Fresh Frozen Smelt

[Bigslugger]

Von Hanson's Meats in Monticello has fresh frozen jumbo smelt now, with no salt or preservatives! They are $8.99 for 2 pounds and approximately 15 per pound!

[DTro]

To be legal, they need to be VHS free certified. Im pretty sure those aren't.

[BartmanMN]

I think he bought them for Dinner

[DTro]

Ha, try that one on the CO.

Just a warning....

[Bigslugger]

I remembered a discussion on hard to find smelt last year, I did not purchase these. Good thing I didn't! Thanks for the info!

[TroutYammer]

Wheatley Ontario: Government Du Canada!

[Alagnak]

If they are on your person or in your gear while out on the lake you better be ready to start snacking on one when they come to check your license and gear. :-) Thanks for the heads up, I need some for snacks.

[dougger222]

Them smelt sure are tasty! Since smelt are harvested in the Spring wonder if these are a little old???

[Schleichenator]

VHS Free Certified??? What does that mean?

[kfk]

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) is a deadly infectious fish disease caused by the Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV, or VHSv). It afflicts over 50 species of freshwater and marine fish in several parts of the northern hemisphere.

Certified free means that the bait has been tested to ensure it doesn't contain the virus.

[Tom7227]

I bought some last year from the bait store in Harris. They were certified to process them. They had been gutted and dried with some sort of powder on them. I don't know what the powder was. The bag had a sticker on it indicating that they had been processed by a certified company. I was told that if you were on the ice they had to be in that bag. I also haven't had any luck with them but that could be my fault.

[mrklean]

how much of a price difference do you see from the old non cer smelt that we could use to the VHS certified ones we have to use?

[DTro]

I don't know about price difference, but I think they preserve them and I've heard mixed results on how effective they are after that process.

If I remember right, people starting soaking them for a while and doing different things to try and make them more fresh.

[Great Outdoors]

I bought some last year from the bait store in Harris. They were certified to process them. They had been gutted and dried with some sort of powder on them. I don't know what the powder was. The bag had a sticker on it indicating that they had been processed by a certified company. I was told that if you were on the ice they had to be in that bag. I also haven't had any luck with them but that could be my fault.

Don't buy the Smelt or Ciscos that have been treated with a Borax/Salt mixture that makes them legal, as they are garbage.

Only buy the Smelt or Ciscos that come from waters that are VHS free certified and are just frozen.

They catch a lot more fish.

[mrbigfish]

I think the VHS Brined smelt rule stinks!! Forces everyone to pay higher prices, the smelt wont freeze in the freezer, they fall apart on the hook easier, and you cant use them on multiple fishing trips.

Unbrined smelt last for multiple ice fishing seasons kept in your freezer and catch way more fish. The only downside is the ticket you could get for using them and they float if still frozen when you put on hooks.

[dougger222]

I don't know what treated smelt go for but we've sold dozens of 6 gallon buckets of smelt for $50 in the past couple years. Last year was a bust as we only got about 1,000 pounds in 5 trips. The prior year we got about 7,000 lbs in 3 trips.

Of course these are Superior smelt to be used for human consuption only...

Oh, I read somewhere that VHS was never found in smelt in Superior but they figured they were in smelt as they were found in cisco, any body else read this???

[Great Outdoors]

The VHS virus has been found in Lake Superior, but have heard the DNR has never found a Smelt of Cisco that had it. (What you said)

Anyone using Smelt for bait will need a VHS free certificate from the U of M Pathology lab so anyone using the smelt you sold could be arrested.

I am not 100% sure (only 90% sure), that unless you are a commercially licensed fisherman, it is illegal to sell smelt for food so be cautious.