GULL LAKE

[BendingLimits]

Thanks!!!

[smeltbuster]

Don't think I'm going to make it out tonight, got to get up too early for work.

[odabe]

How are you rigging your lines with the flies? And are you using a dropper or directly to the main line?

[BendingLimits]

Anyone going out tonight? Toss me a pm

[smeltbuster]

How are you rigging your lines with the flies? And are you using a dropper or directly to the main line?

Hi Odabe, been looking for ya out there !  Pretty sure  I showed you how I rig, but here goes. I have dropped down to 6 hooks, from my usual 10-12. Got tired of throwing pike back, because I had too many hooks on the line ! I start w/ a very small swivel snap & tie it on to the end of a piece of 3lb. test about 8-10' long. I then thread my flies on, one at a time & tie them w/ a surgeons loop (short dropper). I space them about 8" apart. I tie a Hali or a Sitka smelt stick on the bottom. My hook string used to be about 7' long, it is now about 4'  long. I use  spikes for bait. Hope this helps.

[odabe]

Ya Smeltbuster I remember you showing me now that you explained it again.Looking forward to getting out again now that there's safe ice.Hope to see you out there.

[smeltbuster]

Forgot this part about the rig. My brother came up w/ this;  The reason for the small swivel at the top of the rig , is so we can cut it off our pole at the end of the night & wrap it around a short piece of foam water pipe insulation that has a piece of pvc water pipe inside , for some stability.  Simply start by hooking the Hali in one end of the foam, & wrap the rig around, securing the hooks, as you go. When you get to the swivel, a small piece of duct tape, secures the swivel. Simply reverse the operation , when your setting up. I prefer about a 3" length of the stuff.  NO Loose hooks on our poles anymore, to worry about. Remember, you can use any # of hooks for smelt fishing, on recognized smelt waters; However , if you catch anything other than smelt, & you have more than 6 hooks, you have to throw it back.  This means NO tip-ups, or a 2nd pole, if you have more than 6 hooks on 1 line. Personally, I think concentrating on 1 pole for smelt fishing is more productive, other fishing.......not so much !

[lookinfopike]

Anyone going out tonight? Toss me a pm

Nice meeting you, and good luck with the flies tonight

[Hermin]

I was out there today.  Was it one of you guys that came and opened my shanty up?   

[fishin4smelt]

Buddy & I fished the North end for the first time this year tonight. Caught a few before dark. Best action was between 8:30 - 10 for us. Went straight out from the launch to 80 FOW. Stopped fishing around 11:30. Between the two of us we caught 294. Probably the best night of fishing we've had on Gull for smelt. Hoping to get back out on Tuesday. Good luck...  <*)))>{ ing

[Wgorby]

I am currently planning on this Thur night on the North end....overnight lows later this week will hopefully repair what the daytime highs/rain do to the ice.  How much ice were you guys finding out there on the north end this past weekend? Any atv/snowmobile traffic yet?

[Vtran4600]

Just curious as to how much ice  to safely run a side by side or quad

[Hermin]

I do not endorse running a sled or a quad right now but I saw someone out there on one last night.  There was open water in places on the north end on Wednesday.   That being said there was around 6-7 inches of ice where I was fishing.

[Wgorby]

Thanks Hermin.....I don't want to be the first out there on a machine but 6"+ of ice is a good start.  How much snow ya'll get down there?  The lakes here in GR and north 30 min or so have zero snow pack...which makes dragging gear pretty easy by foot.

[GpaPerchEye]

Very good news on north end. I will prolly trudge out one of the next couple nights.

[Average-Joe]

there was one side by side on the south end yesterday. Very little snow with completely bare ice in places. As of yesterday, the two or three spots with open water on the north end looked to be skimmed over.

[DaveSS1]

Was out at the North End at Prarieville Saturday night.  Ice is 5-7" in most places.  Areas of concern would be at shore where there is a small buckle getting and out to the 90-100' deep hole where there is open water.  Most guys were fishing in the 60-65' zone and there was a small group of us that ventured towards the open area.  I was probably 150 yards from the water and there was still 7" of ice.  One machine out there Saturday night.  Just a warning for you guys because the open spots are slowly freezing up despite the efforts of the swans but if we get any snow it could get covered up.  Spud out once you get into the 80' area just in case as the navionics app is slightly off in parts.
Fishing for me was slow...had a string of bad luck setting up my hub shanty and ended up breaking one of my poles in the wind which resulted in a late start setting up and fishing with shards of fiberglass in my hand.  Fish were done there but very finicky.  Changed up 3 different rigs and found best results on my hali with spikes or a plain hook and waxie.  Wouldn't touch jigs or flies which was complete opposite from my last trip which they only would touch the jigs and flies... after spilling my only beer, breaking my strike indicator on my palm rod, I decided it wasn't my night.  Maybe next time.
Good luck out there!

[Hermin]

Me and my dad got 276 last night.  I had 12 doubles.

[smeltbuster]

Man, this work thing is really messing things up for me  .  actually I am very happy to hear that you guys are catching some really good #'s  . Dave, Sorry to hear about your rotten luck. If you are going to fish this next week-end & need a spot in a shanty to fish, let me know. I will leave my brother at home !  As for open water, be very careful around the "Hogsback", there was a very Large area of open water, as Of Saturday. One more thing, if you are fishing the north part of the lake, keep your eyes open for a Bald Eagle ! We seen one Sat. morning & my son seen it again yesterday. Pretty cool to see !

[Hermin]

278 tonight.

[GpaPerchEye]

Good job Hermin. Thanks for the reports. I think I'm going tonight. Did you get some before dark ?

[Wgorby]

278 tonight.

Dang...278! Nice work.....you posted that at 9:12pm, must be a early bite.  I like the sound of that.

[Taco]

Thinking of going out from the bible conference tonight. How's the ice out there in 80'? Thanks

[smeltbuster]

Thinking of going out from the bible conference tonight. How's the ice out there in 80'? Thanks

  Guess I should have read this, before I read your PM.  I fished the bible conf., last Thurs. night, in about 70' of water. we ended up w/ 45 fish. Take the tip I gave you, in the PM I just sent.

[dutch3376]

Headed to Gull tonight with a budy for smelt.  Any tips appreciated. 🙂

[smeltbuster]

Headed to Gull tonight with a budy for smelt.  Any tips appreciated. 🙂

70'-75' water, Baseline rd. go SW, catch smelt!

[BC_ICE]

Good job Hermin, sounds like you are having fun. But that is a lot of smelt cleaning.

[Smeltman]

I heard from a friend they did real well on 2nd bay last night

[Zktaylor]

I went out off of baseline last night and did pretty well. We were out about an hour before dark and only stayed til 8 and had 154. Probably could have stayed and continued to whack em but the girlfriend was hungry and I was dog tired. Plenty of other folks out there. Ice was a good 6".

[Vtran4600]

Ordered some smelt flies from lookinfopike and being last minute he meet us at the north end and gave us some tips on  what to do,  fished in 65fow with non stop action ended the night with 308 smelt between 2 guys huge thanks lookinfopike the flies took majority of the fish