Ice Fishing for Smelt

Smelt Shanties at James Eddy in Dresden, Maine

On the night of January 8 and early morning of January 9, I went ice fishing for smelt with my friends Jerry and Fred.  Smelts are small, flavorful fish often caught through the ice on tidal rivers in New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. 

Fred and Jerry watch the lines

We rented a shanty at the James Eddy Smelt Camps in Dresden, Maine.  James Eddy is on the Eastern River, a tributary of the Kennebec.  The shanties are rented for either an incoming or outgoing tide; we fished the entire outgoing tide, a duration of approximately 6 hours.

Holder for a set of ice fishing lines

We fished using two sets of lines, each line bearing one small hook baited with a piece of sandworm.  The bait is presented at shallow depths, often as little as 4-6', so no reel is necessary.  When a smelt takes the bait, the line begins to move back and forth and the catch is retrieved by hand.

Fred waiting for a bite

The bite was slow but steady, and at the end of the tide we had a couple of dozen smelts in our buckets.  They are delicious when battered and fried!

Smelts