Ice Fishing for Smelt | A Winter Tradition in Maine

Every winter, when tributaries of the Kennebec River freeze over, pop-up fishing outposts, known as Smelt Camps, are set up on the ice. Fishermen from all over Maine visit these camps to rent shacks in six-hour intervals, hoping to fill a bucket with delicious rainbow smelt.
Last winter, we visited James Eddy Smelt Camp to experience this fishing tradition for ourselves.
Learn how to cook smelt by checking out Andy's Kentucky Fried Smelt recipe: • How to Fry Whole Smelt...
For more information:
Winter Road Trip: Smelt Camp (www.onthewater...)
James Eddy Smelt Camps (visitmaine.com...)
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On The Water: / onthewatermagazine
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Jimmy Fee: / jamestfee
Adam Eldridge: / adamjeldridge
Eddy Stahowiak: / edstack99
Mike Wec: / wicked_wec

[@lot2196]

Brings back memories. My dad and his buddies used to smelt dip in the Great Lakes. They would bring home a livestock water tank full of them and we would have a huge fish fry. Over 45 years ago.

[@derricklemmons3809]

Havent watched any of your other stuff, but right away, your ability to put together a documentary is actually very good. Its natural not forced. Do more of it!

[@gordongietek9104]

Priceless fun. Then you get to go home and chow on fresh smelt dinner. Are you sure your not in heaven. Much jealously from southern Michigan.

[@harrycrannell7895]

I was very fortunate to make the trip to Bakers smelt camp with my New Hampshire ocean fishing friends. Ton of fun

[@skyler4980]

Been going to james eddys forever the shit you see and here when the sun goes down is priceless

[@SattaBoysOutdoors]

I just got off the ice with a good haul of smelt. Something about them that makes it an experience everytime I target them.

[@aceboardtheangler5252]

The story about the old fisherman 🤙🏾🙏🏾💪🏾👌🏾🎣❤️

[@dougmarlow9466]

The biggest smelt i ever caught was an 11.5 inch female. Back in 80's......smelts were big and plentiful here in Nova Scotia. Hi neighbour's, happy smelting u guys. Great video guys, wish I was there with yas.

[@tomtom7299]

In Michigan we used to dip net them by the thousands when they came in from the great lakes to spawn..

[@dougmarlow9466]

Thanks for the reply, I love the feeling of a small old fishing community.

[@jelly_fishing]

Great start with the food!!! Looks like fun

[@Dogsrule777]

There’s nothin better than a bucket of fried smelt with tarter sauce. 🏆

[@downeastermaineusa3794]

TARTAR sauce... Howie Carr.

[@pwrplnt1975]

I live in Northern, Maine and we catch lake smelt on our beautiful northern lakes! It's a frigging blast!

[@joshturner299]

Wow I didn't realize Gary was into smelt fishing Guy is always on the go

[@FirstCatch]

Sometimes a little tiny drink helps 🤣. Awesome content thanks for sharing.

[@pamelapelech3249]

That is the coolest. Love watching this.

[@grommike3726]

I don’t eat fish but I love fishing, I imagine I’m a smelt fisherman’s best friend.

[@talon769]

"Glad I have 200 more to eat"...... PERFECT! Great video guys!

[@OnTheWaterMedia]

Thank you!

[@joshdyer3670]

Can’t wait for the ice this season👍🏻

[@bmdubclub9933]

me too this was definitely last year no ice on the riva yet

[@bmdubclub9933]

been fishing ponds and lakes for months

[@joshdyer3670]

@@bmdubclub9933 sucks

[@joshdyer3670]

@@bmdubclub9933 try Jamie’s or Jimmy’s pond same place in hallowell brookies are biting

[@fishlovme]

I love smelt! I live in Wisconsin and grew up in Green Bay. We used to line the rivers in the spring when they were spawning and be able to net a bucketfull of smelt in one or two dips! We also used to get a few of them while ice fishing for perch in the winter. Biggest one I ever got was 11 inches long! All of the bars had smelt fries...those were good times! But then, sometime in the mid 1990's when zebra mussels invaded the area waters the smelt all but disappeared. They were an invasive species when they first got into the Great Lakes! They are slowly making a comeback, but they still don't "run" well in the fall. Lake Superior still has some pretty good numbers though, but not Lake Michigan and Green Bay so much.

[@tomtom7299]

Lake Huron used to have massive Smelt runs ..After Salmon were introduced into the Great Lakes they all but disappeared..

[@clark-mcd]

Yessah!! Allen’s makes the magic happen

[@jcarry5214]

Also diabetes, but definitely the magic.

[@ronrichards2691]

Uncle Allen's thats how we do it up heea

[@ysoutdoorgaming3367]

keep this videos coming

[@CharlesNewkirk-lb6uh]

Cool video!!!

[@MrGomjabber]

I never would have thought people catch these one at time. Growning up we dipped them out of Lake Michigan at Port Washington on the break. Boom, lower net, let it sit a little bit, bring it back up, pour smelt into a bucket. It was a big party too btw.

[@jcarry5214]

That used to be a thing when my grandfathers were young but it's just not common now. There'd be men shoulder to shoulder getting hammered and eating tube steaks off the fire. I don't know if the runs got weak or what. The rivers got heavily polluted for most of the 2nd half of the century so I think any tradition dealing with being in the river and eating out of it died back. It was still legal when I was in high school but it was just uncommon. After ice out you can cast and snag them on the Kennebec. Tie on 4 trebles, the heaviest lead your rod can handle, and fire that sucker at the horizon. I worked with a guy from Wisconsin and I explained the shacks to him and he thought I was talking about another species, he'd only heard of netting them too.

[@gregoryhunts3006]

We used to do the same thing under the Hoan bridge in Milwaukee right down by Summer Fest back in the 80s

[@MrGomjabber]

@@gregoryhunts3006 Yep, 80s as well.

[@gregoryhunts3006]

@@MrGomjabber heard the smelt are somewhat making a comeback in lake Michigan, but I wouldn't eat a thing out of that terd hole now.

[@MatanuskaHIGH]

We have candlefish aka hooligan similar to smelt in Alaska but we fish them in May and use nets. They make good bait for King salmon and silver salmon as well as halibut and pike and burbot.

[@thefamsquad5609]

Looks like they are having a blast. Catching bait

[@bobbymartin2604]

I would love to do this !!!! Only a 3 hour ride next year I have to do it

[@jonnybravo2678]

A couple years ago I started cleaning my smells and throwing the guts in the water. A few minutes later the bite really picked up! I think I was chumming them in! Try it out!

[@jhaedtler]

We used to smelt fish on Lake Michigan ! it is like eating popcorn! Nothing new!

[@joshstarrvanhoose5335]

great to see good fishing traditions!! here in michigan we also love our smelt, great lakes run

[@stevehuntley3089]

And always bring a deck of cards for when things get slow. Remember: He who smelt it, delt it!

[@OilfieldTrash78]

I remember cleaning 5 gal buckets of these as a kid. We’d all have a pair of scissors in our hands. Lake Huron smelt back in the 80’s.

[@gregoryhunts3006]

I did the same, only on lake Michigan. Big giant net that you'd crank up and be amazed sometimes by what's in it.

[@hamiltonwalters1642]

I'm from the deep south -- cool to learn about smelt

[@nicholasdambrosia3908]

This looks so fun

[@robgrubb420]

hell yeah! SMELT EYES!

[@RovingBiologist]

I’ve always found it interesting how Mainers swear by Allen’s coffee brandy being a maine institution, even though it’s manufactured and bottled in Massachusetts.

[@isaiahpatkutaqmckenzie7964]

Wow we catch rainbow smelt all the way in the Arctic Ocean in Wainwright, Alaska same exact kind but bigger. We use hand carved brass hooks to catch them and when their really running we'll pull em up 500 a day. Awesome to see how vast fish species live

[@OnTheWaterMedia]

Very cool and so true @EskimoBrosFISHAK . Thanks for watching!

[@rccowboy709]

I know a man he’s about 95 he’s bin fishing for smelt in southern New Brunswick for decades he still fished for them

[@Justin-tp3lr]

I use to try and get up to River bend smelt camps in bowdoinham. If we ever get any ice I will have to look these guys up.

[@bmdubclub9933]

no ice quite yet we'll get it though just a late season. im from durham lisbon area

[@Rad21967]

I love that brandy miss it down in fl now

[@MATTLEism]

Smeltin!! Yesssaaahhh guy!!!

[@gillgetter3004]

Can get them on deep inland lakes thru ice. Dip them Lake Huron in spring, here in Michigan. Tasty treats!!!!!

[@dandingfelder6763]

We used to screw mouse traps to the walls of the shack instead of using poles. Was much easier! Plus it kept your hands free for beverages!

[@gunner-]

Loved to fish smelts with my grandfather almost 40 yrs ago fished off a pier in Lake Erie never forget grandfather had a beer in his hand and got busted by odnr then they were cool said pour out We got about 40 love smelt

[@TheRealAxia]

I love that place!

[@Brodozer39]

Don’t ever forget the importance of the bois bois bois. Your group of bois will never leave you, they may cheat on you, but they will never leave you!

[@jimb9303]

we scoop em up by the net full in April. Go at the right time and you'll have a 10gal pail filled in 10minutes

[@gavinservey1501]

I think somebody got into the nose beers ❄👀❄

[@kylekhaos9941]

he dont like cocaine but he loves the smell of it.wink

[@kydop6128]

sweet video! need to get my hands on some smelt through the ice out here in Buffalo.

[@Rad21967]

Parents use to take us there when we were kids

[@tonychau1983]

Hope we get some ice this yr

[@drewlancaster9706]

Great vid

[@RonGay58]

The smelting shack rental people have more than doubled the price. I can buy a lot of fish for $70.00, and I have spent many days catching nothing smelting.

[@georgepretnick4460]

We caught smelt for a ew years in the late 1960s in Lake Erie. Haven't seen any since then.

[@gagetman69jeffhebert32]

Dam i miss smelt dipping love them best eating cept perch

[@OnTheWaterMedia]

Both are tasty that's for sure

[@tbublz]

We don't use poles we use nets. But its been awhile for me. Pt. PeeLee and under Blue Water Bridge Michigan. That looked fun we do ice fishing perch like that much bigger fish but taste is equal.

[@treed5679]

I was trying to remember but we did use nets and had a 5gal bucket limit in MI

[@Thanosisnotreal]

I have memories of catching Smelt with nets on the river bank when I was a kid out here in Wa state. This video has me wondering if that was legal 🤣

[@dandingfelder6763]

It probably was. I have lived in Maine all my life. We do the same thing in the spring when they run the rivers and streams for their spawning run.

[@jcarry5214]

@@dandingfelder6763 Cool. I hadn't heard of anybody who still did that since my grandfather died. I used to cast and snag them below the Gardiner bridge.

[@TheChilKat]

I grew up in Minnesota netting Smelt when they ran heavy on the north shore of Lake Superior. We would get hundreds of pounds using dip nets. Sold most of the catch to pay for gas and beer.

[@jcarry5214]

@@dandingfelder6763 My grandfather had some funny stories about dipnetting up north. One time they were getting skunked on smelt and then the alewives showed up so they said screw it, let's keep alewives. So they were partying in the dark and bailing in the alewives. My grandfather stepped out of the river for some more beer and bumped into a warden. "you boys catching anything?" "just the herring, the alewives." "Hey you can't keep alewives!" My grandfather paused. Then he lit a smoke so the other guys would see the badge and uniform in the matchlight and screamed at the top of his drunk lungs "WHAT? YOU CAN'T CATCH ALEWIVES?! OH NO!" He said the sound of dozens of bushels of fish being dumped back into the river almost drowned out the warden calling him a rotten no good S.O. B. He got the biggest ticket the warden could write for his alewives but everyone helped pay it.

[@emiha49]

It’s really big smelts! Amazing. Japanese smelts are smaller than them…

[@krismolenda4615]

Damn I miss smelting! The smelt disappeared here in Lake Michigan. Our DNR sucks at managing the lake. Many traditions lost because of that.

[@theguy8715]

6 hours to sit around, get as drunk as you can, and catch minnows.

[@jimb9303]

sounds like my kinda party

[@brodywallen2143]

Why do people fish for minnows. When he pulled up the first fish and said they were gonna keep it I thought it was a joke, then buddy tossed her in the bucket.

[@theguy8715]

They're from Maine. Enough said.

[@jimb9303]

@@brodywallen2143 you get a good haul, clean em, batter em, fry em. They’re delicious.

[@chriswilliams8926]

Yeah. Noticed that too.

[@timmyjacobs7620]

Should been using the drop lines especially after they started baiting

[@dpmaine]

Always bite the head off of the first smelt caught !

[@jonnybravo2678]

Absolutely tradition!

[@slickosootf5641]

When was this video taken is there ice up there now nice video tho keep it coming

[@OnTheWaterMedia]

We filmed this last February on the 19th. I don't think they have enough ice yet but that could change soon. Thanks for watching!

[@mikesmith2214]

I live in maine and can tell u that as of now Jan 18 21 there is no ice

[@jcarry5214]

yeah my family's telling me the winter is real mild so far this year. Some year there's just never ice. It's not just river current, the tide still moves several feet as far up as augusta so that's a lot of flushing. It needs to get good and cold for a bit.

[@bmdubclub9933]

the kennebec isnt locked up till almost wyman lake . pray for cold weather!!!!

[@rcray6008]

I look right out of it, lol that's what happens when you work 72hrs straight...lol

[@madmedic366]

Lol That dude looks like he on some kind of speed lol

[@iksniler9067]

I'm moving to NH in a little over a year. I gotta see what these smelt camps are all about!

[@tigerpaws77]

Ive only ever used smelts as bait, never knew people eat them

[@shanewells9067]

Just went in Michigan caught 61 fish drank 15 beers 🍺🥶✌🏻

[@downeastermaineusa3794]

Ayuh..... Eastport , Maine USA

[@p3teytran]

Damm fishing must be super slow when you're excited to catch smelt lol. And I thought winter fishing in California was bad. Regardless, its fishing and you guys are having fun so thanks for sharing

[@p3teytran]

@Sparka J where I live in california, the water is too dirty so we've been advised against eating them out of our local bays/harbors. How do you cook them?

[@jayringle1446]

I use yellow yarn the teeth of the smelt get caught on the yarn and can't get off

[@jasonnester9514]

We used to have a lot of smelt but our walleye boomed so much they’re all gone

[@danielplummer124]

Who farted in here ? I just "smelt " one ! Lol,lol

[@dylanupdyke7124]

Doesn't smelting deplete the rivers of good fish later in the year?

[@jb7631]

We are NOT allowed to fish smelt at all in New York. Growing up we could net then and it was great . but as all things , some people dont know what limitations are or follow rules. So unfortunately here we are illegal to fish them. Still watch them run upstream and the Lakers and salmon nailing them lol

[@vibezonly69]

The guy in the trailer sounds exactly like Bubbles from TPB.

[@davidfacca8899]

He’s out getting smelts fir his kitties

[@barryseifert6053]

Hey i know Ray.Hi Ray

[@jamestfee]

Brandy Cam!

[@jcarry5214]

You're supposed to do the cooking on the woodstove in the shack. Wait, I didn't know anyone was running smelt camps with no stoves. My bad. I miss smelting, I live in the western US now after growing up on the kennebec and this is making me very homesick.

[@OnTheWaterMedia]

We took the stove out of our shack because with everyone in there it got extremely warm. Plus it saved us some space.

[@jcarry5214]

@@OnTheWaterMedia That makes more sense. Makes a lot of sense. I used to live a few minutes from there, I fished the next camps upstream and we had some winters around 2000-03 where the ice was forming so fast that if it stayed empty for a tide the hosts would have to go in and chainsaw the holes back open, but we never had that many dudes and gear in there.

[@jayringle1446]

The best way to catch smelt is with yarn soaked in iodine

[@eddieb35]

Where they coming from? The ocean! Lol

[@megasuperkittens420]

You drove by my buddies house in the first few seconds

[@Swagmattic]

It’s 👀 smelt 👀 fishing 👀 not 👀 smelt 👀 catching 👀!

[@tbublz]

Right we catch them in Michigan with nets!

[@brucelarrow7897]

I want to try this where in Maine is this

[@OnTheWaterMedia]

James Eddy Smelt Camps are in Dresden Maine

[@toppradd]

I here they taste like chicken .. is that true?

[@OnTheWaterMedia]

They are definitely delicious. I didn't taste chicken but it doesn't have a fishy taste either.

[@devins1195]

Whoever smelt it dealt it!

[@superdhc]

Good Catfish bait....lol

[@bmdubclub9933]

we use them for pike bait round here

[@dougmarlow9466]

3:40.....The guy narrating sounds exactly like "Eric the car guy". A utube mechanic.

[@mulemouse]

will I hear, ooh that's a big one?

[@dougmarlow9466]

All depends on who your fishing with and how much u have drank.

[@robhill3378]

i bet they are good to eat.

[@OnTheWaterMedia]

They're very delicious!

[@rockyourbodywithbignastyho7315]

Guy can control his meth high pretty good during the interview

[@j-rocd9507]

Dude immediately came to comments looking for someone to say it. Those fuckin eyes!

[@cameronvinar867]

Same

[@downeastermaineusa3794]

Buzz on ... Maine tradition.

[@jonnybravo2678]

I was like cocaine or amphetamines.. haha. Not judging!

[@clintonlied]

Michigan used to have amazing smelt runs. Too bad all of the hillbilly locals filled up truck beds.

[@petercollin5670]

Some of the bigger ones should have been mounted!

[@downeastermaineusa3794]

FFS Good grief.

[@petercollin5670]

@@downeastermaineusa3794 It was a joke. The thought of a nine inch fish proudly hung over the mantle is so ridiculous that it's funny. But a nine inch smelt is actually impressive.

[@downeastermaineusa3794]

@@petercollin5670 Yes . I got a good laff. Thanks. Yes, 9" is a dandy, upta camp !!

[@vincerangel554]

That guy looks like he likes to smoke that ice not the fish lol

[@ericlakota1847]

Wow some small ass fish

[@bmdubclub9933]

To bad this was last year.. there's not a lick of ice there right now..

[@chhempan9421]

Bring flowers aluminum tray and oil. You won’t regret it

[@OnTheWaterMedia]

Do you cook the smelt with the flowers?

[@chhempan9421]

@@OnTheWaterMedia I miss spelled flour lol

[@timmyjacobs7620]

Hate that hill at james eddys

[@blhornertube]

Hahahaha those aint smelt them are minnows come to Northern Minnesota I know a couple lakes on the gunpoint trail that have 14 inch smelt all day on herring rigs

[@bbrad628]

I just buy the ones in the can.

[@JennRFL16]

U went by my house and u at fishing at my cousins ex husbands place on the eastern river

[@jayringle1446]

Don't even need bait or a fishing pole using yarn