Smelt

[Mad_Ital]

Any Ideas on how to keep smelt alive longer than a few days. I have good luck with Icycles,shiners, cup bait etc... in my garage but smelt dont seem to be very hardy.

[caveman]

Hey Fat-Crap,get ya self an aeroter from fra-bill.

[fiesty]

A good bubbler, and cold water.  Make sure that you acclimate them first (cool down their water to colder temps.)  Should keep for weeks...

[huskiepuppy]

Cold water, good bubbler(putting out some volume), keep them in a dark area or cover your tank.  Not sure why, probably something to do with stress, the less they can see the more calm they seem to stay.  Good Luck 8)

[NAD42]

...if they die, lay 'em on the bottom and watch a laker rip out some line like you've never seen before...on Schroon anyways...

[RIVERRAT2]

Any Ideas on how to keep smelt alive longer than a few days. I have good luck with Icycles,shiners, cup bait etc... in my garage but smelt dont seem to be very hardy.

smelt are light sensitive[donot like light] and doesnot like water temp 49`or above
try water temp from 33` to 40` and keep tank dark
rat

[Mad_Ital]

Any Ideas on how to keep smelt alive longer than a few days. I have good luck with Icycles,shiners, cup bait etc... in my garage but smelt dont seem to be very hardy.

smelt are light sensitive[donot like light] and doesnot like water temp 49`or above
try water temp from 33` to 40` and keep tank dark
rat

I have bubbles, 2 tanks ( I was told to get lt. blue tanks, Ill paint them black).
Its usually pretty cold until I fire up the wood stove. Ill throw a thermometerin there.
Thanks  Rat
Fat

[MikeVT]

If your smelt die, put them in a plastic bag in the freezer as soon as they expire. Lakers don't seem to mind them fresh or frozen, and if you get a flag on a frozen smelt set up....   SET THE HOOK!!!

[TJC]

I asked the same question on the bait section and got some other good ideas. One was to put some aquarium salt in to help them not stress out. Also there are some good ideas just posted here I will have to try.

[Mad_Ital]

If your smelt die, put them in a plastic bag in the freezer as soon as they expire. Lakers don't seem to mind them fresh or frozen, and if you get a flag on a frozen smelt set up....   SET THE HOOK!!!

I do use them sometimes but theres just something about live bait. I usually take a dozen +- put them in my wifes blender (she doesnt cook anyway, but she likes milkshakes) and make chum. I'd do that everytime I go fishing except there too damn expensive. I have yet to master the art of smelt fishing.

[RIVERRAT2]

F.C.
TRY port henry on champlain for smelt,rent a hut they will show you how
to get smelt,i am going try the hudson river creeks this year for smelt if
we get some good ice
rat
i have about 5 phone no. for the hut rentals in n.y. some for VT. and some for
maine

[Mad_Ital]

F.C.
TRY port henry on champlain for smelt,rent a hut they will show you how
to get smelt,i am going try the hudson river creeks this year for smelt if
we get some good ice
rat

Rat, Ive heard about that at Shanty town in Champlain. I could spend a couple days there. What do I do just walk around and ask? Or are there #s on the shanty's.
Do you know exactly where the huts are?

[Mad_Ital]

This is what I got from Captain Dave's website:

Hi Ig,
Thank you for visiting my web site.
Try changing the water frequently.  Remember smelt are anadromous which means they live in salt water and move to fresh water to reproduce.  You have to keep them in clean oxygenated saltwater.  Saltwater has all kinds of sea
life which dies
quickly if the water is not oxygenated.  Try some oxygen pills from a local bait store. Good luck, Captain Dave

[Fish Farmer]

fat-crappie,

Smelt are biting right now on Champlain on both the NY and VT side around the bridge. You can fish the VT side with a NY license. I heard Bulwagga Bay in NY was producing, its a shallow bay like 12 feet, so the smelt shouldn't be too deep. I was catching smelt on the VT side just south of the bridge the other day over 6 feet of water. They were a couple feet off bottom to to couple feet under the ice. Where ever you see people fishing down there now they are probably fishing perch and smelt. It is still thin above the bridge, but once you see shanties going on the ice expect smelt to be caught. There is usually a couple of lines of shanties off of Port Henry. I'm not sure about renting, but there is a bait shop called Norm's on the road to the Champlain bridge, he would probably know who to call.

[RIVERRAT2]

This is what I got from Captain Dave's website:

Hi Ig,
Thank you for visiting my web site.
Try changing the water frequently.  Remember smelt are anadromous which means they live in salt water and move to fresh water to reproduce.  You have to keep them in clean oxygenated saltwater.  Saltwater has all kinds of sea
life which dies
quickly if the water is not oxygenated.  Try some oxygen pills from a local bait store. Good luck, Captain Dave
WATCH the salt unless you are fishing for them in TIDAL water
lake smelt-some salt[very little] can be used as MEDS
RAT