Anyone use dead smelt for catfish bait during soft water?

[swampbuckster]

We always use shrimp and walking sinker rigs while catfishing,was wondering if anyone has used smelt considering I have 200 of them and wouldn't mind sacrificing a few for cat bait.

[stumpjumper]

Geez I'd take a few of those off your hands if the season wasn't almost over.. I'm sure they would work as well for cats as they do for pike..

[pzoch]

They work good for possum and racoons too.

[stadlea]

heading out tomorrow for some cats...gunna stop by a pull a few small gills out of the hardwater to cut up first 

[swampbuckster]

They work good for possum and racoons too.

I bet they do!

Geez I'd take a few of those off your hands if the season wasn't almost over.. I'm sure they would work as well for cats as they do for pike..

Never have tried them for pike either. Gonna hafta give them a shot this spring for some cats.

[stumpjumper]

Best pike bait there is....

[Mich-Again]

Sorry if this question has been asked a bazillion times, but where do you get whole smelt?  What store or source exactly?  I stopped by Meijer yesterday and looked, but all they had were "fresh" ones that had been cleaned (not frozen or whole, no head, etc).

I'm pretty desperate to find something that will work on Muskegon Lake - for tip-ups and for soft-water casting.  For softwater, maybe I'll put one on a small cleo or something shiny and cast it.  Or maybe I'll try dead perch instead of the usual live ones on tip-ups.  I refuse to buy shiners at the bait shop.

[fishbuckett]

We always use shrimp and walking sinker rigs while catfishing,was wondering if anyone has used smelt considering I have 200 of them and wouldn't mind sacrificing a few for cat bait.

Sounds like a good idea. I just saved the heads from my last batch of smelt for the channel cats. Put them in a bag in the freezer. Should work.  For Muskegon lake pike I just use shiners. Caught 4 keepers in the last 3 trips. 

[swampbuckster]

Sorry if this question has been asked a bazillion times, but where do you get whole smelt?  What store or source exactly?  I stopped by Meijer yesterday and looked, but all they had were "fresh" ones that had been cleaned (not frozen or whole, no head, etc).

I'm pretty desperate to find something that will work on Muskegon Lake - for tip-ups and for soft-water casting.  For softwater, maybe I'll put one on a small cleo or something shiny and cast it.  Or maybe I'll try dead perch instead of the usual live ones on tip-ups.  I refuse to buy shiners at the bait shop.

I dunno. I didn't buy the smelt, just caught them. I've cleaned them as well. Was still going to give them a shot though. They still smell fishy!

[Swedish Pimp]

Yup! Those tasty little buggers will get you into some channels. Some nice ones at that. They will be a no go on the flats. To smart or agressive for smelt? Have not used them in years. Just target flats now.

[budzy222]

Do people start fishing for cats around this time???  Never done it guess I just thought it was more of summer thing!

[Swedish Pimp]

Not really worth going till water warms into the 50s

[DR.SPECKLER]

i imagine the catfish are a little slow this time of year.i rarely catch one while steelhead fishing.i used smelt for catfishing but i ground them up and tied  big catfish sacs out them.caught some channels on the kzoo.

[Threefish]

I don't know anywhere you can buy whole smelt. You would have to catch them or know someone who fish's for them ,have them save them for ya. But i wouldn't worry about it. You can catch a sucker and cut it up into chunks of about 1 1/2" long by 1" wide and catch all the cats you want. You can catch them in the spring out on the flats by the river mouth. But the best time is when you get the first 3 warm muggy nights in a row. Good luck.

[Trek]

Never used them for cats but there great for pike! Ive been wanting to catch a cat through the ice for a while now! 

[allcaughtup]

where do bullhead rank in the icefishing world???

[superslabs]

where do bullhead rank in the icefishing world???

Just below crappie.

[superslabs]

Looking forward to some warm weather. I'll be kicked back in the boat with a cold one listening to the radio while smoking a cigar. Just waiting for the bait to get slammed. I have had visions of flat heads running trough my head while staring at the flasher fishing in a hole.

[allcaughtup]

Just below crappie.

off subject again...but I have hopefully not real stupid question....whats is the deal with alot of guys on here having pics of rockbass...like its sacred or something....i hate rockbass....slit there stomachs and throw them on the bank if I can....all they do is eat eggs...and they get pretty healthy doin that

[Threefish]

There are fisherman that like these to eat plus there fun to catch. The ones we catch out of portage lake are good eating.