Dippin Yet??

Ironmower · February 17, 2009, 06:52:21 AM

Ice is off the potomac here and waitin' for the water too come up a little. this a tradition in our family for years. New to the area people, never heard of it.Seems the river ain't what it used to be, higher water in spring don't happen like it used to.Nothin' like settin' up a rig and throwin' a net, big fire, bottle of turkey.....Yaaah

beenthere · February 17, 2009, 09:56:17 AM

Sounds like fun, but a pic or two would sure help us to better understand what "dippin" is all about. ;D ;D
(the bottle of turkey I understood....yaaah !)

Jeff · February 17, 2009, 10:39:23 AM

What do you dip there? Here is is either smelt or suckers. We are a long way from dipping though. Probably 6 weeks.

Corley5 · February 17, 2009, 08:01:35 PM

Dipped a steelhead with some suckers once ;) ;D

pasbuild · February 17, 2009, 08:35:38 PM

When I was a kid it was BIG stuff ta go with dad and dip fer smelt, would fill garbage cans between the three families that went every year, now a days have ta go south ta that lake Michigan just ta see a few :'(

thecfarm · February 17, 2009, 08:42:33 PM

We just call it smelting in these parts.Will see the big net with a long handle on top of a truck.

ErikC · February 17, 2009, 11:30:11 PM

Nothing to do with ice, but we go over to the coast and dip grunion (surf smelt) in the surf now and then. Makes a fine fish fry. Something along those lines what your up to?

Ironmower · February 19, 2009, 06:27:05 AM

Sorry guys, camera got smashed so let me explain a little better, dippin' season here runs from feb 1st to midnight April 30th. The net can't be over 36 sq.ft and a minimum 1/4 inch mesh. The only fish you can keep are non-game fish (carp, suckers,) although we catch every thing (sunfish, smallmouths, google-eyes, channel & mud cats), and these are throwed back........ As for the rig, this is where everybody has their own setup, it can be anything from a custom steel pipe set up witch personally is heavy and awkward too stumble through the brambles (bottle of turkey!!). I like too make mine on site, ax, saw, knife and some rope. Find a nice strait tree or branch, no bigger than 3 inches at the butt for your boom, pick a good hole, usually around the mouth of a steam or creek, or just a nice "eddy". Ok heres where you'll have to imagine, notch a "chosen" tree too except the boom, modifying the boom as needed, this needs too be able to swing ( over your hole and to the bank). I do bring acouple of small pulleys and some lags. Pulley goes on the end of the boom, thread the "pull" rope and fix to the nets sinching ropes. Now I take a couple of snorts off the "bottle" and admire my rig. Then push the boom out drop the net, and take a couple more snorts... YEEhaaa gotta love it. I hope this helps you fellas understand........ Ok so what the heck is smelt?? Inquiring mind would like to know. As soon as I can afford another camera I'll take all of ya dippin'.......P.S. you'll have too bring your own "bottle"..... YEEEHAAAA!!!!!!!! and remember never let the bottom of the "bottle" get dirty!!!!

ErikC · February 19, 2009, 11:54:36 AM

Smelt are kind of like herring. Baitfish 6 inches or so long basically. We use some similar methods in our preparations. I prefer Black Velvet, however. :D Sounds like a hoot, If I lived closer I'd invite myself along.

isawlogs · February 19, 2009, 12:06:56 PM

Here dipping starts when the pool gets cleaned and warmed up a bit ;D

SwampDonkey · February 19, 2009, 03:50:32 PM

They do smelts here up on the lower reaches and tributaries of the Restigouche, Bouctouche, Saint John and Miramichi rivers. April 15-May 31, bag limit 60 by dip net or angling. I see fresh smelt in the stores now.

Some rivers do black salmon fishing (returning Atlantic salmon to the ocean from over wintering grounds in the rivers). We never kept any here, they aren't as good tasting as when they come fresh from the ocean in the summer, and are real shiny silver at that time. Real fresh when the sea lice are still alive on their back. Mmmm. ;D

Maineloggerkid · February 19, 2009, 06:05:38 PM

We're a ways off from dipping smelts in this neck of the woods. Looking forward to getting out there and having some bee......good times with freinds ;D

jpgreen · March 21, 2009, 10:33:55 AM

Quote from: ErikC on February 17, 2009, 11:30:11 PM
Nothing to do with ice, but we go over to the coast and dip grunion (surf smelt) in the surf now and then. Makes a fine fish fry. Something along those lines what your up to?

Always wanted to ice fish... someday.

Eric where do you go on the coast? I have an old offshore boat and one of my favorite things in life to do was fish out of Shelter Cove. I have some serious emotional scars left from the DFG stopping salmon fishing here ... :

ErikC · March 22, 2009, 12:19:55 AM

Fished off the rocks at Shelter Cove a few times. Rainbow perch and lingcod mostly. We have lately gone around Big Lagoon for surf fish, but the things kind of show up all over from what I've heard. It doesn't look good for salmon this summer either, halibut is wide open though. Better get on it before they close that down for some reason too. :-\

SwampDonkey · March 22, 2009, 03:59:02 AM

Halibut is $16 bucks a pound around here. It was a lot cheaper than that in Prince Rupert, and fresh.

beav39 · March 22, 2009, 07:25:17 AM

smelt are any where from 2in to ten in depending on where you go to dip.when dipping for smelt you go to small brooks leading out of cold water lakes,these smelt will be spawning in the early spring usaully just after ice out sometimes they run under the ice we still have a few more weeks till ice out if you want to see what they look like go to you tube and search maine smelting punch in jigging for maine smelt or just maine smelting scot