Frozen Smelt Tatics and what do ya catch?

[Guest]

Growing up I seen the old timers using frozen smelts with 100lb test line (concrete string with a very small bobber) does this work good? What other tactics are used? What do ya catch? If I remember right, you use that funkey "L" shaped hook and snap them slimeys right away.

[fiskyknut]

Smelt are my favorite bait for LOW pike. I use them on a 2 treble Q-strike rig under tip-ups, or under a bobber or on the bottom during the open water season. The pike must really like the smell of these things cause on LOW the smelt are not part of the forage base, though there has to be some due to the fact their in Rainy lake in abundance. Here's a trick for using any dead baits for pike; Hook a lively chub or 2 on the hook after hooking on deadbait. Gives a little movement and flash, I figure it looks like the chubs are chewin' on the deadbait! Works!

[metrojoe]

We always called them pike hooks. I think Mustad makes them. It's been awhile since I've had to buy any. I seem to land more of the Pike on a quick strike rig compared to a live bait rig.
The one problem I've had is finding smelt big enough to fit on the pike hook. It seems they have really gotten small over the last couple years. I've started freezing my larger sucker minnows and using them.

fiskyknut,
How is that quick strike rig tied? Sounds like it would work for the smaller smelt.

[This message has been edited by metrojoe (edited 01-16-2002).]

[Guest]

What is a "quick strike rig" thanks

[fiskyknut]

Quick-strike rig is a generic term for a 2 hook rig for live or dead baits. I tie mine using 18 or 27# sevenstrand uncoated wire, or better yet that 49 stranded stuff. Up here on "the woods" where the pike are large, we use large baits. I use size 1 or 1/0 trebles, take one and tie to end with a snugged down bowline, take appropriate size crimp-on sleeve slide this on line then the other treble, then loop wire thru sleeve a second time, adjust distance between the two hooks to make it "right" for the size bait you're using, then crimp the sleeve. I won't use those adjutable 'shrink tube' style QS rigs ever. Add a couple beads if you like, and a small spinner w/o clevis to make it legal. finish with another bowline and a swivel and your set. For smaller baits use smaller trebles and shorten the distance between hooks. tip-up fishing I make them 24-30", open water I make them 15-20" or so. I usually fish deadbait on the bottom, the pike up here have no problem sucking 'em up off the bottom. You can set the hook right away and one of the trebles will usually grab!

[minneman]

Fisky, does your bait hang horisontl on your rigs? or dont you think that maters?

[fiskyknut]

They can depends how you hook them on, I don't think it matters, but many folks do. Does a dead fish always float horizontal???? Probably not. 9 times out of 10 I run my deadbaits right on the bottom anyway. I make sure the swim bladder is popped too. Works for me up here. I've seen kids down at the Warroad landing at Ice out and I'm sure most of them are not even thinking about making they're baits hang horizontal, and they get pikes. Then there's my cousin who goes to great lengths to get his baits to hang just right by carefully inserting nails and styrofoam peanuts {which I frown on} He get's fish too, but not anymore than anyone else on any given day. This is a good topic of debate. What do you think...Any difference?

Fisky

Fisky

[Guest]

I'm not sure but I for some reason I thought I heard at one time that using dead smelt in Minnesota was illegal. Not sure though. If someone knows the law on this let us all know. Thanks

[fiskyknut]

Live smelt=ticket
Dead smelt=okay

[Guest]

Thanks Fiskynut, glad you cleared that up for my age old brain. I haven't tried it but am going to give it a swing one of these days.

[minneman]

I guess I've always tried to get them to hang horiz, the rig is sim. to yours but 2 pieces, your main cable to treb, then I make a short 3-5" pc, with aloop on one end and a treb, on the other, Poke a hole threw the bait midway, from dorsel to belly, run main line up threw hole in bait to hook, then slide the short sec. on top and bed the hook in the nose, slide on the spiner and hook to your tipup line,
fisky, what do you think about the Pout hatching late winter and pike? some of the smaller pike kept to eat have found small pout in the gullet, late feb mar. any ideas where they might spawn or hatch, depth or bottom content? another needle haystack thing??

[Guest]

If the quick strike rig that Fisky was describing is like the ones I make, they will hang horizonally. I am not good at following directions but they sound pretty similar. With a quick strike rig, the bait will hang horizonally if you hook your smelt correctly, meaning just far enough forward with the hook closest to the line. Not sure if that makes sense. But, 90% of the time I fish them right on the bottom so it really doesn't matter. Hey Fiskynut, it is just about that time, huh! Can't wait!!ScottS

[LaVoi]

Are the frozen smelt as effective on walleyes as they are on pike?? LaVoi

[fiskyknut]

Yes indeed the best pike fishing of the year on LOW is right around the corner. I love fishing 'eyes in the winter...but tip-ups for pike on the late ice is my favorite winter angling of the year. Low has a healthy population of 40"+ pike, and I love to catch big fish....I'm hoping for a 48", but that may take a while....their in there. I saw a 51 incher caught last year, WOW!!!
Minneman...I too have seen those little burbot in pikes I've kept. This is from my Ken Schultz fishing encyclopedia worldwide angling guide...."By the time it is 3 years of age, the burbot is sexually mature. It is one of the few fish species that spawns in mid to late winter under the ice, doing so at nite in shallow bays in 1 to 4 feet of water over sand and gravel; occasionally it will spawn in rivers in 1 to 10 feet of water. Burbot may produce more than a million spherical amber eggs at one time. Without a nest or parental protection, the eggs hatch in 4 to 5 weeks".....I would guess 4-mile bay has what they're looking for as far as spawning habitat somewhere? I remember sturgeon fishing in the bay a few years back, taking a break from the masses up on the Rainy, it was very early April and we fish that deep hole out there with heavy tackle and big balls of crawlers...anyways we could'nt keep the burbot out of the boat, must of got 50!!! No kidding!!!! Went thru all our crawlers, and when sturgeon fishing using big balls of crawlers we bring lot's and lot's. I still wonder to this day why they were SO thick that day? maybe a late spawn, or some kinda post spawn gathering??? I dunno! But I will never forget that Day!

If any of you pikers have an interest, Zippel bay resort throws their annual ice-out pike tourney on the last weekend of April. This is a fun derby, $ 40 bucks per 2 man team, 100% payback, you fish sat. and sun. release everything after weighing. Even small boat anglers can do this one...you see everything from decked out Lunds to pontoons and little kicker boats. My partner and I got 2nd last year, splitting a 672.00 prize, we were in his old pike D, kinda neat beating the guys with the decked out tourney boats. You could win this one in a canoe!

Maybe see you guys there....Fisky

[Raven]

I also appreciated the info Frisky. I had asked the question about using dead bait and how to rig on another forum, but never had a response. I hope to be trying this method out shorty. Was up at LOW this last Monday and came home just one short of the limit. I am trying to talk the wife into moving up there for a year to just fish

[fiskyknut]

Raven

Come on up at the end of March or April. Primetime for Truly Big Pikes.

Fisky

[Guest]

I do remember these old timers fishing with smelts when the ice was thick and lots of snow, late season. What kind of line do you all use with the quick strike rigs?

[Guest]

I use just regular tip-up line on the tip-up but the quick strikes are made with leader wire. They are super easy to make and I recommend making them yourself. That way you can customize them the way you want. I have some with a large distance between the hooks for large bait and some with less distance for smaller bait. I also use a smaller hook for the tail side for live bait. Just my preference. But, again, I would suggest making them yourself.ScottS

[Guest]

just back to burbot for a moment....
a fellow here on lake manitoba was trying to start a commercial trapping system for burbot... he was putting big trap/cages under the ice and scooping them out every morning at the depths previously mentioned... but one thing i have noticed while fishing perch at this time of year is that the males burbot must follow the females out on the flats at about 12' deep... and they must harass then the whole time... you really bang the perch off if you find where the burbot have stirred the water up and made it all cloudy... you find a spot like this about every 3 times out here... they seem to be in spawning balls rolling around on bottom dislodging the food for the perch...sometimes 2 guys 200-300 perch in 2-3hours... as well as the bonus burbot you catch....usually starts in mid feb to end of march on a normal years up here

[Guest]

If I had a choice for dead baiting pike it would be quality high oil content "BIG" haring over smelt on any water.

Haring has a higher oil content and pulls in big pike from a wider area more quickly. They do not need to be native to the system your fishing to be effective.

Scent is the key, they don't care what it really looks like.

Quick strike rigs are by far the best dead bait rigging's under the ice or on a slip rig in the spring.

Pike really don't care what direction there dead food is facing, as long as it smells like food.

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"Ed on the Red"
Backwater Guiding Service
[email protected]
fishingminnesota.com/ed-on-the-red/

[fiskyknut]

I too use Tip-up line. I like to use HT "polar Ice" 25# coated braided nylonon all my tip-ups. For the open water, the last couple years I've been using 30# Power pro on a 6501 C4, coupled with a St Croix GT80, 8 foot telescopic glass rod, with this no-strech line I like a softer action rod. This set-up is also "just right" for trolling on the LOW mudflats with in-line boards and cranks, or snapweights and spinners. Makes a dandy Catfish set-up for my Red river trips too.

Fisky

[MnSportsman]

I'm not sure if this post is going to work, but I'm attempting to show what a couple of types of "quick-strike" rigs "LOOK" like.

double treble:

single hook-treble:

There may be other types, but I'm not familiar with them.
I'm just trying to help with a "visual" rather than verbal description.
{Thanks to the "Frozen Husker" for the images posted on his webpage}

[This message has been edited by MnSportsman (edited 01-19-2002).]

[Guest]

MnSportsman, very cool pics. How did ya post them? Do you have to be a moderator to do that? Anyhow, pics are worth a 1000 words

[Thumper]

MnSportsman, thanks for the pictures, they were worth 1000 words each, to those of us who have a hard time visualizing. Sure miss you during your busy season.

[Thumper]

MnSportsman, thanks for the pictures, they were worth 1000 words each, (to those of us who have a hard time visualizing). Sure miss you during your busy season.

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Thumper