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We all had the same thing last night. I think it might be a big concern. You have A LOT of predator fish in that lake, and the DNR keeps planting more. Guys that troll the lake in the summer are not marking many schools of bait fish if any, where they would year's past. and there bellies didn't have smelt in them to speak of. I realize it's a big lake. I have never had it where I didn't mark schools of them. They might have lock jaw but they were there. I've caught them in 2nd bay from 1st to last ice. That's my opinion. Just go see what Smeltbuster found in their bellies. I'm sure they will make a comeback at some point.
Thanks for the detailed answer, I read on hear about the big die-off the summer of 2016, that's too bad. Do they ever stock Smelt or plan to? I wouldn't mine hook-in one of those Lakers thru the ice, second bay deep enough? I look forward to the Steelhead plant whenever that happens.
Seen tracks on the south bay and north end in smelt country from the past and no one fishing them currently. 30 inch pike i caught on a tip up last weekend had a head of a 10 lb fish and probably weighed 6. I would say some food source is missing. Why plant lake trout and steelhead if there is no smelt?
I don't think one guy could catch 500-800 smelt a night on a jigging rod. The most i have caught was around 180 and I was one busy dude. I quit fishing smelt 5 years ago as it became to much of a party for me. I don't mind having fun but defecating and leaving trash all over was not what i chose to be associated with. I'll chime in on pike size as well. Gull has gone from a lake that you throw 3 flags in 5 hours all being over 28" to 10 flags before you land a pike that exceeds 24" and then it rarely exceeds 28". I landed a 25" Sunday that looked very thin in the belly. Years ago a 24" fish went 4.5lbs. That is not the case any longer. I keep going back because the potential for 40" fish is there.
On a lighter note. Kid got his 1st tipup fish today! Yeehaw