Author Topic: Smelt tips and rigs  (Read 9988 times)

Offline matt93pgt

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 27
Smelt tips and rigs
« on: Dec 12, 2016, 07:46 AM »
Any tips or rigs you use for smelt fishing through the ice post them here

Offline headhunter67

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 194
Re: Smelt tips and rigs
« Reply #1 on: Dec 15, 2016, 09:35 PM »
I fish for smelt at night. I have a green LED light from fishing lights etc. It goes all night.

2lb test line

Hali tied at the bottom (Colors - Red Glow, Blue Glow, and Gold have worked great for me)

2 tear drops(Glow colors) tied above the Hali 6 to 10" apart.

Tip them with wax worms, spikes, or minnow heads depending what they are biting on.

Use my lowrance to find em and keep on them as they change depths. Wait a few seconds after you feel the first bite before reeling up. Doubles and triples are very common.

If they are not bitting and are right under the ice I grab my homemade smelt spear  ;D

Offline jabers69

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 427
  • Hardwater Nut!
Re: Smelt tips and rigs
« Reply #2 on: Dec 17, 2016, 07:45 PM »
we use live minnows about 3 to 4 inches long  at different depth till we find where they are running
hook and cook

Offline redneckdan

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 261
Re: Smelt tips and rigs
« Reply #3 on: Dec 18, 2016, 10:14 AM »
I usually fish a glow hali with several maggots. For me, the biggest improvement was switching to 8lb braid. I can actually feel them strike now.

Offline Spoondangler

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 714
Re: Smelt tips and rigs
« Reply #4 on: Dec 18, 2016, 10:16 AM »
I fish for smelt at night. I have a green LED light from fishing lights etc. It goes all night.

2lb test line

Hali tied at the bottom (Colors - Red Glow, Blue Glow, and Gold have worked great for me)

2 tear drops(Glow colors) tied above the Hali 6 to 10" apart.

Tip them with wax worms, spikes, or minnow heads depending what they are biting on.

Use my lowrance to find em and keep on them as they change depths. Wait a few seconds after you feel the first bite before reeling up. Doubles and triples are very common.

If they are not bitting and are right under the ice I grab my homemade smelt spear  ;D


SMELT SPEAR ?!?!


Offline AT Grimaldi

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 353
  • Why does my 13 yr old always out fish me?
Re: Smelt tips and rigs
« Reply #5 on: Jan 06, 2017, 09:47 PM »
I, too, would like to see a pic of the smelt spear please.
Vintage Frabill Ice Shuttle with modifications
K-Drill with M18 Milwaukee Drill
Jack Traps rule the world of hardwater!
Marcum LX-7LI Lithium Combo Sonar System
ATG Custom Smelt Jigging Boards
ATG Custom Jigs
Arctic Armor Suit
Mr. Buddy
Shappell 3000
.....and no time.


Offline headhunter67

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 194
Re: Smelt tips and rigs
« Reply #6 on: Feb 15, 2017, 09:03 PM »
Just seeing this guys. I will snap a picture of the spear this weekend when I get up to the cabin. Hopefully they are biting....

Offline Fr33Th1nk3r

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 55
Re: Smelt tips and rigs
« Reply #7 on: Dec 21, 2017, 05:44 PM »
I use either a blue fox spoon with neon red or green as my weigh, then tie up 2 extra sabiiki lines 1ft apart and tie a swivel on top of that. I just use plain ole hooks and cut up red sandworms. Sometimes if I get a decent sized mail smelt I'll take that white gut and hook it on. It drives them crazy. It's soft meat so it just like disentigrates. Oh well.

But yeah sand worms (red) and those white or neon green maggot spears will get you a some hits. I end up snagging more than I hook lol I get too excited.

A lot of the old timers dump mackerel juice in their hole and use pork skin cubes. I read on here someone made some breaded raw shrimp marinated in clam juice overnight. Said that worked but I have never tried it.
A bad day fishing beats a good day working.

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Privacypolicy | Sponsor
© 1996- Iceshanty.com
All Rights Reserved.