Author Topic: Gull lake Smelt Report (Read 3842 times)

Reel-Bonus · « **on:** Feb 03, 2008, 12:32 PM »

Ok, made it out to Gull lake last night with my 11 yo Son. We parked off Baseline Rd and fished out in 75 fow. Was our first trip this year and only our 3rd trip ever out to Gull lake for Smelt. The bite was very light, we didnt catch anything for 2+ hoursb but had many bites. Last year we had the best success with Hali jigs and fathead minnows, so that is what we tried last night. Finally when I iced the first Smelt, I discovered the problem, these were dinks not the big-uns we caught last year. We quickly switchd over to the smallest glow jigs we had and used white spikes, then started to slowly put Smelt in the bucket. The Smelt didn't move up very high in the water columb until after Mid-night, when we needed to leave.

Ended up with 20, boy were they tasty, deep fried in Drakes mix.

Now that I know what we are up against, I think we can come home with more next time.

Good Luck to all.

velocty98 · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 03, 2008, 12:48 PM »

Thanks for the post! I would like to make my first ever trip out to Gull for smelt. If the ice holds out until next weekend, I hope to give it a try.

Reel-Bonus · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 03, 2008, 12:50 PM »

Quote from: Reel-Bonus on Feb 03, 2008, 12:32 PM

Ok, made it out to Gull lake last night with my 11 yo Son. We parked off Baseline Rd and fished out in 75 fow. Was our first trip this year and only our 3rd trip ever out to Gull lake for Smelt. The bite was very light, we didnt catch anything for 2+ hoursb but had many bites. Last year we had the best success with Hali jigs and fathead minnows, so that is what we tried last night. Finally when I iced the first Smelt, I discovered the problem, these were dinks not the big-uns we caught last year. We quickly switchd over to the smallest glow jigs we had and used white spikes, then started to slowly put Smelt in the bucket. The Smelt didn't move up very high in the water columb until after Mid-night, when we needed to leave.

Ended up with 20, boy were they tasty, deep fried in Drakes mix.

Now that I know what we are up against, I think we can come home with more next time.

Good Luck to all.

I forgot to say that the ice was around 6" thick.

swampbuckster · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 03, 2008, 03:27 PM »

Thanks for the report.

bcar1023 · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 04, 2008, 12:49 PM »

I second swampbucksters appreciation of the fine report. I hope the ice holds up through this little warm up we have here today and tomorrow so that I can get out this weekend. We usually drive up to Lake 15 (Atlanta) or Higgins for smelt through the ice(I'm a east side Michigan transplant) and it's nice to hear of a smelt lake right here in my backyard.

whitey · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 04, 2008, 01:38 PM »

bcar, ever try mccormick lake near atlanta for smelt? it's off from m-32 between atlanta and gaylord. much more size to them in that lake. 9-10 inchers are very common.

koby · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 04, 2008, 03:21 PM »

got a couple of smelt tips for you

first off, use Glow in the Dark jigs, or what i use, a #18 treble with a glow in the dark bead on the line and about 3 medium splits about 2" above the hook (keep the bead in between)

get a "black light" pen light, or an old camera flasher, to constantly recharge either the jig or bead about every 5th time down

if you go with the jig, take a #18 treble and drape it over the hook and slowly crimp to hook down to hold it in place

the treble and the GID stuff makes all the difference between a bucket and just a few!!!

good luck

koby

bcar1023 · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 04, 2008, 03:43 PM »

Hey whitey,

Yeah, we've been out on mccormick for smelt as well. We went out last year but it was the same weekend as the rally races which made getting around pretty interesting. We didn't try it this year but I hear you can pull some decent trout out of there too.

swampbuckster · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 04, 2008, 04:50 PM »

Quote

bcar, ever try mccormick lake near atlanta for smelt? it's off from m-32 between atlanta and gaylord. much more size to them in that lake. 9-10 inchers are very common

My family has a hunt club over off of McMurphy Road. I have fished Lake 15 and McCormick Lake during the summer. I knew of smelt iin lake 15 but not McCormick. They are both some clean, deep lakes though. Kinda hard for a southerner like me to catch coldwater fish out of them. Any tips? Me and my dad were talking about getting out to McCormick in the spring and try some trolling with downriggers and dipsydivers.

Reel Wet Ride · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 04, 2008, 06:42 PM »

Hey, I know you guys are talking smelt, but if you can make it out on Surgarloaf right before ice out, there is a real hot gill bite at the North end.

Last year I made it out there the last day of solid ice and had to jump to get on, but it was worth it. Fished in about 17 fow to the West of the NE cove and almost due S of the far W channel to the marsh. Used a Big Chartruse Teardrop, limited out in about an hour.

Reel-Bonus · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 04, 2008, 08:56 PM »

Quote from: koby on Feb 04, 2008, 03:21 PM

got a couple of smelt tips for you

first off, use Glow in the Dark jigs, or what i use, a #18 treble with a glow in the dark bead on the line and about 3 medium splits about 2" above the hook (keep the bead in between)

get a "black light" pen light, or an old camera flasher, to constantly recharge either the jig or bead about every 5th time down

if you go with the jig, take a #18 treble and drape it over the hook and slowly crimp to hook down to hold it in place

the treble and the GID stuff makes all the difference between a bucket and just a few!!!

good luck

koby

Ok, just trying to get this straight...a #18 treble hook with a GID bead free floating between the hook and the split shots?

Do you use anything on the hook (spike etc?)

Thanks for the info.

bcar1023 · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 05, 2008, 12:50 PM »

Hey Swampbuckster,

My in-laws have a cabin off of Meridian Line Road (Big Bear Lake) and we fished Gaylanta a lot last summer. Pulled some real nice pike out of there trolling around pulling a Rapala. I haven't fished McCormick in the summer though.

koby · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 05, 2008, 01:45 PM »

Quote from: Reel-Bonus on Feb 04, 2008, 08:56 PM

yes, the bead is on the line between the hook and split...we tip it with wax worms for smelt, either one or two wax worms

bcar1023 · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 05, 2008, 05:43 PM »

Reel-bonus,

I am going to make it out to Gull Lake this weekend and was wondering if the place you parked off of on Base Line Rd is pretty clear and easy to find. I am a first timer to Gull Lake and would appreciate any input. I'm coming from Sprinkle and Gull Rd. (M-43). Thanks!!

Reel-Bonus · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 05, 2008, 08:19 PM »

Quote from: bcar1023 on Feb 05, 2008, 05:43 PM

Reel-bonus,

I am going to make it out to Gull Lake this weekend and was wondering if the place you parked off of on Base Line Rd is pretty clear and easy to find. I am a first timer to Gull Lake and would appreciate any input. I'm coming from Sprinkle and Gull Rd. (M-43). Thanks!!

Yep, it's pretty easy to find. Somebody on this site turned me on to Baseline road access last year, I guess there are other places to park around the other side of the Lake but I have not tried to find those yet.

Take M-43 Left out of Richland and go around the lake to where the road(43) curves to the left, you want to go straight on Sheffield road. Take that to Williams road and turn Right (which I think turns into East Gull lake Drive at BaseLine road) Anyway turn Right (of Course) at BaseLine which dead-ends into the Lake, where you can drop your gear. You will have to drive your vehicle back and park it along Baseline road across Williams. Don't worry if there is ice you will see several other vehicles doing the same thing right at dusk.

Hope that made sense, you can go to Mapquest and see the road layout I was attempting to describe.

If we have Ice I'm gonna try to make it out this weekend as well, with my new #18 treble hooks and glow beads (thanks to Koby) 8)

Good Luck

Spawnwalker · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 06, 2008, 09:55 AM »

Don't waste your time at the end of Baseline road this weekend. I just drove down to the end of it last night and it is all broken up for about the first 8 feet or so (open water). And will be worse with todays weather. Nobody was out there either.

Reel-Bonus · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 06, 2008, 11:32 AM »

Quote from: Spawnwalker on Feb 06, 2008, 09:55 AM

Don't waste your time at the end of Baseline road this weekend. I just drove down to the end of it last night and it is all broken up for about the first 8 feet or so (open water). And will be worse with todays weather. Nobody was out there either.

Thanks for the report....cold weather is coming maybe by the following weekend we could be back out there

bcar1023 · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 06, 2008, 05:55 PM »

Quote from: Spawnwalker on Feb 06, 2008, 09:55 AM

Don't waste your time at the end of Baseline road this weekend. I just drove down to the end of it last night and it is all broken up for about the first 8 feet or so (open water). And will be worse with todays weather. Nobody was out there either.

I can jump at least eight feet with a running start!!

Thanks for the report. Hopefully it hardens up again real soon.

RealityCheck · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 06, 2008, 06:14 PM »

don't write off a gull lake trip just cuzz of this. there are alot of places to get on the lake. On the north end ...the prairieville township launch. South end in the bay by the marina...still probably good. I am going to try to check the north end tomorrow.

bcar1023 · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 06, 2008, 06:17 PM »

Quote from: RealityCheck on Feb 06, 2008, 06:14 PM

don't write off a gull lake trip just cuzz of this. there are alot of places to get on the lake. On the north end ...the prairieville township launch. South end in the bay by the marina...still probably good. I am going to try to check the north end tomorrow.

Hey realitycheck,

Thanks for the advice. If you could keep us posted I'd appreciate it. I didn't think that it got warm enough to take too much ice. I'll probably run by tomorrow night to check it out as well.

spartaman12 · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 06, 2008, 06:17 PM »

towards the end of last ice i went to gull and we had to walk over at least 10 ft of open water by throwing a big rock out half way then draping over a 2x4 on both ends and balancing on it while pulling the jet sled across the open water... trip was great bc we caught hundreds of smelt

swampbuckster · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 06, 2008, 06:23 PM »

I am willing to wade a few yards to get to good ice. Does anybody think it'll be fishable by Friday night? Been making plans to get out there for awhile now. Was hoping to get some smelt fishing done this weekend.

RealityCheck · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 06, 2008, 06:31 PM »

I will post tomorrow for you guys....chris...you will have a p.m. coming to you

swampbuckster · « **Reply #23 on:** Feb 07, 2008, 01:39 PM »

Thanks RC. Hoping for the best!

velocty98 · « **Reply #24 on:** Feb 12, 2008, 09:07 PM »

Are any of you guys planning on going out this weekend?

Michiganmallard · « **Reply #25 on:** Feb 13, 2008, 05:27 PM »

I'll be out with a couple buddies on Saturday night.

quiter · « **Reply #26 on:** Feb 13, 2008, 05:34 PM »

Hope to make it friday night? Where do you guys park at? Never been there before. Please help.

velocty98 · « **Reply #27 on:** Feb 13, 2008, 10:12 PM »

I'm heading out for the first time ever Sat. nite. Probably head there just before dark. My dad picked up some spikes & super small teardrops. I hope to meet some of you guys out there!

BTW, what kind of line do you guys prefer? I was thinking about some 2lb.

fishhead16 · « **Reply #28 on:** Feb 14, 2008, 11:15 AM »

does anyone know if its a long walk? It looks like were going out Fri. night., I just dont if I should bring the quad. Any info would be great. Thanks

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Author Topic: Gull lake Smelt Report (Read 3842 times)