Many years ago the annual spring smelt runs in Lake Michigan were a big deal. Evenings the piers along Chicago's shores would be lined with people of all ages and sexes setting up for a night of gill netting smelt. They used a "trolley" system to raise and lower gill nets. Galvanized washtubs filled to the brim with smelt were common. The glow from Coleman lanterns and camp stoves lit up the piers end to end with a few burning barrels scattered along the way to help knock the chill off. Last I heard smelt runs no longer happen through there anymore but many folks still set up anyway just for the camaraderie.
Yep, that was a big scouting thing we did growing up there. Not to mention it was families of all races and no one was rioting or getting shot or beaten. Coleman stoves were brought and rolling the smelt in corn meal, salt and flour and eating them 5 minutes after they were caught. Lot of good memories there right under the John Hancock tower.
