Die hard smelters (HELP)

[Higgins]

I live in Muskegon and love to catch them smelt in Crystal and Higgins lake and I have been fishing for them for the past 5 years, but don't let the 5 years fool ya cause I only go maybe 2 to 3 times a year cause of the distance I have to travel and only the last 2 years have I finally figured them out and started catching them.

OK here is my question for you die hard smelters that live near a smelt lake:

 I only do good the first 2 hours of dark and then they seem to stop biting so I pack it up. Do the smelt normally start biting again later in the night or do they normally stop until just before light in the morning  I can't seem to get over the 50 mark and yet I hear of guys catching 100+ all the time    so will a few more hours out on the ice really mean the difference between 50 and 150.

If you want you can just send me a personal message with any info that you will give out.
 

[GTFS]

I fish smelt on green lake in Interlochen and we tend to catch them from right at dark until the wee hours of the morning.  That lake has produced some 200 fish nights for us

[Higgins]

I fish smelt on green lake in Interlochen and we tend to catch them from right at dark until the wee hours of the morning.  That lake has produced some 200 fish nights for us

That's what I wanted to hear, I may just have to stick it out for another few hours.

Any others out there to confirm that they will bite later in the night  .

[deerjohn]

I've caught smelt on Green up until midnite, then had to quit because I couldn't keep my eye's open.  Anything happening on green or Crystal right now??  DEERJOHN

[wally-eye]

I've caught smelt on Green up until midnite, then had to quit because I couldn't keep my eye's open.  Anything happening on green or Crystal right now??  DEERJOHN

Crystal just froze over 2 days ago........gonna be a few days.  Some guys are fishing the very far east end that froze first but nothing but dink perch.....

[Higgins]

Crystal just froze over 2 days ago........gonna be a few days.  Some guys are fishing the very far east end that froze first but nothing but dink perch.....

Thanks for the info on Crystal cause that's where I'm headed to on the 24th and unless we get a warm up there should be safe ice by then 

[zwalleye]

Hey Higgins, why is it, from reading your posts, you only seem to go north for smelt?  Seems like Gull Lake would be a easy trip for you.  We've been waiting for Crystal to freeze too, but I mentioned maybe we should head south once.  Just thought you might have some input.

[Higgins]

Hey Higgins, why is it, from reading your posts, you only seem to go north for smelt?  Seems like Gull Lake would be a easy trip for you.  We've been waiting for Crystal to freeze too, but I mentioned maybe we should head south once.  Just thought you might have some input.

First off I would like to say that I have never even seen Gull lake and have nothing against it but with that said it has been my experience that the further you go south the more houses and factory's are on the lakes and no matter how you slice it the more houses and factory's that are on a lake the more pollution there will be and I can't stand eating fish from a polluted lake and not knowing what is going into my body and this is coming from some one who lives about 6 miles from Muskegon lake (yes I do fish Muskegon lake but not that often and it's usually to spear). Also I have been brainwashed by my dad and his whole family to only go North when it comes to hunting and fishing, So there is your answer to why I don't fish Gull Lake. It might sound crazy but that's how I was brought up  .

[zwalleye]

I guess I'm kinda the same way too.  I hate to go south, but love to drive north.  Things just seem cleaner.  I agree on Muskegon and White Lake.  I fish them once in a while but only to fish.  I've never taken anything home out of those waters.  I know they've cleaned them up a lot, but I know there are cleaner waters to get some good eating fish out of.  Has anyone heard if Green Lake has froze up and if people are on it yet?

[Higgins]

I guess I'm kinda the same way too.  I hate to go south, but love to drive north.  Things just seem cleaner.  I agree on Muskegon and White Lake.  I fish them once in a while but only to fish.  I've never taken anything home out of those waters.  I know they've cleaned them up a lot, but I know there are cleaner waters to get some good eating fish out of.  Has anyone heard if Green Lake has froze up and if people are on it yet?

For the life of me I can't remember who I heard it from but, YES  Green lake is good to go and I'm thinking of taking my first trip ever up there this year but I first need to collect all the info I can on it before I make the long trip (if you have fished it before and have any good info you could give please send me a PM but if not than that's cool  8) ) .

[zwalleye]

No, info from me, I've only fished it during the summer.  Anybody else?

[superslabs]

Higgins, I used to fish smelt often on higgins up till about 10 years ago. There were many times that we would do better in the day time than at night. Last year in feb. we pounded them. A school came in when we were fishing lakers.  The day time bite is better later though. Mid March when the come shallow. Use your flasher and don't be affraid to break from the pack. The smelt fishing is not what it used to be on Higgins. I bet there are more of them in there than any other lake. They tend to be better for eating then the Crystal fish . The Crystal fish run bigger. 

[zonks]

I think the smelt are attracted to jaegermeister, at least on Higgins lake. We sat there for quite a while and didn't catch anything while the drunks kept getting doubles and triples.

[GTFS]

green lake has 6 to seven inches of good ice with 4 inches being the clear black type.  My experience has been that fishing from the launch on betsie river road is the best.  I really like to fish there because we are talking about a 50 yard walk to good smelt fishing and 150 yards to decent trout fishing   I talked to a friend that went out last night, he started at 7pm and stopped at 12:30 am (he had to work in the morning).  He caught 76 smelt by himself in 48 FOW he said the fish were suspended in mid 20ft range.  He also caught a mud puppy on a tip up.  He was using a small Hali jig and small perch minnows

[flagguy83]

Higgins do you use a light and shine it down the hole? That always works for me also try cedar lake in traverse city you don't have to walk along way and I have had 200 plus nights there.

[Higgins]

Higgins do you use a light and shine it down the hole? That always works for me also try cedar lake in traverse city you don't have to walk along way and I have had 200 plus nights there.

Where the heck is Cedar lake  What City is it the very closest to  

Yes I do use a submersible light and it has helped me out  .

[flagguy83]

Its in traverse city. The little town its by is greilickville. Look in between Traverse city and suttons bay its right by lake leelanau

[velocty98]

Hey guys, Gull is about the clearest, cleanest lake you will find.  The property values on that lake are out of sight, due to the fact that it is so clean.  There are many one million $+ houses out there and NO factories in the area.  I would not hesitate to eat fish out of Gull.  I am picky about water quality too.  I also have been "brainwashed" to go north.  My family is from (still is) Traverse City & Kalkaska.  That's where I hunt.

Just saying...Gull is clear and blue.  Don't let the locale fool you!

[Higgins]

Hey guys, Gull is about the clearest, cleanest lake you will find.  The property values on that lake are out of sight, due to the fact that it is so clean.  There are many one million $+ houses out there and NO factories in the area.  I would not hesitate to eat fish out of Gull.  I am picky about water quality too.  I also have been "brainwashed" to go north.  My family is from (still is) Traverse City & Kalkaska.  That's where I hunt.

Just saying...Gull is clear and blue.  Don't let the locale fool you!

I was going to ask some one how clean Gull was and thanks for the info but I don't think that I could get my dad to go south but I have a aunt in Hastings and maybe if I'm down there during ice season I will swing by one night and give it a shot.

Yup, I see Cedar lake now and it looks like a nice lake being right next to the bay but I know that it would be to hard passing up Crystal lake and then Green lake to get to it and spend an extra $15, but thanks for the option.

I posted this topic on another ice fishing forum and got some good Ideas and I will share them with you guys:

1.Just plain and simple stay out even after the first bite stops cause they often pick back up.
2. Turn off your light for 5 to 10 minutes just to try and get a new school in or maybe just trigger them a little to start biting (hey it's worth a shot and it can't hurt)
3. I have always fished them in depths of 55 to 65 fow and I hear from many guys that they fish them from 25 to 40 fow and they are the same amount of fish just in a higher concentration cause of the shallower depths.
4, More hooks: I started off fishing for smelt with about 5 hooks plus the Hali and gave it up cause it was always getting in the way and now I'm just using the Hali but I think I'm going to amp it up with 2 extra hooks above my Hali just to see if that will get me into the 100 mark for smelt