Home made smelt boards

[CAP207]

I working on building my own smelting board.  Anyone have any advice or pictures?

[ougot1]

I would not make your board  to big , most the race holes in the smelt camps are  not  huge , I made about 4 feet long with 4 reels on a horizontal   shelf , this one is about the fifth one I have made and each time they get smaller with fewer reels , if the reels are close together and their are alot of them  you will have big time snarl ups to deal with . if you do a search on here you will see many  jig boards . spring bobbers can be made out of many things . sorry i can not post pics I do not have a smart phone .

[Alex Delarge]

I don't want to discourage you on your project but a lot of people are using ultralight rods with bait casters, spin cast, or in line reels these days with a flasher to boot. The theory is that if the smelt are biting good and you have a dropper tied on, that's all you need. Several hand lines in the water with a good bite eventually get tangled up wasting time. Much easier to adjust for depth with rod and reel also. Have you tried the "search" function? Maybe some ideas on there.

[CAP207]

I don't want to discourage you on your project but a lot of people are using ultralight rods with bait casters, spin cast, or in line reels these days with a flasher to boot. The theory is that if the smelt are biting good and you have a dropper tied on, that's all you need. Several hand lines in the water with a good bite eventually get tangled up wasting time. Much easier to adjust for depth with rod and reel also. Have you tried the "search" function? Maybe some ideas on there.

My plan is my flasher and 2 jig rods in one race and have a board with 6 reels on the other.

[3300]

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=364553.msg3923675#msg3923675

[SilverSides]

Here is one I made a few years back exactly what you are looking for. Used it once and haven't touched it since.

[CAP207]

Here is one I made a few years back exactly what you are looking for. Used it once and haven't touched it since.

Exactly!  What distance are the reels apart?  They look about 12"?

[SilverSides]

Exactly!  What distance are the reels apart?  They look about 12"?

I will measure when I get home from work and let you know. I believe they are 12  inches.

[AT Grimaldi]

FWIW, I am looking to sell a nice 8' I made last year.  PM me if interested

Here is the link to the detailed build, which may be of use to you and others.

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=339673.0;topicseen

[MG39]

This topic is like many on here, different strokes for different folks.

I think maybe the only veteran on here that's been around longer is probably "wood chip".  lol

But I've been around long enough to know what works for me.

I have quite a collection of various smelting inventions, accumulated over the years. Normally I don't share a lot of
my ideas, only due to the 'rocking chair fishermen".  lol

I got tired of tangled lines and carrying re-charged batteries to my smelt shacks. Here's my solar panel with a controller, always have a charged battery.

Smelt lines are all fly lines.      I should have added SALT water smelts.

[RealBigReel]

This topic is like many on here, different strokes for different folks.

I think maybe the only veteran on here that's been around longer is probably "wood chip".  lol

But I've been around long enough to know what works for me.

I have quite a collection of various smelting inventions, accumulated over the years. Normally I don't share a lot of
my ideas, only due to the 'rocking chair fishermen".  lol

I got tired of tangled lines and carrying re-charged batteries to my smelt shacks. Here's my solar panel with a controller, always have a charged battery.

Smelt lines are all fly lines.      I should have added SALT water smelts.

I have had the privelage of using mr MG39's smelt rigs and can attest to thier ease and effectiveness.

I would never use the reels again.