Where can you buy Smelt????

[fishinfurkarma]

Anyone know where you can buy smelt in the fulton / hamilton county area dead or alive?

[DonW]

I would try the local Shoprite or fish market. Hope this helps.

Tight Lines,
DonW

[JJ]

The only legal way to fish with live smelt this winter, will be to jig them up and use them in the lake you caught them.  Don't try bringing any live ones off the lake.

[fishinfurkarma]

So you can't even jig for smelt and take them home and eat them

[doctariAFC]

So you can't even jig for smelt and take them home and eat them

You can certainly do that.  But you cannot use them as bait unless you're using them on the waters you are taking them from.

[JJ]

My post only mentions LIVE smelt.

[o2rmk800]

jim's bait shop in mayfield may be selling DEAD ones, but as for live can't do!


                     steve

[Irrgang131]

     Most grocery stores have frozen headless ones.  Havent fished pike in a long time but I remember using them as a kid with my dad and they worked great.

[GAMBELL]

Dead baits are OK to use on any lakes.  I was told as long as they have been frozen, they are O.K.  Calll your local DEC region office and double check. 

[Cook078]

OK, not to be a wise arse, and no, I am not up to date on the new laws, but are you saying that you can't bring live smelt off a lake you just caught to bring back to the same lake to fish again in the morning??  I am a law-abiding fisherman, but I can't see how this can be.  Guess DEC is gonna have to fill me in, hopefully not with tickets!!

[fishinfurkarma]

Wow.  Thanks so much guys.  I gave Jim's a call but no answer. Will check price chopper if he doesn't have any.  Maybe I'll try to jig some up at the creek mouths in Piseco.  Has anyone tried that before?  I know alot of people jig em up on Caroga and Indian.  I know that they are in Piseco just not sure why people don't jig em there

[Cook078]

OK, I found my own answer, you can bring live smelt home with you.  Info. found right from the DEC page, from a link right from IceShanty, under NY general, 1st thread in there, NY NEWS AND INFO. 



4. Can I take my bait fish home with me?
Yes you can take your bait fish home with you. The regulations specify a possession limit of 100 bait fish. If those bait fish were personally caught, then those bait fish are only permitted to be used in the water from which they were obtained. If they were purchased from a bait store, they can be used in any body of water where the use of bait fish is permitted

[Irrgang131]

Well I think you are the first person to actually look up the answer for that question.  Thanks that is great information.  We have all been saying the same thing but it is nice to see the exact answer.