How to catch smelt?

[DevonCota]

What's the best bait set up to catch smelt? What do they like bigger jigs, smaller jigs?

[PerchSlayer67]

Well considering they're about the size of your middle finger a smaller jig.. Been there done that wth big jigs and you just keep missing them all day. We do good on small Swedish pimples and hailles with maggots

[RipSomeLips22]

try different depths, can be found from the bottom all the way to the top

[fishnmachine]

I've found that the preferred bait set-up for smelt varies depending on which lake you're fishing. Some lakes are cut smelt, some are pinheads, and yet others a jig and maggot. I don't know why, but what the smelt in a certain lake prefer, it seems to be that, almost like, forever.... (until he smelt disappear and the lake doesn't support them anymore...)

[tench]

try different depths, can be found from the bottom all the way to the top

A lot of times you can pull the school up too. 

[802keeper1122]

I have had my best luck with a hali and 2 spikes

[MikeVT]

Any tiny jigging spoon tipped with a pinhead minnow.  Used to catch buckets of them in Champlain doing this. 

[vtpike]

Get a very light jig rod load it up with really light line.

A hydro-glo light(or car headlight) and your electronics!

Once you get into them I dare you to stop....addicting!

[keithm87]

smallest size halli, with a second one about 15 inches above it (i like green glow). Tip with 1-2 spike maggots and a super ultra light rod, I actually jig with my hand and set the hook by hand as I can't seem to keep the rod steady enough to feel/see bites (they bite super soft as they are about the size of a medium-heavy shiner). A vex is also super helpful, some lakes like magog by the islands they are easy to find without it, but others like joes in danville they can be a pain hanging anywhere from 40ft deep up to 5 ft.

[dunphy11]

Some might find it hard to believe but one of the best baits I`ve ever used was small tips of venison, old timer turned me onto that.

[Smelty88]

I have had my best luck with a hali and 2 spikes

This combination right here has been a goto for sure! Magog is were i do my smelt fishing, i vary the color of the hali from white with a little orange to straight green once we catch a few with spikes/maggots we will switch over and use a smelt cut a small pice and put it on the hook and they enjoy it just as much if not more!