# Smelt?



## JohnnyT

Hello all. New to this site but figured it might be a good place to track runs here in eastern up. Just got the truck camper prepped for this years season. Keeping a good eye on the south(huron) to start with, was just wondering if you guys post vaguely with info or try to keep it secret. I don't want to step on any toes. Thanks and good luck to all.


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## Wardo

I don't know about on here, but when they're running everyone in the UP seems to know right away! Should be pretty soon if it warms up this week like they say it will!


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## osmerus

Ya....The Carp river is still iced in, and it goes a ways out. I would imagine that the ice "should" blow out sometime early next week. The forecast is for highs in the 40's and possible 50's by wed. Still some snow to melt, lots of snow still in the woods. Plus the wind is going to be out of the North and east for the next few days.

Mid to Late next week and they "should" start to run.


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## JohnnyT

Yep. A good warm rain would come in handy. I'm laid off right now so I hate this in between season. Nothing to do but wait for the smelt. Then maybe I can get the boat out.


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## fish_skeered

im hopin they run before school gets out


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## tbbassdaddy

Hi Johnny!!! Welcome to the site!

People are pretty good about letting folks know their success, but don't post creek / river names specifically. Private messages are used mainly for that. We'll be up on the EUP in a couple weeks.

Good luck!
tb


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## JohnnyT

Half gallon last night, going back out tonight. Should be a good night as warm as it was today. Going to try a couple creeks/rivers off of lake huron.


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## Wardo

It was still slow last night. With the weather how it is going to be this week, I'm not sure there will be a good rush. It might just be slow and steady for a few nights in a row.


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## JohnnyT

Got a good gallon last night, would of got more but I got drunk and fell in. It happens.


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## upmounty

JohnnyT said:


> Got a good gallon last night, would of got more but I got drunk and fell in. It happens.


 
looks like you had a blast


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## duxdog

Smelt drinking. Haven't done that in a few years. Sounds like fun. Send me about 25 I'll get the grease hot! Mmmmmmmm.


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## tbbassdaddy

JohnnyT said:


> Got a good gallon last night, would of got more but I got drunk and fell in. It happens.


:lol:

I had a buddy of mine do something similar... He had been well lubed into the smelt drinkin', and had his bucket strapped over his shoulder with smelt and water...

He dropped a smelt on the side of the creek... well, he got a shower after and really worked at keeping his catch... Still laugh at that scene!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Keep it up Johnny!!
tb


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## JohnnyT

Yep, we have a special spot but you have to walk across the river. Its got to be really funny watching 3 of us try to cross when the water is two inches below are waders. Then we have to come back holding our buckets on our heads full of smelt. All three of us did limit out last night though, definetly worth it.


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## chaser

what side of the U.P. are you on? we are heading up next sat. to the east end and was hoping to get just a few for a dinner while we are up perch fishing.been a long time since we've had fresh smelt


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## JohnnyT

Eastern. Unfortunately they are just trickling in now. Took 4 hrs last night just to get a gallon. There is always lake superior creeks to the north. They are almost always 2 weeks after the lake huron runs, maybe a little sooner this year as warm as its been.


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## uptracker

JohnnyT said:


> as warm as its been.


Are you sure you're in the EUP?:lol: Yes, the past two days have been best, but this year I couldn't even get into my beaver trapping spots by the 15th of April, the inland lankes are still frozen and there's still some ice fishing on the big water!!!!! I can't even set up my trail camera where I want to due to 2 feet of mushy snow. Heck, I still can't get down the roads I need to to check out the steelehead waters to the south due to a bunch of snow.

Good luck to ya and ......shhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/monthly/49783?month=-1

http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/monthly/49783?from=tenDay_topnav_outdoors


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## fish_skeered

thats funny, all the guys i talked to slayed em last night. one group i know got 3000, and a couple guys i know got 1000 together. Headin out tonight.


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## uptracker

Well, I hate to post this type of info on here as I feel way too many people have big mouths, but last night I went out, for the second night in a row, and I came back with six......yes, six. I'm sure I was on the same water as these guys were and no one was getting jack....all 200 plus people. We went and checked out another creek and got three there...we were the only ones there. Grand total of about 20 smelt last night between three of us.


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## tbbassdaddy

Hmmm... Who to believe... ?!?!?!
tb


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## fish_skeered

jeez, check your net for holes!


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## uptracker

tbbassdaddy: I'm not lying and even if fish skeered is telling the truth, he needs to open really wide  and insert foot.


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## uptracker

Just talked to a buddy that got a handful again last night, so if someone is getting 3000, it's not in the U.S.


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## 2tundras

I did OK at the western creeks early this morning.


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## JohnnyT

Going to try lake superior 2nite. If it doesn't rain!​


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## Iceman_101

Fish skeered is telling the truth me and the guys have been out the last three nights. First night 1000 smelt, Second night 1800 smelt, Third night 735 smelt. so there running and yes this is in the eastern UP. I think i am going to hit the Superior smelt next week.

Good luck to all who are out,
Iceman_101


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## uptracker

BS.....I went out two nights and other friends went out two different nights. Just stopped by there again after fishing and talked to over 20 people who have gotten only a handful the past 4 nights.

What did you do, count all those "fake" smelt by hand?

Sound like you kids need a math class.


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## TVCEAST05

Iceman_101 said:


> Fish skeered is telling the truth *me and the guys* have been out the last three nights. First night 1000 smelt, Second night 1800 smelt, Third night 735 smelt.


 So theres the twist. How many guys were you with....30. :lol:


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## uptracker

I started thinking the same thing. It was probably all the guys around that big fire closer to the mouth.....the one I said looked like the Karate Kid beach party....there was a good 30 guys there.

30 guys (with no girls around their fire) x 25 smelt each is 750....so we may be close.

Betcha my smelt could beat up your smelt!

Let me guess, Fisheries and Wildlife Benefit?


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## duckman#1

I hear theres new 2 gal limits. appox how many smelt in a gal? If this is correct then lets see, I drive 600 miles round trip for 2 gallons, yeh, ok.


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## fish_skeered

its about 200/gal, we got 200 on tuesday night and another 200 thurs. only had one set of waders so we were pretty limited


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## Wardo

You guys are all making me laugh:lol:


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## West Side AK

uptracker said:


> I started thinking the same thing. It was probably all the guys around that big fire closer to the mouth.....the one I said looked like the Karate Kid beach party....there was a good 30 guys there.
> 
> 30 guys (with no girls around their fire) x 25 smelt each is 750....so we may be close.
> 
> Betcha my smelt could beat up your smelt!
> 
> Let me guess, Fisheries and Wildlife Benefit?


 
lol


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## JohnnyT

Ya, I don't count them, just go by how much fits in my gallon ice cream containers. Didn't quite get a gallon last night off of superior. Got a chance to go out to shore with a buddy and see the indians pulling nets. Kinda cool how they do it but god they take a lot. You want to talk about thousands of smelt.


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## AllSpecieAngler

JohnnyT said:


> Ya, I don't count them, just go by how much fits in my gallon ice cream containers. Didn't quite get a gallon last night off of superior. Got a chance to go out to shore with a buddy and see the indians pulling nets. Kinda cool how they do it but god they take a lot. You want to talk about thousands of smelt.


And no one can figure out why there isn't near the amount of smelt there used to be. Smelt aren't a native species their ancestors used to take so how is it they can now? Our limits got drastically reduced, but they can still net them by the thousands. It's B.S. at its finest right there.


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## forsey21captainflyers

Head to Grand Marais in the first week of may!!! The Grand Sable Lake is loaded with smelt! Last year got them by the cooler full. Watch this year cause the limit is in effect. But they run hard for two or three nights usually around midnight to three in the morning is the best time to go. If your willing to clean them there your's for the taking. Also have been doing really good on walleyes on the Au gres river got seve both times I went out, just gotta work your way through all the boats good luck this year!!


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## Zorba

JohnnyT said:


> Ya, I don't count them, just go by how much fits in my gallon ice cream containers. Didn't quite get a gallon last night off of superior. Got a chance to go out to shore with a buddy and see the indians pulling nets. Kinda cool how they do it but god they take a lot. You want to talk about thousands of smelt.


 How did you know that they were Indians?


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## uptracker

Here we go.....:lol::lol::lol:


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## West Side AK

uptracker said:


> Here we go.....:lol::lol::lol:


I'm sure they came ALL the way from india for some smelt...


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## AllSpecieAngler

Zorba said:


> How did you know that they were Indians?


Sounds about right. Taking a species they shouldn't be and more than they should.


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## JohnnyT

Zorba said:


> How did you know that they were Indians?


Because they were from the near by reservation, ny buddy knew sum of em. I told him I would like to see how they net them but after seeing it I wish I hadn't.


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## Iceman_101

Went down two nights ago and got another 4 gallons. We were curious on how many we had caught thats why we counted them. And we only have 4 guys in the group who go so we don't have 30 guys to catch only a couple of smelt like everyone else.

Here is a pic for the proof 1000 smelt between four guys.


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## AllSpecieAngler

Nice catch. That is some good eatin right there.


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## fish_skeered

thank god, maybe UPTracker will quit bustin my balls now.


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## Iceman_101

Anytime Skeered i got your back!!!! LOL


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## tbbassdaddy

Like I said... Who to believe... You guys did well!!! Nice...
tb


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## uptracker

I still don't believe it was "down" there or anywhere in the EUP without a seine net etc. in the lake. No one has done that good there.

A guy at work had multiple gallons today in his truck, but he was also using a net that I can't use legally.


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## fish_skeered

believe what you want, i was using dip nets, they were using dip nets. if youre not catching them at a spot, they arent there. Just like any other fish in a river, there are certain places they will be and others they want. Its not our fault we understand the simple basics on fish movement. I noticed a lot of guys getting POed at us for catching them since they werent, but they also werent seeking out spots, just sitting in one where there was none or randomly moving around. Find a good spot and stick there. If youre not catchin at least 1 smelt/five minutes, they arent there and they wont be there.


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## uptracker

We were getting, plus or minus, one smelt every five minutes/person too...for the most part.

Figure, 4 guys at 1 smelt every 5 minutes is 48 per hour (about 1/4 gallon total by your numbers). You'd have to dip for 20.83 hours to get 1000 between the 4 of you. That's 62.49 hours to get 3000. So if you dipped two or three nights your numbers are skewed somewhere.

Here's some more numbers.....if you dipped 3000 in 8 hours between four of you, that's 375 per hour. I just don't believe it with just dip nets.....I don't care where you are in the EUP....it just doesn't happen anymore.

So, between the three of us getting 36 per hour at best, we spent maybe 8 hours max dipping through three nights....288 and that's about where we ended up, slightly less actually.

BTW, by your numbers, you guys would have 20 gallons of smelt in your possession if you have 4000 smelt..... 12 gallons over your limit. CONGRATS!

BTW2, these hours also consist of breaks since no one can constantly dip for 8 hours.

I'm done.....


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## Iceman_101

uptracker this pic was not photoshopped or anything like that. So here you go and chew on this one for a while. Plus u can see my buddy in the back ground pulling a smelt out of his DIP NET too. Also if you know the rivers that Huge log in the background should look really familiar!!!!
P.S. if you need more pics just ask, i have plenty to go around

Me with 6 smelt in a dip net after one swing


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## TVCEAST05

Six smelt in a dip eh :lol:. I'll show you pics of a real smelt run in a week or two.

Heres about 1/2 an hours worth with 2 people from last year in an undisclosed location. Plus we helped another guy fill his bucket.


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## uptracker

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!


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## TVCEAST05

uptracker said:


> Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!


Thats why I don't post everyplace I get smelt like a lot of people on here or it would probably end up being just like the Carp. You should have seen some of the streams Saturday night...we could barely get down to the water. It was the worst I've ever seen it out there.


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## old school

Iceman_101 said:


> Went down two nights ago and got another 4 gallons. We were curious on how many we had caught thats why we counted them. And we only have 4 guys in the group who go so we don't have 30 guys to catch only a couple of smelt like everyone else.
> 
> Here is a pic for the proof 1000 smelt between four guys.


That's enough to make your mouth water right there:SHOCKED:
wish there were still smelt in Port Huron


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## 2tundras

Might head out west of Brim tonight if anyone is interested...


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## upmounty

went out west last night 2tundras and as of 1130 pm there was nothing. even ran up to the "t" river and nothing. if it rains today it might help.


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## 2tundras

Thats what I was thinking. It's more misty than rainy here in town. But what the heck.


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## rocknut

It's raining now...


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## Falesy

gonna check a couple places out tonight on this end when i get outta work. Its pretty chitty out right now though.


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## John

TVCEAST05 said:


> Six smelt in a dip eh :lol:. I'll show you pics of a real smelt run in a week or two.
> 
> Heres about 1/2 an hours worth with 2 people from last year in an undisclosed location. Plus we helped another guy fill his bucket.


That tub looks very familar, are you stealing my pictures again? :lol: O wait, i took u to that spot


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## tbbassdaddy

How'd we do over the weekend fellas??? Or did someone intimidate everyone from further posts on this thread???
tb


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## fisherman89

uptracker said:


> We were getting, plus or minus, one smelt every five minutes/person too...for the most part.
> 
> Figure, 4 guys at 1 smelt every 5 minutes is 48 per hour (about 1/4 gallon total by your numbers). You'd have to dip for 20.83 hours to get 1000 between the 4 of you. That's 62.49 hours to get 3000. So if you dipped two or three nights your numbers are skewed somewhere.
> 
> Here's some more numbers.....if you dipped 3000 in 8 hours between four of you, that's 375 per hour. I just don't believe it with just dip nets.....I don't care where you are in the EUP....it just doesn't happen anymore.
> 
> So, between the three of us getting 36 per hour at best, we spent maybe 8 hours max dipping through three nights....288 and that's about where we ended up, slightly less actually.
> 
> BTW, by your numbers, you guys would have 20 gallons of smelt in your possession if you have 4000 smelt..... 12 gallons over your limit. CONGRATS!
> 
> BTW2, these hours also consist of breaks since no one can constantly dip for 8 hours.
> 
> I'm done.....


haha i agree uptracker...funny how ppl try to show off over the internet..even if u look at the pic of "1000" smelt the pic is 9 rows by 10 coloumns..thats 900 and there arent even 10 smelt per pile nice try guys..but go BS elsewhere....haha


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## Iceman_101

I'm sorry i didn't add the other pic with the bags in the picture. Here ya go sorry for the inconvience. I just don't BS very well i usually have a back up plan for everything i say.:lol:


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## TVCEAST05

That pic makes me laugh :lol:


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## John

TVCEAST05 said:


> That pic makes me laugh :lol:


lol ya I agree, what those kids got in their pic is nothing compared to what we will get in a week-week in a half when our spot runs


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## TVCEAST05

I wasn't laughing at the smelt :16suspect :lol:


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## Iceman_101

Sorry this is my first year ever trying smelt dipping!!!!! I don't care what u get in a week or two weeks because by that time i will be home and turkey hunting and couild care less about smelt!!!! But thanks for posting.

Thanks again,
Iceman_101


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## John

no no, that is dam good for anywhere around the soo, but not everyone drives to where we go


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## West Side AK

John said:


> no no, that is dam good for anywhere around the soo, but not everyone drives to where we go


 Canada.....


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## fish_skeered

i think you left out the bait smelt bags in that pic too, that was another what? 120? or was that what was in the big bag?


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## NBman

West Side AK said:


> Canada.....


Its in Mi ...just not anywhere near the soo. Its a long drive so you almost need to make it a couple day trip


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## Iceman_101

Skeered the big bag has 180 in it and the smaller bag has about 40 in it. plus the ones that are on the table.


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## John

NBman said:


> Its in Mi ...just not anywhere near the soo. Its a long drive so you almost need to make it a couple day trip


ya now with all this snow that we got over there on the west end (all Ithe info I am going to give out on where we go) it will probably be another week or two


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## millertime

John said:


> ya now with all this snow that we got over there on the west end (all Ithe info I am going to give out on where we go) it will probably be another week or two


 Id guess at least 2 weeks.I live on the west end :evil: And we got hammered with 18in of snow


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## forsey21captainflyers

Heading up on Monday or Tuesday, probably will spend bout a week. Should do good, but it was a hard winter so they might run a little later. Well all I can say is that it's a damn good reason to head to god's country good luck to all the fisherman!! Going out tommorrow night to catch my limit of fresh eyes does anybody know anything about that Freeland walleye tournament or is it a zoo let me know.


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## Pike Eyes

forsey21captainflyers said:


> Heading up on Monday or Tuesday, probably will spend bout a week. Should do good, but it was a hard winter so they might run a little later. Well all I can say is that it's a damn good reason to head to god's country good luck to all the fisherman!! Going out tommorrow night to catch my limit of fresh eyes does anybody know anything about that Freeland walleye tournament or is it a zoo let me know.


It is a ZZZZOOOOO!!!!! The tournament is alright but you get guys who will give all the biggest fish to one guy and try to win then split the money. On the other hand the fishing can be good but dealing with some of these people can be irritating. I have not fished it in 8 years and make my way up north for trout camp. I wish I could get into some smelt though. We don't get any runs like we used to.


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## forsey21captainflyers

look at my comment on page two or three i'm leaving on monday or tuesday to get them! Just hope i am not to early cause i've only got a week this year. Stop by if close and good luck!!


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## 2tundras

The smelt are all done in the EUP. When you get off the bridge hang an immediate left and keep trucking west with a touch of north till you hit water. If it taste salty you went too far, you had too much west and not enough north.


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## millertime

THERE HERE >>>>>>:woohoo1:


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## Wizard3686

We finally found them... 4 of us all just about our limits Alot of small ones tho i mean less then 4 inches we tossed all of them back and kept the bigger ones.. Got them all outta the lake with a few in the ditch not much tho.


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## ASID6900

25 last night in 2 hours going out again tonight, sure do miss when that was one dip


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## MPD068

Scott, were ya in the MQT area????????


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## rick1iam

I was up around Baraga this past weekend. They were just starting Friday. I heard further up they were getting limits on another river few days earlier.


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## ottertrapper

rick1iam said:


> I was up around the Falls river this past weekend. They were just starting Friday. I heard further up they were getting limits on the Pilgrim a few days earlier.


 
This river cannot be named on this site, please look at the list of rivers that can be named in the UP.


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## rick1iam

Thank you. I saw 7 rivers listed above. I suppose those are the rivers that can be talked about. Where is the appropriate thread to read about and maybe possibly discus why?


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## rick1iam

I apologize. I just read the river policy. I get it. I should have read that first. I understand that this is an INTERNET forum and why there should be strict rules regarding this. I am going to try to correct my error. If I can not I request that the administrator edit or delete my post.


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## ASID6900

No east of here


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