Gull

[Fish Killa]

So,here's a  Smelt fishing report for a spot on Gull that we have never tried before. Smelt jr. & me  had a very short walk Sunday night, to deep water & managed to catch 155 Big smelt ! It was a gamble on 3"-4" of crappy ice. No one around us for at least a 1/2 mile. Bonus:11 nice sized Perch, before dark ! 100 Smelt by 9:00 p.m. ,& scratched out the last 55 by 11:00 p.m. . Steady bite,all night. No Dinks . Guessing by the size, around 200 would be a 1 person limit . (I use a 2 gal. bucket). 7th trip this year, finally paid off.

Bingo! That's what I used to do. Find deeper water weather it be North or South of the Island, out from the country club or even someplace off from MSU. Always found smelt. It's interesting because I fished areas sometimes where I caught nothing but males. Not a single female out of 100 fish. Congrats Smeltbuster!!! Any master anglers? I believe that's 10" .

[smeltbuster]

Bingo! That's what I used to do. Find deeper water weather it be North or South of the Island, out from the country club or even someplace off from MSU. Always found smelt. It's interesting because I fished areas sometimes where I caught nothing but males. Not a single female out of 100 fish. Congrats Smeltbuster!!! Any master anglers? I believe that's 10" .

  Thank You ! No master angler fish,the biggest was 8 3/4"  & I dont know if it was a male or female,....it was empty ! Just got done cleaning them,& had a good mix of both. Really excited about the Perch,I dont catch too many of them,but its only because I dont fish for them. My wife does not eat very much fish,but she got excited this morning, when she seen them . Been married for almost 36 yrs. & she just told me today,that when she was younger,she loved eating Perch that her grandma caught. Guess I'm going to have to try & catch more of them.  Smeltman,was going to call ya around 9:00p.m. but I knew you had to work today. They were still biting when we left.  Getting used to this Retirement thing !

[Hexagenia51]

Way to go! Never fished for smelt before, sounds like fun! Down here in Indiana we barely have ice on some channels and are about to loose that! Hex

[dutch3376]

So,here's a  Smelt fishing report for a spot on Gull that we have never tried before. Smelt jr. & me  had a very short walk Sunday night, to deep water & managed to catch 155 Big smelt ! It was a gamble on 3"-4" of crappy ice. No one around us for at least a 1/2 mile. Bonus:11 nice sized Perch, before dark ! 100 Smelt by 9:00 p.m. ,& scratched out the last 55 by 11:00 p.m. . Steady bite,all night. No Dinks . Guessing by the size, around 200 would be a 1 person limit . (I use a 2 gal. bucket). 7th trip this year, finally paid off.

That’s awesome to read smeltbuster! Could you pm me the gps coordinates to that spot? 🤪
I do appreciate your posts so I know when its worth the drive from Holland to try to pull in a few fish. Thanks for the updates!

[Smeltman]

Someday when I can retire  i will have the option to fish on any given time. And fish with you.    . You can call any time before 10 if you want. 

[smeltbuster]

dutch3376, we didnt use the GPS last night ,so I cant help ya there. But we lined up that big house on the west shore w/ the big one on the east shore,then the 7th.one north of the park on the north end, w/ the party store on the south end. Smelt jr.said it was 319 steps from the beach,then we went left about 71 steps. Thats the spot.  Seriously, w/ the weather ,I do think we may be able to get a trip or 2 on the north end in the next few days.Going to check the ice again tomorrow. If there are any old time smelt guys that used to fish Gull back in the 70s & early 80s, before portable shanties were around, there was a guy that used a cardboard Refrigerator box for a shanty.He fished in the same area that I was in, last night.  BTW,that guy was Me !

[RoeBoat]

Classic!  Glad you got them!  Never fished for smelt or Gull lake for that matter.  But have done a few things for that long and can appreciate being successful at something you love and have done for a long time.  Never fished by a guy in a refrigerator box but wished I had!!!

[dfman]

Is the park on the east side of the lake still open for parking in the wintertime?

[moose49017]

dutch3376, we didnt use the GPS last night ,so I cant help ya there. But we lined up that big house on the west shore w/ the big one on the east shore,then the 7th.one north of the park on the north end, w/ the party store on the south end. Smelt jr.said it was 319 steps from the beach,then we went left about 71 steps. Thats the spot.  Seriously, w/ the weather ,I do think we may be able to get a trip or 2 on the north end in the next few days.Going to check the ice again tomorrow. If there are any old time smelt guys that used to fish Gull back in the 70s & early 80s, before portable shanties were around, there was a guy that used a cardboard Refrigerator box for a shanty.He fished in the same area that I was in, last night.  BTW,that guy was Me !

  great report smeltbuster!
I don't remember the cardboard box. But I do remember the older guys using bicycle wheels in the deep water in the North end. Maybe around 73 or so.

[Iceassin]

great report smeltbuster!
I don't remember the cardboard box. But I do remember the older guys using bicycle wheels in the deep water in the North end. Maybe around 73 or so.

I was one of them...but more like the mid to late '60's for me. Lotsa fun. Filling 5 gallon buckets was the norm.

[smeltbuster]

Is the park on the east side of the lake still open for parking in the wintertime?

If you are referring to Ross Twp. park, no,it is not open in the winter. Its a shame too, that used to be an excellent spot to smelt fish. Also,the ice in that area has been very iffy this year. It was open water just over a week ago.

[dfman]

Thanks for the info.  I used to park there in years past. 

[smeltbuster]

The north end is fishable but proceed w/ caution.still a few thin spots out there. Smelt jr. & me fished it wed. night & got 67. Last night 4 of us got 184. I was not going to post this, because I'm afraid it will be a zoo out there the next few nights. I will be contacting the DNR today & see if they can do some patrolling out there this week-end.  Tired of all the slobs & rif-raf. That is the main reason I have not been sharing info on here.

[smeltbuster]

Fri. night report;  Got to meet up w/ a few other shanty members tonight & I think we all caught a few fish. We got enough for a meal or 2. Ice is fine on the main lake for the most part, BUT ,on my way down Gull Lake  dr. east, to go out, I could swear I seen some open water way out,between Ross twp. park &  Hickory point. Checked out Baseline rd.,on the way home & the shore ice was busted up a little bit. The wind may really mess things up in the next day or so. Talked to a couple of guys there,that were coming in & said it was SLOW . Warning: DO NOT PARK at the launch on Baseline rd.,you must park on the east side of Gull lake dr., someone was parked there tonight.....real good way to get towed. Now for the annoying part; in the past 30 hrs. I have received 23 PMs, most are just asking general questions  about water depths to fish or access questions. Do NOT ask me for GPS coordinates,or a "General area" of where I am fishing. I am getting PMs from folks that dont even post on this thread,& seldom on the Forum. The good ole days of me sharing every bit of info is Gone! I will no longer respond to PMs from names I do not see post info on here. If you want to learn about ice fishing on Gull, put your phone down,grab a spud &  pole & start walkin on the ice. You will never know what you might stumble up on. For me, & Smelt jr., its been some awesome Perch fishing the past week,before the decent smelt bite kicks in. Never figured 2 wacks w/ a spud through bad ice would put us on top of a  fantastic fishin spot on a lake that gets hammered.

[theripper]

It was good to see you again Phil! Thanks for all your efforts you put in. Your doing a great job with that. Didn’t see one piece of trash on our way in. Nor did we hear any😂. I think it was the most quiet I have ever heard it. Remember if you make it up my way this summer more than welcome to tag along. I have learned a ton about catching some nice walleye this past fall! See ya soon bud!

[Smeltman]

It was really good to see you again Smeltbuster. I hope my rap music wasn't to loud for you    . It was nice to finally get out for a few tasty tidbits. I hope i can get out at least one more time for them.

[KZOO13]

Thanks for bringing up baseline smeltbuster. I drive around the lake nearly every day on my lunch break and have seen people parking where they shouldn’t. Same goes for the South Bay, when will people stop walking out on private docks and parking wherever they please? Gives us all a bad rap! I’ve seen more of this than usual this year.

[dfman]

Saw a lot of nice pike caught today.  My buddy and I got a lot of small and medium sized perch and a couple mud puppies.

[smeltbuster]

Thanks for bringing up baseline smeltbuster. I drive around the lake nearly every day on my lunch break and have seen people parking where they shouldn’t. Same goes for the South Bay, when will people stop walking out on private docks and parking wherever they please? Gives us all a bad rap! I’ve seen more of this than usual this year.

  Heard about a group that was off Hickory point, playing loud music all night. Heard they left around 11:00 p.m. , & were quite loud  while packing up @ Baseline rd. . Crap like this will get it shut down. As for me,fished by myself tonight & caught a couple .

[Smeltman]

     

[fishman210]

If 11pm is too late for some music on a Saturday, you live too close to people. Out of all the blustery city noises, echoing in the distance last night. 90’s rap music, was far from one of them. We were the closest to shore last night. Fished until Buckets were full. Hopefully the local guy who smashed the gate in the UTV has to pay for it! That’s the crap that will
Give EVERYONE A BAD NAME.

[smeltbuster]

The pics that Kazoo13 posted  are of the property that Jaqua realty owns. You are not supposed to park there. As for the music & other loud noises that ice fishermen make,it is totally unacceptable at 11:00 p.m. & if its loud enough to be heard a 1/2 mile away at anytime ,that is also unacceptable. There is lots of $$$$$$$ on Gull, & dont think for a minute that the folks that live on the lake like the fact that it is public. Access  used to be available a several spots. The salon on 2nd. bay was lost 2-3 yrs.ago. Before that,back in the 90s, Ross twp park & The island parking area were lost ,due to SLOBS . Just a short matter of time & the party store will close down that access. Probably sooner than you think. Back in the mid 90s,Baseline rd. was almost shut down (I attended court hearings on that one). As for the guy that took out the gate @ Prarieville, they have cameras ,so hopefully they have something.As for me, I'm not filling up buckets w/ smelt,but I am doing better than I have ever done in yrs. past.Could have had a limit Sat. night, but didnt want to clean that many fish. The reason I dont share more info nowdays is simple. In yrs. past,when I did share info & #s, I was Spudded in by folks that read the posts. Over the years I have made it quite clear that I dont like fishing around Loud, obnoxious , people that dont care what they do around others. I am out there to catch fish,not listen to music,profanity,idiots that cant control their mouths after to much alcohol or weed. Yes,I do drink,I dont smoke, & I can swear better than anyone,but c'mon, grow up & have some respect for others. The guys at Baseline rd. Sat. night were real jerks. Also the guys parking their trucks at the launch there. Keep up the slob mentality thinking that its OK to do what  YOU want. Watch what will happen. Also, Fisherman 210,this is usually a pretty friendly forum & folks are decent here. A 1st.time poster  is usually welcomed to "The Shanty" ,but after reading the 1st.sentence in your post, I think you might want to share your opinions on other ice fishing pages.

[Iceassin]

The pics that Kazoo13 posted  are of the property that Jaqua realty owns. You are not supposed to park there. As for the music & other loud noises that ice fishermen make,it is totally unacceptable at 11:00 p.m. & if its loud enough to be heard a 1/2 mile away at anytime ,that is also unacceptable. There is lots of $$$$$$$ on Gull, & dont think for a minute that the folks that live on the lake like the fact that it is public. Access  used to be available a several spots. The salon on 2nd. bay was lost 2-3 yrs.ago. Before that,back in the 90s, Ross twp park & The island parking area were lost ,due to SLOBS . Just a short matter of time & the party store will close down that access. Probably sooner than you think. Back in the mid 90s,Baseline rd. was almost shut down (I attended court hearings on that one). As for the guy that took out the gate @ Prarieville, they have cameras ,so hopefully they have something.As for me, I'm not filling up buckets w/ smelt,but I am doing better than I have ever done in yrs. past.Could have had a limit Sat. night, but didnt want to clean that many fish. The reason I dont share more info nowdays is simple. In yrs. past,when I did share info & #s, I was Spudded in by folks that read the posts. Over the years I have made it quite clear that I dont like fishing around Loud, obnoxious , people that dont care what they do around others. I am out there to catch fish,not listen to music,profanity,idiots that cant control their mouths after to much alcohol or weed. Yes,I do drink,I dont smoke, & I can swear better than anyone,but c'mon, grow up & have some respect for others. The guys at Baseline rd. Sat. night were real jerks. Also the guys parking their trucks at the launch there. Keep up the slob mentality thinking that its OK to do what  YOU want. Watch what will happen. Also, Fisherman 210,this is usually a pretty friendly forum & folks are decent here. A 1st.time poster  is usually welcomed to "The Shanty" ,but after reading the 1st.sentence in your post, I think you might want to share your opinions on other ice fishing pages.

Agreed smeltbuster. And the more access points that close, the more that will congregate at those that are open until there are none...including the township park. I can see it now..."No entrance to park from 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. If your vehicle is found to be here during these times, it will be towed at owners expense" (or something like that). As for Fisherman 210 (and others)..."If YOU are too close to people after 11:00 p.m., loud and obnoxious behavior including music, may not be liked to those around you". I don't mind that anyone has a "good time" and listens to whatever music they like...have at it. Just remember there are those that don't...and respect is a two way street. 

[fishman210]

 Thanks for the warm welcome Smeltbuster. I’ve been a member of the group for some time now. I’ve been watching your posts for a couple years. Thank you very much, for bringing me back to a place I Cherish. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t of been there Saturday. I have also been around long enough to see many access points close. Not just on a rich lake. It seems like respect and common sense is a thing of the past. When Mother Nature is calm enough, that you pulling your sled off the lake, is just as loud as someone’s music. Maybe there was something Someone was supposed to hear from the gentleman playing his music. Yes, it was rather loud. U could hear the geese fart, it was so calm Saturday. There’s always going to be people not happy with other people. There’s always going to be disrespectful slobs, wherever cleanliness is. Nobody should ever spud right on top of someone else, and I’m sorry people have disrespected your kindness. Everyone should carry a spud though! I pay my fees, and abide by the rules. All we can do is keep respecting what we know, and informing the uninformed. Labeling people is not the correct way. Weather your a slob, or not, you should know the rules! Some people need arrows and lines. Others just know to respect the next person and what it is, that brings them to an area. Maybe one of these nights I will meet you out there. I’m not a loud person. The last guy to walk off the lake, towards the launch Saturday knows that. I don’t know if he had sticky hands, or just wanted to check on us. He turned around after I made some noise. Common sense says to ask if you need or want something. Uncommon sense says, I’m gonna walk out of my way, to see what I might gain. Happy fishing, and good luck the rest of the season. I have a feeling it is going to be short.

[noahiceahollic]

Notice it's best to be quite sometimes have to get away from the shenanigans if you can but havent been back out there after hearing about the die off and cant believe how many people cant take off the ice what they take with them that's how lots of good spots get ruined couple rotten eggs

[smeltbuster]

I will have an ice report for the north part of the lake ,late Thurs. night. Planning on fishing, just not sure where I'm going to go ,yet. As of Monday night ,the ice was fine. The bite was so so. We got about 3-4" of snow on Wed., this week-end might be it. Let ya know what I find. Edit: also wanted to let everyone know,there is a new Smelt fishing page that popped up on FB this week,its called "Michigan Smelt fishing". It is for the entire state,but as of now, its mostly posts about Gull.

[smeltbuster]

Did not see anyone come on from thee north end,Thurs. night. We fished off of Baseline & hit some bad ice, about 200 yds, out. Seen guys out farther, but I dont know how they did.  Everything from Hickory point, south, looks bad.There is open water by the "Hogsback". Where we fished,there was 5" of ice, but my spud went through w/ 2 wacks,20 yds. from that. The wind was crazy tonight. We did catch enough for a meal, but thats about it.

[bradh86]

Did not see anyone come on from thee north end,Thurs. night. We fished off of Baseline & hit some bad ice, about 200 yds, out. Seen guys out farther, but I dont know how they did.  Everything from Hickory point, south, looks bad.There is open water by the "Hogsback". Where we fished,there was 5" of ice, but my spud went through w/ 2 wacks,20 yds. from that. The wind was crazy tonight. We did catch enough for a meal, but thats about it.

Thanks for the update  planning on a trip out there tonight. Will definitely bring my spud.

[smeltbuster]

Seen quite a bit of open water ,on my way out to the lake yesterday.From Hickory point south , there is big areas that are opening up. This will be the last 1-2 days of fishing on the north part of the lake. We were sitting on 5" of ice last night & had a decent bite going for about 1 1/2 hrs. .

[skibumm100]

I was out on the north end last night with some friends and it was pretty slow for us. Might have gotten better later but couldn't stay. I was only out for a few hours, had to go to work early today. As reported we had about 5" of ice but the top couple inches is pretty weak.