Author Topic: Smelt as lake trout bait  (Read 9866 times)

Offline Kierran

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Smelt as lake trout bait
« on: Feb 16, 2010, 10:13 AM »
I know lakers like to eat rainbow smelt, but I would like to hear your opinions about how smelt rank as a bait for trophy lakers compared to other options.  

I recently jigged up some nice land-locked smelt in the 5-7 inch range.  They are difficult to keep alive for long periods of time, but I put them on ice to keep them fresh for upcoming trips.

I plan to fish them whole, on or near bottom, on long leaders of 12# fluoro carbon with a snelled Ocotpus hook.  

Let me know how you would fish them differently (i.e. cut them open, find another bait, suspend them, etc.).  Thanks in advance.  

Offline Raquettedacker

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Re: Smelt as lake trout bait
« Reply #1 on: Feb 16, 2010, 10:18 AM »
As far as I'm concerned there is no other bait... And they love them dead.....
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Online slipperybob

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Re: Smelt as lake trout bait
« Reply #2 on: Feb 17, 2010, 05:30 PM »
I usually go catch a dozen or so as I go Lake trout fishing.  Then at least I can say I've caught something even if I don't find any lake trouts.  ;D 
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Offline bigmike7272

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Re: Smelt as lake trout bait
« Reply #3 on: Feb 24, 2010, 08:35 PM »
a always like to use smelt as bait


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Offline huletts1

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Re: Smelt as lake trout bait
« Reply #4 on: Jan 19, 2011, 07:56 PM »
If they're legal on your body of water, go for it
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Offline Eaglecrg

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Re: Smelt as lake trout bait
« Reply #5 on: Jan 21, 2011, 11:44 AM »
Lake Trout also feed heavily on whitefish if they are available in the waters you are fishing.  I believe the bigger lakers switch over to whitefish as they grow and then prefer the whitefish to smelt.  I have witnessed 21" whitefish in the stomachs of lake trout.

Offline Litchfield Fisher

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Re: Smelt as lake trout bait
« Reply #6 on: Jan 23, 2011, 02:41 PM »
Smelt work great, the bigger the better, It doesn't hurt to cut a couple open and lay them on bottom either
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Offline blacktrap

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Re: Smelt as lake trout bait
« Reply #7 on: Jan 26, 2011, 07:13 AM »
Cant go wrong using smelts to catch em

Offline Zorros shack

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Re: Smelt as lake trout bait
« Reply #8 on: Jan 26, 2011, 07:18 AM »
I have heard that some day old chopped up sucker works well on a buck tail jig.

Offline jacksmelt71

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Re: Smelt as lake trout bait
« Reply #9 on: Jan 28, 2011, 08:58 AM »
i use smelts 1st then suckerslay some on the bottom. if you have a flasher find out where the baitfish scools are running and set some at that hieght or a little higher. helps to cut the bellys too. good luck!

Offline thessalaker

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Re: Smelt as lake trout bait
« Reply #10 on: Jan 29, 2011, 08:56 PM »
i use dead frozen smelt, hooked through the back on a circle or octopus hook, so they hang horizontally, set about 3-6 feet off bottom, with a small split shot 1' above, on 15 lb florocarbon line.
i use a fishhawk, which is a wind activated, banana shaped plastic rig, equipped with a rattle reel and fin at one end that catches the wind, causing the hawk to teeter-totter freely from its top mounted wire, moving the smelt under the ice the same as the fin in the wind. (the line comes out of the reel, across the device, and thrugh a small hole down to the water).  Set the tension on the rattle reel very light so the fish can take line without knowing anything us up.
sometimes  it moves erratically, sometimes, slow, sometimes nothing until a gust of wind comes up.  Which i think is the key to its effectiveness.  Some days, jigging has been useless, but the smelt on the fishhawk has put many good fish on the ice in the past few years.
this is generally a deadly way to fish, and has also been VERY productive as well on late ice walleye, when other jigs and lures havent produced.
I havent bought live minnows in years.

 



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