Author Topic: Smelt Fishing (Read 6909 times)

diehard08 · « **on:** Nov 13, 2009, 04:15 AM »

I was thinking about trying this out this year, only problem is i have not the first clue of what to use or even where to go... i heard it is a great time... any ideas would be great... COME ON HARD WATER!!!!!!!!

pikeking · « **Reply #1 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 05:20 AM »

Smelt, Smell...Catch them and use them for bait!!! I never have done it but how can it be fun. It looks like a boring time to me. I'd rather go Carp fishing...

Iceassin · « **Reply #2 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 09:08 AM »

Quote from: pikeking on Nov 13, 2009, 05:20 AM

Smelt, Smell...Catch them and use them for bait!!! I never have done it but how can it be fun. It looks like a boring time to me. I'd rather go Carp fishing...

Ahhh contrare my pikeking friend...if you got the right set-up it can be a blast...on a good night one can bucket up to 150+...easy to clean and much better tasting than those you get at a restraunt. I am in the process of building the ultimate smelt rig. Simply put, run a Hali or Swedish Pimple at the end of you line tipped with waxworm/spike wit 2-3 small hooks above it spaced 12-18" apart tied off your main line and tipped with same. Underwater lights are a plus too for drawing in plankton to lure the smelt in.

Fish Killa · « **Reply #3 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 09:18 AM »

Places to fish for the tasty little minnows. Higgins, Crystal, Green or Gull lakes.

MaineFishah · « **Reply #4 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 09:47 AM »

Caddyshack is right on. Similar to his set up he described I like to use a sabiki rig (used to catch salt water baitfish) with size 12 hooks. These usually have 6 hooks on droppers suspended from the main line which has a snap swivel on one end and barrel swivel on the other. You are supposed to connect one end to you line and the other to a weight, but what I do is cut it in half and tie on either a Hali jig or small swedish pimple. Therefore you have two mini sabiki rigs with 3 dropper hooks and a jig with a fourth hook for the weight. You can use a UL jig pole but I prefer handlining. Also check out this website I found. The information is for sea smelting in Maine and may or may not be helpful but scroll down and look at the rig they make. The general set up seems to be similar to what Caddyshack and I both described. They tied there own fly type jigs but any little jig, especially glow jigs, work well, and the sabiki rigs usually have hooks that have a thread type head and a sort of shiny translucent onion skin type body. I hope this helps.

http://www.mainetackle.com/smelt.htm

C P · « **Reply #5 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 10:12 AM »

Ahh smelt fishing!

I took a couple pictures of what I do and ill post them on here later. I have good sucess and do things a little different than most.

I'll be back on later. Its time to go to the range to do some final sighting in!

8)

C P · « **Reply #6 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 05:30 PM »

I use a medium length ultra light that I made myself with 1lb line and and a really sensitive spring bobber.

I like to use a little tiny tear drop tipped with a single spike. My favorite jig was a "diamond" jig in the smallest sixe you can find or a "gil pill" in the smallest you can get.

This is my weapon.

These are the spring bobbers that I really like.

These are my favorite jigs for smelt! They just came in the mail yesterday!

I like to keep things light ultra light rod light line small jigs. I had trouble keeping 2 lines in the water last year I was catching so many.

Ive tried halis and I know a lot of guys swear by them for smelt but I had a hard time setting the hook with them because there so heavy I would set the hook get them about half way up and lose them. Im just not a huge fan of them for smelt but there great for perch!!!

This was from the Gull lake IS outing last winter.

These were from Big Twin lake up north.

These were from ice out on Gull...had to use a board to get on the ice.

Another thing that really helps is to have an under water light. A lot of guys I saw use green tube light. The one I bought is a green tube with a white light on the bottom.

This is pic that I took last winter the light is sitting next to my vexilar. I was going to take a closer up picture of it just now but I just realized that its at my buddys house because we used it for trout fishing a lake at night this summer!

Hope all this helps! or at least gives you somewhere to start. Smelt fishing is a blast.

wally-eye · « **Reply #7 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 08:21 PM »

Don't forget the new 2 gallon limit this year.............. Not that I have to worry too much about but they'll be looking...

Iceassin · « **Reply #8 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 09:35 PM »

Quote from: C P on Nov 13, 2009, 05:30 PM

I use a medium length ultra light that I made myself with 1lb line and and a really sensitive spring bobber.

I like to use a little tiny tear drop tipped with a single spike. My favorite jig was a "diamond" jig in the smallest sixe you can find or a "gil pill" in the smallest you can get.

This is my weapon.
(Image removed from quote.)

These are the spring bobbers that I really like.
(Image removed from quote.)

These are my favorite jigs for smelt! They just came in the mail yesterday!
(Image removed from quote.)

I like to keep things light ultra light rod light line small jigs. I had trouble keeping 2 lines in the water last year I was catching so many.

Ive tried halis and I know a lot of guys swear by them for smelt but I had a hard time setting the hook with them because there so heavy I would set the hook get them about half way up and lose them. Im just not a huge fan of them for smelt but there great for perch!!!

This was from the Gull lake IS outing last winter.
(Image removed from quote.)

These were from Big Twin lake up north.
(Image removed from quote.)

These were from ice out on Gull...had to use a board to get on the ice.
(Image removed from quote.)

Another thing that really helps is to have an under water light. A lot of guys I saw use green tube light. The one I bought is a green tube with a white light on the bottom.

This is pic that I took last winter the light is sitting next to my vexilar. I was going to take a closer up picture of it just now but I just realized that its at my buddys house because we used it for trout fishing a lake at night this summer!
(Image removed from quote.)

Hope all this helps! or at least gives you somewhere to start. Smelt fishing is a blast.

Yeah CP..sometimes have the same problem with the Halis but smelt love 'em so I'm gonna try them with some #12 octopus hooks and even try using small strips (.25" x 1.0") pieces of nylon (hosery) that I read about...some even dip them in iodine...they get their teeth in them and can't let go...experimenting is always worth trying

C P · « **Reply #9 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 09:37 PM »

Ive heard about that to caddyshack! I wanted to try it last year but never remembered!

mud_n_fun · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 09:42 PM »

I'm in! Now I have to research pantyhose. Thanks!

james · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 09:45 PM »

Quote from: Team Caddyshack on Nov 13, 2009, 09:35 PM

Yeah CP..sometimes have the same problem with the Halis but smelt love 'em so I'm gonna try them with some #12 octopus hooks and even try using small strips (.25" x 1.0") pieces of nylon (hosery) that I read about...some even dip them in iodine...they get their teeth in them and can't let go...experimenting is always worth trying

Yarn also works well

Iceassin · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 13, 2009, 09:49 PM »

I guess the deal with the iodine is it has something to do with the salt water(odor) ...where the smelt "originated" from on the east coast before migrating to the Great Lakes...sumpin like that anyway

princecraft · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 14, 2009, 07:25 AM »

I ice fished for smelt last winter for the first time. I had a hali on the bottom and 3 other jigs up from that. Used waxworms and spikes. I must of had 300 bites but only brought 37 to the hole. I was getting frustrated on why I couldn't hook them and started setting the hook real hard. I am wondering if I was setting the hook to hard. Someone said that they have a real toothy mouth and just hold on to bait and if you don't set the hook that you just bring them up and shake them off the hook. There must be some truth to that because some people use something like rattle reels and don't set the hook at all. Just lower bait down and reel back up. Any help on how to catch more and miss less would be great help, because I plan on trying it again this winter.

gaustin · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 14, 2009, 08:44 AM »

I had one good night with just using a 3mm Fiska in glow and one spike and only using one rod....I still missed so many as Princecraft stated very frustrating

......I did a little research on the yarn and iodine and might give it a try.......I think an "Old School" noodle rod is the way to go too.....

princecraft · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 14, 2009, 09:50 AM »

Quote from: gaustin on Nov 14, 2009, 08:44 AM

I had one good night with just using a 3mm Fiska in glow and one spike and only using one rod....I still missed so many as Princecraft stated very frustrating ......I did a little research on the yarn and iodine and might give it a try.......I think an "Old School" noodle rod is the way to go too.....

Hey Gregg,.............Be sure and give me a hollar again when you hear
they are in. I appreciated that last year.

gaustin · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 14, 2009, 10:23 AM »

Will do Skipper

MaineFishah · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 15, 2009, 07:26 PM »

In my years of smelting the number one rule I find is to not stop reeling or pulling them in until you got them out of the hole. As soon as you leave the line slack or check to see if it is still there, they will spit the hook if they can. You do need to set the hook well as they are toothy and have bony mouths. The yarn thing sound interesting too, I'll have to give it a try when it's a light bite.

C P · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 15, 2009, 07:28 PM »

Quote from: MaineFishah on Nov 15, 2009, 07:26 PM

In my years of smelting the number one rule I find is to not stop reeling or pulling them in until you got them out of the hole. As soon as you leave the line slack or check to see if it is still there, they will spit the hook if they can. You do need to set the hook well as they are toothy and have bony mouths. The yarn thing sound interesting too, I'll have to give it a try when it's a light bite.

I agree I noticed that to. Never stop reeling until they are on the ice!

Bill Collector Bob · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 18, 2009, 06:12 AM »

You guys are crazy

just use a dip net in the spring!

We caught and cleaned so many of those darn things I was giving them away b/c I was sick of them!

princecraft · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 18, 2009, 07:04 AM »

I did that for 10 years in a row in the UP, but heard that the smelt run was very minimal now. I know that you cannot get the quanity ice fishing them as dipping them but I just enjoy doing something different. Besides all that they put a 2 gal limit on them and I wouldn't drive all the way to the UP for 2 Gal.

MaineFishah · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 18, 2009, 07:24 AM »

Two gallon limit? Here in Maine, we have a 2 Quart limit on freshwater smelts. Sea smelts in the rivers here are more abundant and there is no limit on them.

tommyboy · « **Reply #22 on:** Nov 24, 2009, 10:44 AM »

CP - Is that the Optronics fishing light/spotlight combo that Cabela's has? I was thinking of picking one up and was wondering what your thoughts are with it. Also, can the green light be used independent of the spotlight, or are they both on all the time when it is hooked up to your battery? Finally, what kind of battery life can you get from a vex battery?

Iceassin · « **Reply #23 on:** Nov 24, 2009, 11:10 AM »

Quote from: tommyboy on Nov 24, 2009, 10:44 AM

CP - Is that the Optronics fishing light/spotlight combo that Cabela's has? I was thinking of picking one up and was wondering what your thoughts are with it. Also, can the green light be used independent of the spotlight, or are they both on all the time when it is hooked up to your battery? Finally, what kind of battery life can you get from a vex battery?

I use 2 of the Optronics UW3000 Night Blasters (300,000 c.p. ) with a clear lens but green and red are available. These lights are bright but also draw about 4.5 amps each so a stout battery is needed...I use a deep cycle

C P · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 24, 2009, 11:14 AM »

Quote from: tommyboy on Nov 24, 2009, 10:44 AM

CP - Is that the Optronics fishing light/spotlight combo that Cabela's has? I was thinking of picking one up and was wondering what your thoughts are with it. Also, can the green light be used independent of the spotlight, or are they both on all the time when it is hooked up to your battery? Finally, what kind of battery life can you get from a vex battery?

I dont remember what brand it is lol but yes its a green tube and spotlight combo. Both the lights are run together. I ran it with a tolling motor battery and it never went dead. I'm not sure how a vex battery would work. I would think it would easily last a night though. I really like the light. Cant wait to bust it out again this year. It looks awesome under the ice when its clear!

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Author Topic: Smelt Fishing (Read 6909 times)