I never attempt to go fishing after smelts. So your first time experience already made me drooling over it. I hope I could have that same feeling when I can go out there at next weekend.. If you want to discussing something or talking to me, shoot me a PM.

bloodshot - I will be down there at saturday night but just curious, how can i find the 25 fow? since i dont have any kind of electronics for it.. is it easy to find or need to have electronic to find the fow?