Smelt Fishing

One of the coolest things we would do in the spring was go smelt fishing along the shore of Lake Michigan in March and April. You use a net to catch smelt because they travel in groups and are too small to make it worthwhile to try and catch them one at a time. Sometimes we would just go into the city and catch the smelt but most times we would drive an hour north to get away from the police so we could smoke some weed and drink some beers while we tried to snare some smelt.

Smelt are best to eat as you catch them because they are small and have a soft skeleton so you can eat the whole fish after you cut off the head and tail. They run along the shore feeding early in the morning while it is still dark out when they are spawning so it is best to be in place and stoned by about 4:00 AM. You should plan on about 15 smelt per person for a good hearty meal and if you plan on staying at the lake you might want to catch about 25 per person to keep the munchies in check throughout the day. You only have about a 2 hour window to catch them so it is fast and furious if you have a lot of people with you.

You always bring with you a grill, frying pan, olive oil, seasoned flour, garlic, tabasco sauce, and of course some pot to keep you hungry. If you like eating fried fish sandwiches you can also bring some bread and maybe some mayo. First, you get the smelt ready by chopping off the head and the tail of the ones you are going to eat. I like to keep the fish alive after I catch them so they are as fresh as possible when you eat them. Coat the smelt in your flour mix, fry em up about 10 at a time for a minute or two and enjoy.

Smelt Fishing