Smelting !

[1TIGGER]

Just curiouse to see what everyone's favorite smelt bait is and why !

[1TIGGER]

Nobody smelting these day's ?

[WntrMrngWood]

i like to use a hali with a couple of small red hooks attached above, tipped with waxies.  i prefer this set up because the hali drops the bait fast, which is nice in 80fow.  i like waxies because i've been successful w/them.

[fish_finder]

   Have only fished smelt a few times but i used a piece of fish on a small jig like an eye popper, teardrop or pimple

[woodyvt]

Cut smelt or perch bait works for me.

[dabluz]

I do a lot of fishing for smelt through the ice.  The water varies from 6 inches deep to 20 feet deep depending on the tide.  We are allowed an unlimited number of hooks but more than a dozen hooks is a bit awkward.  I bait my hooks with bits of worm but I often see people using bits of liver or heart.

[swampbuckster]

Is the only reason people fish smelt with Hali's b/c of the weight? We went up to Higgins Lake over the weekend and I can see why you need the weight when the smelt are that deep. But we did have a school that came through about 6 inces to 10 feet down and we did ok on small teardrops with waxworms. Only caught 6 though. Worst day ever for smelt. 30 mph  east winds. Ugh.

[dabluz]

I caught about 80 on monday and about 90 yesterday.  The limit is 120 but I heard lots of people talking yesterday that had caught over 150 in the morning and were back on the ice in the afternoon.

One couple were out for a walk and I offered to give them some smelt for supper.  They said "no thanks", we bought some this morning and had them for lunch.  That means that some people are selling them (which is illegal).  When I told them that I would have given away smelt, they were surprised.  Another couple wandered by a bit later on but someone had already given them some smelt.