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Smelt
Habitat and Diet:
Smelt travel in schools not far from shore, and in waters less than
20 feet deep. In summer, they stay deeper, in cool waters, and in
fall they enter streams and estuaries to feed heavily in preparation
for winter. Young smelt eat mostly zooplankton, while adults
consume small crustaceans, squid, insect and small fish.
Relationship to humans:
Smelt “dipping” is a common sport in the springtime, when the
water temperatures rise to 40-42 degrees. Fisherman “spot” the
fish at night with a flashlight or headlamp, and “dip” them from
the stream with a net. Over the past 20 years, the smelt
population has declined severely. Several reasons have been
proposed as to the cause, including the rise of zebra mussels
overfishing, and increase in predatory fish that eat smelt.
Fun/Unusual fact:
Many anglers remember the day when the call would ring out,
“The smelt are running!” The smelt runs were so heavy that
smelt dippers in the river would somethings fill garbage cans full
in no time at all!