2015 smelt run?

Does anyone know how close water temps are to that 42-44 degrees? I can’t wait to get my net wet and get a bucket full

Soon few guys went to Park Point and got about a dozen so another week or two they should be running ! Water temp the one said was 41 degrees so fingers crossed it stays warm out !

I have been wanting to get back into that for so long. I grew up in Michigan and smelt were are normal yearly event. We either chased them or got them from others that did. I dont think I have eaten them once since moving to Minnesota. Never met anyone to show me the ropes here and have heard the runs havent been very good in years. Are there areas with enough room to go without fear of being too crowded? Can you still get them with dip nets or do you needs much bigger nets to make it worth while?

There are for sure areas with room at least from what I have seen. I actually do use a dip net and prefer it for fun in the streams. The runs are no where near to what the older people say they were back in the day. You can still usually fill a bucket or two with a few people when the run is around the right time.

Youbetcha wrote:

The runs are no where near to what the older people say they were back in the day.

That is no kidding…I’m one them older people that once used come back from Lake Michigan with load the back of a pickup…..and a few mullets too

Mudshark wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Carter Johnson wrote:</div>
The runs are no where near to what the older people say they were back in the day.

That is no kidding…I’m one them older people that once used come back from Lake Michigan with load the back of a pickup…..and a few mullets too

I’m not so sure about that…… one group got over 500 pounds on Sunday night in Ashland, and that is just the first night of the run there.
Here in Duluth, it should start by the weekend. Water surface temps were 35-37 along the beach last saturday when I was trolling, and they are close to 40 now.
As far as the streams, they are all running low and the runs will be slim unless we get substantial rain (Some is expected sunday pm/monday am). Seining the beach is the way to go. You may not be able to fill a truckbed, but a 30 gallon trash can is doable on a good night, and that is alot of smelt to clean
I plan to be out in the boat tomorrow AM along the point and will check water temps. Marine General also usually posts on FB too when the run gets going.

Figured I would give you guys an update. The rivers have been pretty slow but the netting on park point has been pretty good the last few days. Some of my buddies and I went last night around 10pm and got about eight gallons by 12am. We could have easily filled both buckets in another half hour. Nothing like cleaning smelt with some friends until 4am