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IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
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Ice Fishing Vermont
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Smelt for Lakers
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Topic: Smelt for Lakers (Read 1869 times)
JMailbox8
Team IceShanty Regular
Posts: 476
Smelt for Lakers
«
on:
Jan 24, 2020, 07:06 AM »
I jigged up some smelt for laker tip up fishing on Caspian tomorrow, but they are are large ones. Do lakers care about size? What are folks' success with live or dead smelt?
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Fish Farmer
Team IceShanty Addict
Posts: 511
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #1 on:
Jan 24, 2020, 09:08 AM »
20 years ago folks would use the big "jack" smelt for laker bait as well as large suckers on Champlain.
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BlackDucksAndBrownDogs
Team IceShanty Regular
Posts: 151
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #2 on:
Jan 24, 2020, 03:20 PM »
Elephants eat peanuts, but if I'm targeting a big laker, I'll rig the biggest bait I have and expect fewer bites.
A 5" smelt will catch any salmonid, and they are durable.
If I have enough to sort, I consider smaller baits (say 4") "salmon candy."
Any dead bait is effective on lakers, but a dead smelt is money.
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JMailbox8
Team IceShanty Regular
Posts: 476
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #3 on:
Jan 24, 2020, 08:36 PM »
So large smelt is better dead than live on a tip up?
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woodyvt
Team IceShanty Addict
Posts: 818
When the going is tough. The tough go ice fishing!
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #4 on:
Jan 25, 2020, 03:46 AM »
I used to fish for lakers all the time and always had best luck with dead smelt on the bottom. No sinkers at all. Made for a slow set up especially in deeper water, but worth it.
Good luck and let us know how you make out.
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The closest flag up may be the one that is behind you !
thefishingweatherman
Team IceShanty Addict
Posts: 569
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #5 on:
Jan 25, 2020, 05:40 AM »
I had an old guy tell me once that his friend caught monster lakers on medium sized suckers on tip-ups, like in the 10 inch range. So, I would make sense that they wouldn't care about the size of a smelt, since they run smaller (aside from the Jack Smelt - mentioned above).
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JMailbox8
Team IceShanty Regular
Posts: 476
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #6 on:
Jan 25, 2020, 11:04 PM »
Thanks for the help folks! Hit Caspian today with a friend. Landed a dozen Lakers with the biggest being 24 inches. Equal numbers jigging to tip ups. They were biting everything whether it was big, small, dead or alive. Didn't matter. The biggest issue was hook ups with the bigger bait. Missed a ton of flags with running spools. Definitely better to have two sets of hooks in the bigger bait, in case a smaller fish grabs it.
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Light liner
Team IceShanty Maniac
Posts: 1,857
Rather be judged by 12 then carried by 6.
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #7 on:
Jan 26, 2020, 04:52 AM »
Sounds like a great day, good for you.
We were out there yesterday too.
We were perch fishing but we ended up getting 3 lakers on perch minnows.
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Champlain
Memphremagog
fishingidjit
Team IceShanty Maniac
Posts: 2,536
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #8 on:
Jan 26, 2020, 05:01 AM »
You need to have somone show you how to 'lace up" your bait with a double hook.Also don't be in hurry to grab your line to set the hook,let them run until they have stopped spooling your reel Sometimes there will be 3-4 good spurts before they stop to eat your bait.
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Roughneck20
IceShanty Rookie
Posts: 17
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #9 on:
Jan 28, 2020, 03:12 PM »
Where is the best place to find smelt on a lake? I've always tried at the mouth of streams but never have much luck. I even tried 12v LED green light at night...
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Dirt23
Team IceShanty Regular
Posts: 195
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #10 on:
Jan 30, 2020, 06:28 AM »
Fish vt and nh smelt seem to be different in most places . My local pond catch them in 35 foot basin usually suspended from 10 to 25 feet. Northeast kingdom find them in shallows on a Sandy bottom. The green light helps after dark for sure. Electronics make them easier to find if that is an option. Couple spikes on a hali is go-to smelt lure for me.
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Roughneck20
IceShanty Rookie
Posts: 17
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #11 on:
Jan 30, 2020, 06:55 AM »
Thank you
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TRT
Team IceShanty Maniac
Posts: 1,283
Trout/Salmon
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #12 on:
Jan 30, 2020, 06:45 PM »
I've caught smelt in a foot of water just to the right of the boat access, don't be surprised by all the holes
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ice fiend
Team IceShanty Addict
Posts: 780
im a die hard ice fishing addict 'nuff said
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #13 on:
Feb 02, 2020, 07:42 PM »
Caught on a smelt on a jaw jacker about a foot off bottom
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i told myself id be back by 2 i guess i didnt factor in that the fish were biting
Brochet
Team IceShanty Regular
Posts: 157
Re: Smelt for Lakers
«
Reply #14 on:
Feb 02, 2020, 07:57 PM »
Nice laker ! color looks pretty dark.
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