Smelt

[yette66]

I'm looking for a good place to go smelting. I know millsite lake has them but I don't know where or how deep they are. I'm looking for some help finding them

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[Dukdog]

I hope you have better luck getting info on smelting than I did over here in Maine!!

It's a secret society here and almost impossible to break into!! Took 10 years before someone felt sorry for me and took me under his wing!!

Sewed smelt is the A#1 salmon and trout bait here! It outfishes everything else!! Affectionately known a "Togue Candy"

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[ontherise]

Niagara river, art park

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[Kevin J Legg]

I've caught them in Milsite. I used 4 lb mono with a couple small gold hooks and a smallish Sweedish pimple to get to the bottom. Put a spike on the hooks for bait and use a light tip jip pole to see bites. I was fishing deep around 60-70'. Since I know the lake I knew where deep spots were and drilled numerous holes until I hit fish. Once found I fished two jigpoles and had decent action (guess I caught about 30) I haven't try it there in a few years but you're sparking my interest in trying. A graph would make it easier to find them but I was fishing blind but I am pretty familiar qith the lake structure.

[Sk8man]

Around here they are caught suspended at night through the ice  with lanterns next to the hole out deep with 2-4 lb test on light jigging poles with #12 gold hooks and spikes. If you put a couple or three spikes on you will catch them on just the spikes as their teeth get caught on them (the spikes) and it saves time getting back down after them without having to unhook them. Sometimes huge lakers will be in the mix so bring extra rigs They light up a flasher like a Christmas tree! We used to get tons of them with dip nets on Seneca and Canandaigua Lake tribs (among others) but they are pretty much history now....

Edited March 18, 2014 by Sk8man

[mhtrapper]

I have fished millsite myself also, fished around 70 fow about a 3/8 to 1/2 oz. pimple and as many as 5 little gold hooks for steelhead, was not uncommon to get 3 to5 smelt at a time. I have not been there in probably 8 years and live 15 min from there, a buddy of mine went there a couple weeks ago and filled a coffee can full with his cousin twomin just a few hours so it sounds like they still get them pretty good. Good luck

[Dukdog]

We dip them along the shore using lift nets on long handles. We use a mantle lamp to draw them in and when you get a charge of them over the net, you lift! We can take 2 quarts a day. Makes for a fun evening.

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[justtracytrolling]

My grandfather used to take me smelting on cayuga in the late 70's and early 80's.  I really loved roaming around in the tribs with a lantern and a net hunting for smelt.  We had slow nights for sure, but we limited out more often than not.  We loved eating them, but its been close to 20 years since ive had any.  Does anyone still do this?  

justin

[Kevin J Legg]

I use to do the same  on Seneca Tribs. Justin,  when I was at Hobart in the early 70's. It was fun and pretty productive. One spring I lived on stocked trout, smelt and a road kill deer!

[justtracytrolling]

Sounds like good living Kevin!  There was a time we picked up roadkill...when you needed 3 people per doe permit...now getting more deer than you can eat is easy.  

[Kevin J Legg]

I still try to get one a year if available as I haven't been as successful with the deer as in the past.

[yette66]

Kevin drive along route 3 you'll find them there lol

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