Lawman60
12-27-2011, 09:45 PM
With the warm weather this December, the smelt fishing has been very good.
I've seen a lot of guys trying to catch smelt and realized that it's not easy for a beginner.
First off, smelt fishing is mostly done at night and when it's calm.
Smelt are around all the ice free bays and docks on Lake Erie. You fish for them by dangling your bait just off the end of your rod. No casting.
I tie a small ice jig on and then a #10 gold hook about 12 inches above the jig. I use very small ice floats, just big enough to float my rig a couple feet below. Smelt are small and have very tiny mouths. It's rare for me to actually hook one, but you don't have to hook them to catch them. They have two sharp teeth on their tongue and these teeth get stuck in the bait you're using. When you detect a bite, gently lift your rig up and out and right over a bucket. The trick is to learn not to pull the bait from their mouths.
For bait, you may use small minnows or half minnows, maggots, wax worms, or my favorite, bacon fat. A 1" strip of bacon fat cut about a 1/4" wide will not only stay on your hook longer, but it seems to snag into their teeth better than other baits.
Cleaning these little fish is not hard at all. Snip off their heads with scissors, and slit down their body to their vent. Use your thumb to push out the innards. Wash them in cold water and they are ready to cook. You eat them bones, fins, and all.
It's not like fighting a small mouth or steel head, but it's something to do when you're waiting for ice up.
Good luck!
I've seen a lot of guys trying to catch smelt and realized that it's not easy for a beginner.
First off, smelt fishing is mostly done at night and when it's calm.
Smelt are around all the ice free bays and docks on Lake Erie. You fish for them by dangling your bait just off the end of your rod. No casting.
I tie a small ice jig on and then a #10 gold hook about 12 inches above the jig. I use very small ice floats, just big enough to float my rig a couple feet below. Smelt are small and have very tiny mouths. It's rare for me to actually hook one, but you don't have to hook them to catch them. They have two sharp teeth on their tongue and these teeth get stuck in the bait you're using. When you detect a bite, gently lift your rig up and out and right over a bucket. The trick is to learn not to pull the bait from their mouths.
For bait, you may use small minnows or half minnows, maggots, wax worms, or my favorite, bacon fat. A 1" strip of bacon fat cut about a 1/4" wide will not only stay on your hook longer, but it seems to snag into their teeth better than other baits.
Cleaning these little fish is not hard at all. Snip off their heads with scissors, and slit down their body to their vent. Use your thumb to push out the innards. Wash them in cold water and they are ready to cook. You eat them bones, fins, and all.
It's not like fighting a small mouth or steel head, but it's something to do when you're waiting for ice up.
Good luck!