OAHE Smelt run??

Rowdie

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I usually start a thread every year wondering if and when the smelt will run. With the late ice this year and low numbers of smelt, I'm just wondering again about any possible smelt run? It's usually about over by now and with the ice just now disappearing, I'm not sure there would be one even if numbers were huge like in the past. I've heard they can't hold their eggs forever, and will dump them deep in the water column where ever they find 40 degrees.
 


Lycanthrope

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Id be down for a trip to oahe or sak to get a few buckets if anyone gets a positive report and wants to carpool! In Bismarck...
 

Rowdie

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Maybe but its been a looooooong time since we've seen a smelt run where any dummy could go seine bucket after bucket. Of course I'm talking SD where seine nets are legal. There were a few years before the flood where we got some on a good night
 

Kurtr

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moved here in 2002 and there was one year we fill two five gallon buckets other than that we barley caught enough to bite the head off them
 


zoops

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The real question is how many posts will it take for gst to turn this into a never-ended debate of internet links and questions???
 

Kurtr

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Guess it depends on who the first dumb bastard is to bring it up..............................................
 

Rowdie

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moved here in 2002 and thetre was one year we fill two five gallon buckets other than that we barley caught enough to bite the head off them

There was a year somewhere in the mid 2000's where my brother ran into them big time one night. I helped clue him in because I was shore fishing all day and kept seeing sea gulls swooping down picking out what appeared to be smelt. Needless to say we didn't have a bite with that much bait out there. But he went and drilled the smelt that night in that area. They ran like the good ole days that night he said. But we haven't got much since.....Maybe one or two years he got a pail full.
 

Lycanthrope

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There was a year somewhere in the mid 2000's where my brother ran into them big time one night. I helped clue him in because I was shore fishing all day and kept seeing sea gulls swooping down picking out what appeared to be smelt. Needless to say we didn't have a bite with that much bait out there. But he went and drilled the smelt that night in that area. They ran like the good ole days that night he said. But we haven't got much since.....Maybe one or two years he got a pail full.

How far south? I remember getting loads of them just a few miles south of mandan many years ago...
 

Rowdie

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We were right at Mobridge by the old railroad grade. I've never caught a smelt in ND, and have lived in Yates now 21 years. I know they used to nail them around here, but there were so many millions of them you could fill a truck. I'm not sure using a dip net, but in SD we seine them and when they are running, holy cow is it easy. Well if you know a little something lol. I've seen guys not catch hardly any until you show them just a little bit of what to do.
 


Kurtr

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Indian creek boat ramp was were we got them the one night. i would think 2007 or 8 was the year we got them
 

pointer

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Not sure about any changes in the rules for ND put if you bought a bait genders tag for like 5 or 7 bucks you could run a seine net, back in the 90s we would go out and take turns with the net and waders, several times it was like 4 to 5 , 5 gallon pails in one pass. My buddy would save a bunch and ferment a great coon bait for his trapline, stunk super bad but very effective
 

fj40

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It was around 17 April last year and the water temp was 47 when we got into heavy smelt east of Williston. It took no time at all to fill the buckets. Not going this year as I have plenty.
 

Fishmission

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The smelt run is kind of the middle of the night thing as far as really getting into concentrations correct? Need to try it sometime
 


Rowdie

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Yes, it happens at night, in waves. Sometimes not till really late like 3 am. If your only getting a dozen or so a pull, just hang back n wait/drink.
 

Rowdie

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If I really cared about getting some, I'd be out tonight. Mostly I'd be driving around and checking, or maybe just stake out a boat ramp with a bottle of Schnapps. If they're still waiting to spawn, its going down quick.
 

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