Or I was going to title this: Children, Piers, Smelt, and the meaning of life...

Went down to the Dana Harbor Pier today about 1:15pm It was low tide, and still getting lower on it's way to a minus 0.4! Very cool look, seeing so much bottom.

Took my two youngest kids with me after dropping off thier big brudda at Kindergarten. Abby (2) and Natey (4). We were on a two-fold mission, being to 1. get 25 gallons of water for the new palacial smelt motel mentioned in a previous post and 2. Get some smelt for it!

Wonderful day, big puffy clouds, blue sky, sprinkles, clean, clean, crisp air. NOT a day to be indoors. We got to the pier and I made them stay topside where there was a rail while I went down and tossed a little bread to see if we had customers. Bingo! Smelt were hitting it deep as it sank. I high tailed it back to my pfinder and grabbed the net, pole and floating bait receiver.

Three or four drops later I had a bunch of smelt in the receiver, untouched by human hands. I've got it down now to where I swing in the net, then tip and crease it slightly to send the smelt cascading into the receiver without being touched.

My kids went nuts, they have no idea what a "Good" fish is, they just were captivated by the magic of the net disapearing empty into the water to come back up shimmering with silver sparks. I guess I am to. I love catching smelt.

After a little sight seeing and picture taking we went home. My wife had just finished making hambergers with all the trimmings and I never tasted anything so good, with a nice mug of homebrew from the keg. Wonderful day. Wonderful.

Quietman

PS> I can tell already that going with the killer filtration system was the right decision, these smelt are FRISKY! I just hope the bacteria on the bio-wheel grow fast enough, since I didn't go the conditioning route. Or rather I'm conditioning as I go. If needed I can replace the activated charcol pack early until the bio gets going. Or replace the smelt...


http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/577.jpg