IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
New York => Ice Fishing New York => Topic started by: Ohspit on Nov 16, 2021, 08:05 PM
-
Indian lake is a target for my next overnight camping trip on the ice.
Just looking for tips on how to catch smelt for bait never caught one in my life do they like certain areas? Do they move in big schools?
-
I don't know zip about Indian, but yes they are schooly fish traveling in numbers and then vanishing. I use a flasher spoon like a sweedish pimple just heavy enough to get to your target. Above that tye 2 or 3 tiny jigs or hooks off your main line (experiment with colors) and bait with a spike or two. After catching a couple use a tiny piece of the smelt skin as bait. The real trick is trying to teach yourself to NOT set the hook ! Just real him in when you feel a nibble and don't get frustrated. Catching smelt takes patience to master. As for depth they are where they are. I've caught them under the ice to as deep as on the bottom in 90 ft
(https://i.postimg.cc/BL68XdKH/smelt-Gilman-Lake.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/BL68XdKH)
-
Halie with a spike in it....
Or you could always use the white yarn in a 1 inch section. There teeth get stuck in it....
When you have a school under you your flasher wont read bottom... ;D
When its dark put your lantern by the hole and they will come up right under the ice...
-
Gotta agree with the Halie and the lantern as far as the yarn is concerned, it never worked for me This year I plan on trying a small jigging Rapala I think it will catch a lot of fowl hooked ones we'll see
-
Awsome boys, thanks for the bait info, as for finding them it looks like I'll just have to put in the work