Author Topic: Higgins Lk. Smelt (Read 2269 times)

Mike Wagner · « **on:** Feb 21, 2013, 07:30 AM »

I`m thinking about heading up one day this wk. end. Just wondering if anyone has been out for them and is there any sign of a daytime bite yet? Thanks, Mike

walleye621 · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 21, 2013, 01:42 PM »

Last i heard the daytime bite has not started yet. I will be heading up there next weekend. This weekend I will be on green lk in interlocen.

Mike Wagner · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 21, 2013, 02:56 PM »

Thanks, I usually make 2 or 3 one day exploratory runs up till they are biting and then do a couple day trip, with the price of gas I have to try to time my trips better.

Grunt · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 21, 2013, 04:41 PM »

I'm going to be headed up there next Friday for a couple of nights also - anybody have any info on the ice conditions ? Thanks.

dachmation · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 21, 2013, 05:50 PM »

Take your power auger!

Mike Wagner · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 21, 2013, 06:19 PM »

Quote from: dachmation on Feb 21, 2013, 05:50 PM

Take your power auger!

Mr. Dach I see your right up there, whats the slush like? I know you guys have had a good bit of snow lately, I don`t mind the walk from the west launch to smeltville but pulling the sled in the slush could do me in.

dachmation · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 21, 2013, 06:39 PM »

Quote from: Mike Wagner on Feb 21, 2013, 06:19 PM

Mr. Dach I see your right up there, whats the slush like? I know you guys have had a good bit of snow lately, I don`t mind the walk from the west launch to smeltville but pulling the sled in the slush could do me in.

LoL Yes, I'm normally right at Houghton Lake, but right now I'm sitting in Florida enjoying 80 degree temps today. Had an noon luncheon out on patio with several relatives was very enjoyable.

Sorry i can't help you with conditions right now!

Mike Wagner · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 22, 2013, 04:29 AM »

I understand completely, but why would you leave all this snow, ice and cold for someplace warm and sunny?

scout 2 · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 22, 2013, 09:07 AM »

I live 10 miles west of HL and last sat I went up by Higgins to the ice fest. At that time there did not appear to be much slush on the ice but I am sure there were pockets in places. We got a bit of snow since so I don'r know what it is like now. Hope this helps some. Yesterday I went to HL and was suprized at how little snow was there. I am 10 miles north of M 55 and we have 24 inches or better on the ground and there is more the farther nort you go

Grunt · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 22, 2013, 01:57 PM »

Thanks guy's !

mud_n_fun · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 22, 2013, 04:10 PM »

Quote from: scout 2 on Feb 22, 2013, 09:07 AM

Yesterday I went to HL and was suprized at how little snow was there.

Mother Nature an I have an agreement!

dachmation · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 22, 2013, 05:25 PM »

Well I'm sure with me in Florida right now, you will have plenty of ice and just enuff snow for
the 2 arctic cats I have in the garage up there, LoL

Mike Wagner · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 23, 2013, 08:58 AM »

Thanks guys, I think I might wait a week until they start biting a bit better. Mike

Steellord2 · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 23, 2013, 09:48 AM »

Hey Mike, check out the post here about the gathering on Higgins next weekend.

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=231752.0

Mike Wagner · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 23, 2013, 02:28 PM »

Thanks Steellord,

Smeltman · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 24, 2013, 01:30 AM »

Just came back from Higgins very little snow. Ran into a little slush in a couple of spots. 14"+ of ice. I got plenty of smelt. No day bite that i know of. I heard they got a couple inches of snow last night. And smelt bite had slowed down.

swampbuckster · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 24, 2013, 05:40 PM »

Was up there last night. Smelt bite was slow. Wife and I couldn't even reach 30 between dark and 10:30. Gave up and called it quits. Got around three to four light and fluffy inches of snow but other than that, the lake was easy walking.

swampbuckster · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 24, 2013, 07:50 PM »

Just cleaned and counted. 35 total. Better than I thought but still slow night.

dachmation · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 24, 2013, 07:56 PM »

Quote from: swampbuckster on Feb 24, 2013, 07:50 PM

Just cleaned and counted. 35 total. Better than I thought but still slow night.

Well just about a meal for the 2 of you!

swampbuckster · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 24, 2013, 07:59 PM »

Quote from: dachmation on Feb 24, 2013, 07:56 PM

Well just about a meal for the 2 of you!

Yeah. Big smelt too. Hope their spines crunch up nicely after I fry them! Lol. It was a relief cleaning though. Usually it's a three hour process. Lol

mud_n_fun · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 25, 2013, 05:19 PM »

Pretty good on a full moon weekend.

dachmation · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 25, 2013, 06:06 PM »

Quote from: swampbuckster on Feb 24, 2013, 07:59 PM

Yeah. Big smelt too. Hope their spines crunch up nicely after I fry them! Lol. It was a relief cleaning though. Usually it's a three hour process. Lol

They should be OK, I have eaten them up to 12", maybe should have filetted those, LoL. "Were a little crunchy".

Mike Wagner · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 25, 2013, 06:28 PM »

Quote from: swampbuckster on Feb 24, 2013, 07:59 PM

Yeah. Big smelt too. Hope their spines crunch up nicely after I fry them! Lol. It was a relief cleaning though. Usually it's a three hour process. Lol

Usually the big ones spines pull right out while you are eating them, sort of like tiny fish ona stick

scout 2 · « **Reply #23 on:** Feb 25, 2013, 06:41 PM »

If you get enough of the big ones you can smoke them. They are like eatting the big pretzils. We use to dip alot of 12 plus inch ones in Lake Mich around South Haven

Grunt · « **Reply #24 on:** Mar 04, 2013, 11:13 PM »

Was up there and fished Friday and Saturday nights. Didn't catch enough smelt to make a decent sandwich ! Marked a lot of them just couldn't get em to bite.

jmpostma · « **Reply #25 on:** Mar 05, 2013, 05:44 AM »

Hubby and I fished Thurs, Fri & Sat night. Caught a total of 361 smelt. 60' of water, they were only biting on the bottom, about 5 cranks up. Sat we caught some during the day.

Mike Wagner · « **Reply #26 on:** Mar 05, 2013, 07:44 AM »

Made it up over the wk. end, started early morning in front of Birch Lodge at the usual good spots didn`t even see one, moved to Big Creek seen them no takers though. Headed back out of the west launch at dark moved south of the pack, 48' deep and ended up with 85, had bottom 10' on the flasher full the whole time and at times the bottom 25' full. They were very picky even when the commotion slowed they were not very aggresive.

walleye621 · « **Reply #27 on:** Mar 05, 2013, 07:55 AM »

Should have stayed at big creek Mike. Fri just south of smeltville pack was slow only 85caught between the 4 of us. Sat. nite was better with about 250. Vex was lit up from 12' to bottom in 55'. Left at midnite but bite was still going.

Mike Wagner · « **Reply #28 on:** Mar 05, 2013, 08:49 AM »

Quote from: walleye621 on Mar 05, 2013, 07:55 AM

Should have stayed at big creek Mike. Fri just south of smeltville pack was slow only 85caught between the 4 of us. Sat. nite was better with about 250. Vex was lit up from 12' to bottom in 55'. Left at midnite but bite was still going.

Buddy I was with had fished the spot we went to a 1 1/2 wk. ago and got 400, we were hoping for a repeat. This was the first time I have fished them at night, when we got to the launch I was awed, there had to be hundreds shantys in about a 1/4 mile spread, with the lites under the shantys the ice seemed to glow, sureal to say the least and all for a tiny, tasty fish. When we came off at 2am there were just a couple folks left, there was an awsum moon and total silence.

News:

Author Topic: Higgins Lk. Smelt (Read 2269 times)