Locals say a rare run of smelt into the lake are filling nets by the hundreds, making for fun fishing (and tasty meals) in an otherwise dreary month.
DILLINGHAM: With the unseasonably warm weather spoiling many common winter activities this month, some Aleknagik residents have turned to a more October-ish activity to pass the time: smelt fishing.
"All the years I've been up here," said George Tinker, "this is the first time I've seen the smelt come all the way up to the lake. One of my uncles was saying they do come to the lake like this, but only once in a great while."
We hear the tasty fish have been hitting nets by the dozens, even hundreds, mostly on the south shore.
"Some of the guys have been saying that the smelt like hanging out in the shallow area," said Tinker, "and it's only three or four feet deep underneath the ice on the south shore."
We also hear there's plenty of room for others to join in, even we auger-less fishermen.
"Every time I go down to the beach I see a lot of people fishing on the other side of the lake, so I'm thinking there are plenty of holes out there for people to use."
ADF&G says you don't need license for subsistence smelt fishing. However, in the likely event that your smelt net currently sits buried beneath an unbreakable block of snow and ice in the yard, and you opt for a fishing pole instead, you may look into picking up a 2014 sport fishing license to be on the safe side.
(The state has some interesting materials for beginning ice fishermen.)