using smelt for bait

[sheephead24]

has anyone used smelt for pike, and how does it work? I picked up a dozen up north this winter when we went to Red, and I still have them in my freezer. I have heard they work great for big pike, but how do you fish them? under a bobber or right on the bottom? thanks for any tips.

[Neighbor_guy]

I would use them werever you would use frozen sucker minnows. Quick strike rig under a bobber would be a good place to start.

[Sandmannd]

Under a bobber has worked good for me over the years.

[MinnesotaMongo]

I've used them with a lot of success early in the year.

Try food coloring with it - esp. yellow and red with a quickstrike rig under a float. It's a killer combo.

[poutpro]

Does anyone just actually lay them on the bottom?

[dakotakid31]

 Originally Posted By: poutpro

Does anyone just actually lay them on the bottom?

that is one of the best ways to fish smelt. from lake oahe to our cabin up north-deadly. i just hate that hardly any bait stores carry smelt in MN-almost all do in S.Dakota.

[Neighbor_guy]

Bait stores are going to carry what sells. Most guys buying pike bait are buying suckers. Just the way it is.

[whitewolf6647]

If you're looking for smelt check your gorcery stores freezer section. They always seem to have it and if not can get it in usually within a couple days and they're not all the little ones either some of them smelt in those bags are over 8 inches long and they come something like 20-50 per bag for pretty cheap. Laying them on the bottom is one of my favorite ways to fish with smelt and man is it effective. I've personally seen more +40" northerns caught on smelt fished on the bottom than any other bait live, dead or artificial. Very effective Pike presentation.

[andrew chadwick]

keep in mind that the use of lake superior smelt for bait is now illegal.

[Steve Foss]

Smelt, cisco and herring are all about as good, and you can usually find one or the other it the bait store, with smelt also being available as mentioned at grocery stores.

I use deadbait exclusively when I fish pike with tip-ups through the ice. Any of the three are excellent. I vary the depth, generally running one bait about a foot off the bottom and the second about half way up the water column.