Author Topic: Smelt...?  (Read 3987 times)

Reelinrolly

  • Guest
Smelt...?
« on: Dec 09, 2003, 12:05 PM »
Hey...I heard this idea of taking all my smelt and soaking them in salt...apparently it is supposed to help for pike fishing...anyone ever tried this?

Offline Barleydog

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,833
  • MMMM Fish!
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #1 on: Dec 09, 2003, 12:36 PM »
I used to make a formula of 1/2 cup salt and 2 tbls. of powdered coffee creamer to about 1 quart of water.  Salt will help "firm" up the flesh and skin of the smelt.  Coffee creamer will help shine up the scales and assist in toughening up the bait.  I use this formula for toughening up herring when trolling with already frozen bait.  Good stuff!  -Barleydog
TEAM ALASKA

grumpymoe

  • Guest
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #2 on: Dec 09, 2003, 02:08 PM »
barleydog--do you leave the smelts (or herring in your case) in the mixture or do you freeze them. good tip-i used to use salt only and then freeze-when they were thawed out all i had was a stinking tub of bait >:( >:( >:(

Offline Barleydog

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,833
  • MMMM Fish!
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #3 on: Dec 09, 2003, 03:45 PM »
Moe, I get herring in bulk bags on the coast, then seperate, and vacuum seal them into bags of 10.  No water, and no air surrounding them.  I take them out the night before and place them in salt solution.  Key is keeping them ICE COLD!  They retain thier firmness, (as good as a frozen smelt or herring can!), if never brought to room temp.  Heat kills these oily fragile baits, so keep em' cold from the time they leave the water still floppin' until you get them home and into the freezer!  I have caught herring out of the salt water and put them straight into a cooler full of ice.  They never see temps above 40 degrees which keeps them super firm.  Good luck!
TEAM ALASKA

grumpymoe

  • Guest
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #4 on: Dec 09, 2003, 04:08 PM »
thanks for your recipe barleydog..a little off the subject but why would you be catching herring and not halibut or kingcrab  ::) ::) ::)

Offline Barleydog

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,833
  • MMMM Fish!
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #5 on: Dec 09, 2003, 04:21 PM »
I do!  Well not King Crab, they are protected in Valdez due to the sea otters and overfishing.  I really like fishing herring when all the "hard work" is done.  We fish halibut, seabass, and salmon for a week each year.  Kinda like fishing for herring in order to break up the "hard work" of fishing for the big boys.  Relaxing, and it pays off come ice fishing time.  :D  Didn't get any decent numbers this year however?  
TEAM ALASKA

Reelinrolly

  • Guest
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #6 on: Dec 09, 2003, 04:40 PM »
Thanks for the tip...sounds interesting...I will let you knwo how I make out with it....you ever use this recipe when fishing for pike?...did it produce?...thnx

Offline lessworkmorepike

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 10
  • hardonicefishin
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #7 on: Jan 08, 2004, 04:41 PM »
I am reading a lot of post about using dead smelt and want to try it.  However all I can find locally is frozen prepackaged 'headless' smelt.  
 
Obviously i would rather have the whole baitfish but is it worth my time to try the headless?  Could the oily stink be enough?

Offline docbas

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 360
  • Hardwater Nut!
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #8 on: Jan 08, 2004, 06:21 PM »
Has anyone ever caught live smelt and kept them alive to use for tip-up bait?  I would imagine it is pretty hard to keep them alive that long.  Just a thought.

Offline WartHog

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 102
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #9 on: Jan 09, 2004, 01:54 PM »
Lesswork.. I've used store bought, headless smelt before with good success.  Fished Presque Isle in the early spring and landed two pike (36" and 38") about a half-hour apart.  I've also used frozen smelt for catfish and done pretty good.

This Sunday will be the first time I try them under the ice.

Offline lessworkmorepike

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 10
  • hardonicefishin
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #10 on: Jan 09, 2004, 02:36 PM »
Thanks warthog...its only $3 for a bag with about 30 smelt in it so I am going to try it.  Although since its barely reaching single digits around here (in central NY) and we don't have a shanty the test might have to wait until next weekend.

Let me know how you do.  Where is Presque Isle?

WartHog2

  • Guest
Re:Smelt...?
« Reply #11 on: Jan 09, 2004, 10:25 PM »
Presque Isle is a bay in Northwest Pennsylvania.  Going out this Sunday to a lake near PA's highest point - expecting the temp to be well below zero when we show.  We're going to have some frozen fingers after hooking them smelt.

 



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