# Smelt/ sucker run?



## Quig7557

Which runs first? And approximately when is the average date, I’m thinking of canning some Lake Superior suckers and maybe Minominee this year


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## Waif

We've caught suckers at smelt time. Awful danged close anyways.
Been awhile , but my last trip for smelt I tired of heading West after crossing the bridge checking along the way. Runs were faint or simply timing wrong. But , close. ..

Anyways, at a Superior creek inlet I stood where it entered the lake in the wee hours and suckers came in with each wave.
What we called sturgeon suckers. Moths seem farther back , and a striped side with dark overall color with a light colored belly. Fine fare.
Set the net on the bottom and lifted when the suckers rode in with a wave and they could be felt thumping.

Most years during the day and goofing around till night smelt runs there were found some smelt in river holes. And suckers. Pike. Steelhead.


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## PunyTrout

Trying to resist the urge to make a joke about canning Steelhead...

Good luck Quig.

Hope you catch your quarry.


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## Martin Looker

Smoke them first then can them. Use wide mouth jars. Break out a six pack , some crackers, and a jar of smoked fish. Good stuff


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## 22 Chuck

Id love to have a gallon or so of smelt--heck 1/2 gal would be wonderful.


I was at a conservation club meeting couple yrs ago when DRN fish biologist was guest speaker. He glorified the fishery and his job.

I asked "what about smelt?" Youd thought I was asking to spin the world the other way.
"Smelt are an INVASIVE SPECIES" we were told. End of discussion.


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## Martin Looker

I would take a couple gallons of those invasive little buggers.


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## Lumberman

Smelt first then suckers but real close. If the suckers are in during the day the smelt are just about done. For suckers we used to just push them through a culvert and net them on the other side. All you want in 15 minutes.


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## upmounty

Quig7557 said:


> Which runs first? And approximately when is the average date, I’m thinking of canning some Lake Superior suckers and maybe Minominee this year


smelt usually run down by st ignace early april to mid april and then they run in superior. Since I was young, i always used April 21st for the superior run. Again this is average. I think they will be early this year due to our lack of winter. I remember a few years ago after a mild winter, they were running off superior in march. the 'season" starts april 1 for smelt, but dnr said they wouldn't target smelters that year.


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## Martin Looker

Yup I remember doing that when the boys were much younger. A great big culvert that they could walk thru. They would chase them in the creek up stream of the culvert and the suckers would hide inside. We would use a big landing net and it only took one trip to fill all of the pails


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## B.Jarvinen

There is a defined season for dipping?


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## Forest Meister

Page 23 of the Michigan Fishing Guide states that the season for hand netting in the GLs, "including all tributaries of those waters from the mouth to a half mile upstream" is open from March 1, to May 31, for eight species including smelt and suckers. FM


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## B.Jarvinen

I guess I never thought about it before, only ever dipping Smelt some six weeks after a season for it opens. But then the last time I was able to dip Smelt, the only limit was how many you/friends/family could stand to clean. 

Definitely looking to learn how to use water temps to figure out best evening to give it a first try. Most I talk with want to use old time traditional dates on calendar - “you’ll never see one around here before the *_* Saturday in *_*” - but that doesn’t work any more. Every person who told me something like that last year completely missed them.

If work prevents me from reaching the right time + right place, I hope to at least reach a ‘fish house’ that still has some for sale fresh, not frozen. The commercial operations I called last year confirmed the early run by telling me their whole inventory was already frozen.


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## Martin Looker

Temperature doesn't always work either. My son and I dipped smelt in the Keweenaw while standing in three feet of snow opening weekend of trout season. We couldn't fish the trout streams because of the snow so we did some casting at the river mouth. The only thing we brought home was smelt.


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## B.Jarvinen

You probably could have put a few Smelt on some hooks and maybe caught a few fish that way. I think the water temp that brings the Smelt into shore is still a bit low for much lure chasing by the big fish. But a wounded looking Smelt drifting around a little listlessly is easy pickin’s for the still bigger slow moving cold blooded creatures.


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## Martin Looker

Dead smelt is my favorite pike bait early in the summer.


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## osmerus

Looks like the runs will def. be early this year. There is ice in the rivers and bays but it's about done, looks like it's breaking up quick. All the south winds the past couple days. Snow pack level now is usually where it is in early April. This makes predicting any runs tough. Nice when everything breaks open mid April makes it easier to find the fish..


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## Fishndude

42* was when my Dad used to tell us to get ready. We had friends who lived on Saginaw Bay, and had real-time temp updates at this time of year.

And by, "get ready," I mean we put our rain jackets, waders, heavy socks, and hats in the car, along with nets, and buckets. He'd get a call at 8:00PM letting him know, "they're running." We'd jump in the car, and head to someone's house, garb-up, and get after it. We dipped from Bay City State Park, all the way up to Tawas Point, when I grew up.


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## B.Jarvinen

this will be my go to website the next couple weeks:






NOAA/GLERL GLCFS


Information from NOAA-GLERL




www.glerl.noaa.gov





that sweet 42 line still hovering off my particular shore for a bit yet


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## B.Jarvinen

I’m also thinking about finally upping my headlamp game with one of those kinda obnoxious ones with way more lumens than anyone really needs, most times. 

The ole lantern on the perfect hanger is nice and all, but I don’t have a lantern.


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## KenTrost

anybody else stream hopping this weekend? Heading up Friday night. Might as well start averaging out all my late run misses with a early run miss...


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## tbbassdaddy

Looking at satellite photos, St Martin's still iced up. Creeks gotta be almost ready to go. Is Huron and area rivers high this year??
tb




Sent from my LG-LS993 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## tbbassdaddy

Took a ride north Friday and hung around EUP Huron streams. Saw a lot of traffic checking the main river there but no one stuck around for evening activities. Rivers and creeks are rather high comparing to 2019 April levels and M134 creek mouths and shoreline flooded out with little beach area. Lots of ice along that stretch on the bay. Heard several guys tell us they were also checking the Brimley area but we stayed south. Won't be long tho. Water temps mostly at 38 degrees IF you believe 42 is the magic number... I'm a timing kind of dipper myself but you never know . Still enjoyed the weekend and the area. This morning, woke to 2 inches snow on the truck. Good fishing guys.
tb 

Sent from my LG-LS993 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## 22 Chuck

Ice went off W Twin. Montmorency Co on Thurs this week. Earliest in my record book of about 25 years.

Best smelt was n 1969-April 20th or so, in Tawas. I really believe you could have filled the pickup. Guys were dipping a quart/dip w/ street shoes in that small creek in town.


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## Forest Meister

22 Chuck said:


> Ice went off W Twin. Montmorency Co on Thurs this week. Earliest in my record book of about 25 years.
> 
> Best smelt was n 1969-April 20th or so, in Tawas. I really believe you could have filled the pickup. Guys were dipping a quart/dip w/ street shoes in that small creek in town.


In 1970 I did see some folks fill a pickup, sort of. Two men and a women had a hillbilly trailer made out of a pickup truck box and it was just about full when we saw it and they were still dipping. The back of the pickup that was pulling he trailer was packed with metal garbage cans that were already full of smelt. My partner and I filled a couple buckets and a burlap bag in no time flat at the next stream down. There were so many fish stacked up next to a bridge abutment that we actually filled the net so full that fish were flopping out the top. It took both of us to lift it, one on the handle and one lifting the net itself. It was about midnight when we finally got going and it may have been midweek but it must also have been late in the run because the "hillbillies" were the only other dippers we saw in spite of us checking four or five streams just for grins. Never ever have I seen smelt like that before or since. FM


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## Gordon Casey

Forest Meister said:


> In 1970 I did see some folks fill a pickup, sort of. Two men and a women had a hillbilly trailer made out of a pickup truck box and it was just about full when we saw it and they were still dipping. The back of the pickup that was pulling he trailer was packed with metal garbage cans that were already full of smelt. My partner and I filled a couple buckets and a burlap bag in no time flat at the next stream down. There were so many fish stacked up next to a bridge abutment that we actually filled the net so full that fish were flopping out the top. It took both of us to lift it, one on the handle and one lifting the net itself. It was about midnight when we finally got going and it may have been midweek but it must also have been late in the run because the "hillbillies" were the only other dippers we saw in spite of us checking four or five streams just for grins. Never ever have I seen smelt like that before or since. FM


Do you have something against "hillbillies"?? I'm sure you know all us "down staters" call all you trolls, hillbillies.


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## Martin Looker

Trolls are anybody who comes from below the bridge.


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## Gordon Casey

Martin Looker said:


> Trolls are anybody who comes from below the bridge.


In my mind all the trolls live up there. Us down staters are those that go up there to infringe on the trolls lands and waters. At least that's their perception.


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## Martin Looker

The trolls can stay under the bridge.


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## Gordon Casey

Gordon Casey said:


> In my mind all the trolls live up there. Us down staters are those that go up there to infringe on the trolls lands and waters. At least that's their perception.


I need to clarify my comments. Don't get me wrong, I love the UP. Most of what I am saying is in jest. I spend most of my fishing days up there and in Canada. As you can tell I get frustrated with the selfish comments, especially on the UP forum. A few posters on here are always defensive, scolding people that ask for help or are willing to share too much information.
I enjoy fishing and I enjoy sharing information even more. Us like minded fishers now share fishing information via group PM's.


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## tbbassdaddy

So any news up in the EUP? It's going to be a nice weekend, I'm sure the trickle is going to start soon...
tb


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## Robert Holmes

tbbassdaddy said:


> So any news up in the EUP? It's going to be a nice weekend, I'm sure the trickle is going to start soon...
> tb


A trickle a couple of days ago looks like the weekend it might happen.


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## tbbassdaddy

Robert Holmes said:


> A trickle a couple of days ago looks like the weekend it might happen.


ROBERT!!!!! WHERE ON EARTH have you been sir????? Good to hear from you again! 
tb


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## Robert Holmes

I will be back too boring of facebook fishing.


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## Enigma

tbbassdaddy said:


> ROBERT!!!!! WHERE ON EARTH have you been sir????? Good to hear from you again!
> tb


I've heard some good news about smelt in southern Michigan


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## hhlhoward

Robert Holmes said:


> A trickle a couple of days ago looks like the weekend it might happen.


Welcome back!

Sent from my moto z4 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## whiteymalone

Quig7557 said:


> Which runs first? And approximately when is the average date, I’m thinking of canning some Lake Superior suckers and maybe Minominee this year


Last year's rule change put the axe to canning Menominee. They are now part of a 10 fish combined limit along with lake whitefish and herring. Pretty hard to get a canning batch, catching 10 Menominees at a time. There is a thread in this UP forum linking a DNR fishing survey. Know what fish are native to Lake Superior, as that is a survey question. I believe that question is on there to test the validity of the rest of your answers. At the end of the survey there is a comment section. Please state in that section that the Menominee rule change has no biological reason. They are very abundant, they are not commercially targeted, VERY few people fish for them, and they are the #1 predator of lake trout eggs in Lake Superior. The survey is asking about limiting lake trout take partly because of the high 40% mortality of released lake trout. Let them know that by rescinding the Menominee limit, it would help the lake trout they are trying to preserve. Please pass this along. Thanks.


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## c5kirk

Managed to catch some smelt the past couple of weekends on Keweenaw Bay of Lake Superior. On 4/17 the smelt run was better, and by better I mean dipping them in pairs (sometimes to 4-5 fish at a time). By 4/24, the smelt numbers declined (1 or 2 fish per dip) but the suckers had moved in to the streams. 

Smelt and suckers were found in the same holes and the suckers came in earlier in the evening. The presence of the suckers made dipping the smelt really tough. Our most successful tactic was to find a hole being used by both and clean out all the suckers from the hole. We just found a deep hole up stream and moved the suckers up to that spot. Great activity for the kids. Once the suckers were gone and the targeted hole settled down, the smelt moved in. 

The dipping was really sight fishing and yielded enough for more than a few meals. It was nothing like years past though. 

The biggest disappointment for my son was having a fishing guide show up to the stream we were on with his whole family, The guide walked right through the hole my son was dipping in and then continues to pace back and forth through mouth of the stream. He pretty much killed the dipping. I was stunned a "professional" fisherman with his advertised 20 years of guiding experience displayed such horrible stream etiquette. It was a great lesson for my son. 

Thankfully the guide and his group only stayed about an hour. The smelt returned once the commotion died down. I told my son to remember this guide's behavior. Next time we seem him guiding some clients on the trout streams of the central UP, we can always reciprocate the behavior he displayed that night. Since he didn't respond to my question about why he walked right through the hole we were fishing, I hope to return the favor someday.


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## tbbassdaddy

c5kirk said:


> ... The guide walked right through the hole my son was dipping in and then continues to pace back and forth through mouth of the stream. He pretty much killed the dipping. I was stunned a "professional" fisherman with his advertised 20 years of guiding experience displayed such horrible stream etiquette. It was a great lesson for my son.
> ... Next time we seem him guiding some clients on the trout streams of the central UP, we can always reciprocate the behavior he displayed that night.
> ... I hope to return the favor someday.


Sounds like a real ass.... I'd like to reciprocate sometime like that myself. Some people.

I'm glad your boy was successful dipping smelt tho!!
tb


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## whiteymalone

c5kirk said:


> Managed to catch some smelt the past couple of weekends on Keweenaw Bay of Lake Superior. On 4/17 the smelt run was better, and by better I mean dipping them in pairs (sometimes to 4-5 fish at a time). By 4/24, the smelt numbers declined (1 or 2 fish per dip) but the suckers had moved in to the streams.
> 
> Smelt and suckers were found in the same holes and the suckers came in earlier in the evening. The presence of the suckers made dipping the smelt really tough. Our most successful tactic was to find a hole being used by both and clean out all the suckers from the hole. We just found a deep hole up stream and moved the suckers up to that spot. Great activity for the kids. Once the suckers were gone and the targeted hole settled down, the smelt moved in.
> 
> The dipping was really sight fishing and yielded enough for more than a few meals. It was nothing like years past though.
> 
> The biggest disappointment for my son was having a fishing guide show up to the stream we were on with his whole family, The guide walked right through the hole my son was dipping in and then continues to pace back and forth through mouth of the stream. He pretty much killed the dipping. I was stunned a "professional" fisherman with his advertised 20 years of guiding experience displayed such horrible stream etiquette. It was a great lesson for my son.
> 
> Thankfully the guide and his group only stayed about an hour. The smelt returned once the commotion died down. I told my son to remember this guide's behavior. Next time we seem him guiding some clients on the trout streams of the central UP, we can always reciprocate the behavior he displayed that night. Since he didn't respond to my question about why he walked right through the hole we were fishing, I hope to return the favor someday.


Name names, so we know not to recommend to friends when they ask for a guide.


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## c5kirk

whiteymalone said:


> Name names, so we know not to recommend to friends when they ask for a guide.


Thanks for the interest whiteymalone. I don't want to post the guide's name here in the forum. My intent is not to ruin his business. If you want to know the names of some reputable guides in the central UP, I am happy to PM you some names. Also, if you wish to avoid the offending guide I will share his name with you via PM.

Thanks again,
Chris


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