Smelt in Eastern Ontario?

JimW · **Posted:** Sun Apr 06, 2014 3:33 pm

Although the hayday of smelt fishing is long gone, when I visist my family near London in the early spring I like to try a night or two of Lake Erie smelt fishing, unfortunately I will not be heading to southern Ontario until later is the year, so Lake Erie smelt fishing is out.

Just wondering if anyone had any advice for trying for smelt in eastern Ontario, either dipnet or seine net fishing.

I have read about the streams flowing into Loughborough Lake. What about the beaches around Wellington?

Any tips greatly appreciated. If anyone wants to go out and try and find some smelt I would love some company.

JimW

furious · **Posted:** Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:01 pm

I would love to try too!!!

Parksy · **Posted:** Sun Apr 06, 2014 7:05 pm

It's pretty tight in terms of the window off Lakeshore Lodge (West Point) and its been pretty poor over the past couple of years. One night last year A couple of guys got a couple of dozen and that was it. PM me for details but don't expect a bonanza of smelt that's for sure.

Kase Raymond · **Joined:** Thu Jan 23, 2014 10:47 am **Posts:** 4

I remember as a young boy of 12 (1960) I would go smelt fishing with my dad on the rock pier in Bowmanville On. Dad would carry the dip net and pails and I carried the old tire and a small jar of gasoline. Scrambling over the granite blocks at night with only a flashlight was precarious and dangerous. It's amazing no one drowned or broke a leg.We would set the tire on a flat rock, pour gas in it and set it on fire to light up the water and to attract the smelt. I recall dips with as many as 50 or 60 smelt per lift. We would arrive at home with our booty, covered in soot and smelling like burnt rubber. Those were great memories, but thank God we don't treat our environment this way any longer.

adventure · **Posted:** Mon Apr 07, 2014 6:26 am

I remember as kid in the mid-late 70's similar stories catching smelt in the dip net with my Dad only at Lakeport. I will never forget the time another group of guys who were there having a contest to see who would eat the most alive. I thought at the time those guys were pretty brave, of course now I realize that was a little more than just pop they were drinking.

ricelaker · **Joined:** Sun Jun 21, 2009 10:13 am **Posts:** 39

I know some people may not like talking to them but try contacting the conservation officer for the area. If he is nice, he can be a bounty of information on where to go and where not to go. They usually know the best times and places because they got to be out there to check your license. I have used this method in the past for smelt fishing on Lake Erie and where you used to be able to go near the entrance of Point Pele National park I was told you can no longer go there because its actually park property and it was closed saving myself a nice gas bill and a ticket.

JimW · **Posted:** Mon Apr 07, 2014 5:42 pm

Thanks for the info, tips and memories. Hoping to check a couple spots.

Hutchy · **Joined:** Thu Dec 29, 2011 6:06 pm **Posts:** 399

In the 70's they were quite thick at the end of the road that veers off Stinson Block Road, Arthur Road were you sneak into North Beach up the lake Ontario shore in Consecon. That's where my dad took all of us boys ( 6 ). There was always at least another dozen groups there as well. They are far from being thick now, you may only catch a couple dozen or a skunk. I wounder if we should blame the cormorants, the salmon or the endless buckets and galvanized tub fulls our dads and us all carried away. They sure were a taste treat, shake them in flour and fry them up crispy.

GOT2FSH · **Posted:** Mon Apr 07, 2014 7:01 pm

Hey adventure, I think I know those guys......I'm from Colborne, and that sounds a lot like the guys that took me when I was a kid. Lol

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Trannyman1 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:33 pm

Hutchy wrote:

They are far from being thick now, you may only catch a couple dozen or a skunk. I wounder if we should blame the cormorants, the salmon or the endless buckets and galvanized tub fulls our dads and us all carried away. They sure were a taste treat, shake them in flour and fry them up crispy.

Hutchy, it was the reintroduction of lake trout that devastated the smelt population.

The salmon stocking probably didn't help but I have never found them in the stomachs of salmon when cleaning.

They smelt made a huge comeback on the New York side 3 years ago.
While fishing browns last spring I marked a few schools of smelt in Athol Bay.

Al

Hutchy · **Joined:** Thu Dec 29, 2011 6:06 pm **Posts:** 399

I honestly have no idea where they went and I personally haven't fished for them for years but I know my late brother went pretty much every year up to last and never got more then one feed if that. I can remember the odd brown trout getting caught in the nets so no doubt they are on every big game fish menu. I hope they have a comeback on this side of the lake as well. I was going to try some trolling for the lake trout in the same area because we did catch quite a few of those in the 80's which is in line with your comment but a guy at work said there isn't any of those left either... I think he is full of crap and doesn't want anyone fishing in his back yard. He's like that. He trolls this sight for hot spots but won't share any :lol:

Trannyman1 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2014 6:14 am

Lake trout.

Ask demoman about lake trout last season.

Al

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Smelt in Eastern Ontario?

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