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SMELTING RESULTS
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By:
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emmersssss
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Mood:
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Full of life
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Date:
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May 10, 2008
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Music:
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None
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SO OUR VENTURE UP NORTH TO LAKE SUPERIOR TURNED OUT GREAT. THE FORECAST WAS SNOW FOR THE WEEKEND OF APRIL 26th, BUT WE HAD ALREADY MADE PLANS TO GO THAT WEEKEND. I CALLED THE WISCONSIN DNR HOTLINE FOR ASHLAND TO GET THE SMELT RUN DETAILS FRIDAY. THE LADY SAID THAT THEY WERE RUNNING BUT VERY SLOW. SO MY HOPES OF GETTING 2 COOLERS FULL WAS GOING TO BE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE. WE LEFT EAU CLAIRE AROUND 12:30 am AND STOPPED AT WALMART ON THE WAY OUT OF TOWN TO PICK UP NEW WADERS AND WE WERE OFF. WE STOPPED AT OUR ABSOLUTE FAVORITE HAYWARD BAR , THE MOCCASIN BAR, JUST IN TIME FOR LAST CALL :) IF YOU HAVE BEEN TO HAYWARD, WI AND HAVEN'T HAD THE CHANCE TO STOP THERE TO SEE CAL JOHNSON'S WORLD RECORD MUSKEE YOU ARE MISSING OUT. THEY HAVE SO MANY NEAT THINGS TO LOOK AT THERE. BACK TO SMELTING........... WE ARRIVED IN ASHLAND AROUND 3:30am. WE CRUZED ABOUT 10mi NORTH TO WASHBURN TO CHECK OUT THE ICE SITUATION. GOING THROUGH ONE OF THE PARKS IN WASHBURN WE WERE PRETTY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT THERE WAS STILL QUITE A BIT OF ICE. NOT GOOD. WE DROVE BACK TO ASHLAND AND STOPPED BY A PARK ACROSS FROM PAMIDA. THERE WERE ABOUT 25 VEHICLES PARKED SOME WITH CAMPERS. YOU COULD TELL A FEW TRUCKS HAD GUYS SLEEPING IN THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR STEAMY WINDOWS. JOHN DECIDED TO GET OUT AND CHECK IT OUT. I WAS EXTREMLY SLEEPY AND COLD SO I STAYED IN THE CAR. WHEN HE CAME BACK HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL BONFIRES ON THE BEACH AND ONE GROUP OF GUYS STILL GETTING DRUNK. HE ASKED THEM IF THEY GOT ANYTHING. THEY SAID THEY HAD A FEW AND THAT THE RUN WASN'T VERY GOOD YET :( WE CHECKED INTO OUR HOTEL AND CAUGHT SOME ZZZZZZs. THE NEXT MORNING WE AWOKE TO SNOW SHOWERS AND 30MPH WINDS!!!!! I WAS BUMMED. WE TOOK A ROAD TRIP BACK TO WASHBURN AND CHECKED OUT A FEW DIFFERENT PARKS AND BEACHES. WE STOPPED AT THE PIER WHERE THERE WERE A FEW PEOPLE FISHING FOR TROUT AND LAWYERS. JOHN GOT SOME HELPFUL HINTS FROM A LOCAL. WE STILL HAD THE WHOLE DAY TO BURN BEFORE THE RUN. WE DROVE UP TO BAYFIELD (MY FAVORITE SUMMER WI VACA SPOT) TO SEE HOW DIFFERENT IT IS DURING OFF SEASON. ON THE WAY BACK WE STOPPED AT OUR FAV BAYFIELD BAR FOR A COUPLE. WE THEN DECIDED WE WOULD TRY OUR LUCK IN THE ONION RIVER. WE FISHED THE END OF THE ONION RIGHT WHERE IT OPENS UP INTO SUPERIOR. NOTHING. WE THEN WENT AND GOT A BITE TO EAT AND TALKED OVER WHERE WE WERE GOING TO SET UP OUR NET. WE WENT BACK TO ASHLAND AND CHECKED OUT THE BEACH WHERE WE SAW ALL OF THE CAMPERS. AT 6pm THERE WAS ABOUT 30 NETS LINED UP ALONG THE SHORELINE! I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW MANY PEOPLE GET SET UP TO WAIT 5 HOURS! SO WE THOUGHT WE WOULD TRY OUR LUCK BACK IN WASHBURN. WE WERE THE ONLY ONES SET UP FOR QUITE AWHILE UNTIL A MAN AND 2 YOUNG BOYS PULLED UP AND SET UP THEIR NET. WE STARTED A FIRE AND WAITED TILL THE SUN WENT DOWN. WE WATCHED AS THE 2 BOYS DID THEIR FIRST PULL. NOTHING!!!!! MY HEART SUNK TO MY FEET! SO WE DECIEDED TO TAKE A PULL. TO EXPLAIN TO YOU ALL WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'M TALKING ABOUT...... 2 PEOPLE GO INTO LAKE SUPERIOR MID WAIST AND PULL A 5' SEINE NET ALONG THE BOTTOM KEEPING IN TIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO OF US AND MAKING SURE YOUR POLE WAS ALMOST DIGGING IN THE BOTTOM. I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE EASY BUT I WAS VERY WRONG. I USED MUSCLES I DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED!!!!! OUR FIRST PULL WE GOT ONE SMELT AND A FEW MINNOWS! JOHN WANTED TO DO IT AGAIN. I WAS OUT OF BREATH BUT AGREED. WE PULLED OUT 2 SMELT AND A FEW MINNOWS. I WAS THINKING THAT THIS WAS ALOT OF WORK FOR NOTHING! I NEEDED A FEW MORE BEERS :) THE ONLY PART OF ME THAT GOT REALLY COLD WAS MY HANDS. OTHERWISE IT WASN'T AS COLD AS I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE WADING INTO FRIDGID LAKE SUPERIOR. WE DID ONE MORE PULL AND RIPPED A SLIT FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR NET UP! GRRRRRRRR. LUCKILY WE HAD ANOTHER NET. THE GUY AND 2 BOYS LEFT WITH NO LUCK AND WE THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THE SAME. WE HAD A FEW LOCALS DRIVE THROUGH THE PARK AND CHAT WITH US. WE FOUND OUT THAT THE BEST SPOT FOR SMELT IS AT PAMIDA BEACH IN ASHLAND WHERE EVERYONE AND THEIR BROTHER WAS. WE GOT THERE AROUND 11 AND LUCKILY SOME PEOPLE JUST LEFT TWO NETS DOWN FROM THE WALKWAY SO WE GOT THEIR SPOT. OUR FIRST PULL WAS A HUGE SUCCESS WITH A DOZEN OR TWO SMELT! WE DID A FEW MORE PULLS. ENDED UP SNAGGING A BABY PERCH! I DIN'T KNOW SUPERIOR HAD PERCH! WE THREW IT BACK ALONG WITH A DOZEN OR SO MINNOWS. AT THIS POINT I WAS GETTING VERY SORE. MY ARMS WERE SHAKEY AND FELT LIKE JELLO. THIS TRIP SHOWED ME HOW OUT OF SHAPE I REALLY AM! JOHN HAD MADE REPAIRS TO MICE HOLES IN BOTH OF THE NETS. AFTER THE THIRD PULL OUR SECOND NET HAD ABOUT A SOFTBALL SIZE HOLE SO WE WERE LOSING SOME OF THE SMELT. WHEN WE GOT TO THE BEACH THEY WERE PILED UP ON THE SIDE OPPOSITE THE HOLE. WE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO KEEP USING THAT NET. WE WERE TAKING A BREATHER AND A GUY FROM DOWN THE BEACH WALKED OVER AND WAS TELLING JOHN THAT HIS PARTNER WAS TIRED AND DIDN'T WANT TO PULL FOR AWHILE SO JOHN ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED TO TAKE A PULL OR TWO WITH HIM. THAT IS WHEN WHAT I HAD PREDICTED WOULD HAPPEN TO ME HAPPENED TO JOHN....... HE TIPPED OVER AND FILLED HIS WADERS :) I THOUGHT FOR SURE IT WOULD BE ME ESPECIALLY AFTER A FEW BEERS! COMING OUT OF THE WATER THE NET BUSTED AT THE POLE. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE WERE DONE. WHAT AN ADVENTURE. WE HAD ABOUT 1/4 OF OUR 5 GAL PAIL FILLED. WE HEADED BACK TOWARDS OUR HOTEL AND SAW THAT SUBWAY WAS STILL OPEN AT 2:30am!!!! YAY! I NEEDED FOOD IN A BAD WAY. AFTER 6 HOURS OF DRINKING IT SEEMED LIKE I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A BUZZ! IT IS PROBABLY THE HARDEST FISHING IV'E EVER DONE! AFTER WE GOT HOME JOHN CLEANED THEM WHILE I SLEPT ;) AND WE ENDED UP WITH 120 OF THEM. WHAT AN ADVENTURE. WE ARE DEFINETLY GOING AGAIN NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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