smelt

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mr.crappie
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2009/08/17 20:39:14 (permalink)

smelt

Anybody use frozen smelt for cats? Buddies of mine use them in the spring with good results on pike.  sam
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    Mountian Man
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    RE: smelt 2009/08/17 21:13:39 (permalink)
    Their okish for small cats but not my prime choice.

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    Veni Vidi Vici...
    #2
    mr.crappie
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    RE: smelt 2009/08/18 02:08:04 (permalink)
    I agree,normaly I will use live gills or cut bait,but since I never know what species I am going for until I head out, I thought that having some smelt in the freezer would eliminate scrambleing around looking for bait. I normaly target channels when I do fish for cats.  sam
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    gizmos
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    RE: smelt 2009/08/18 07:45:01 (permalink)
    I do quite well with them, have got some good channels but I dont think a flat ever took one. Dead bait ,fillet of white bass is still my top choice.

    Eat what you catch,troll for cows.
    #4
    Hummer82
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    RE: smelt 2009/08/18 16:04:30 (permalink)
    I imagine smelt would be good bait.  The thing is they don't freeze well and get mushy.  Salt curing them may be an option to try.
    #5
    akitadog
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    RE: smelt 2009/08/18 18:22:30 (permalink)
    fresh never frozen
    #6
    carpin05
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    RE: smelt 2009/08/18 22:18:10 (permalink)
    find some shad!!!!!!
    Bottom of the food chain......
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    accordbw
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    RE: smelt 2009/08/18 23:34:34 (permalink)
    I used to use frozen smelt all the time. I would cut mine in half and fish it that way. Caught some nice cats on it and the occasional pike.
    #8
    akitadog
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    RE: smelt 2009/08/19 06:16:21 (permalink)
    skipjack is the best if you can get them. shad are the next best.
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    mr.crappie
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    RE: smelt 2009/08/22 12:29:23 (permalink)
    Ran into a small snag with my plan to use smelt for catfish. As soon as I came home with the smelt I decieded to deep fry a few, then a few more, now I have to go to Giant Eagle before I can go fishing.  lol  sam
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    JEB
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    RE: smelt 2009/09/09 15:28:00 (permalink)
    i'VE HAD OK SUCESS USING THEM FOR SMALLER CATS LIKE MM SAID, NEVER GOT ANY MONSTERS WITH THEM, BUT THEY WORK OK.
    #11
    mr.crappie
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    RE: smelt 2009/09/09 20:14:11 (permalink)
    Personaly, I believe that catfish, like most other fish, get more cannibleistic when they get bigger.The big channels that I have caught(24-36") were all taken on either live gills or cut-bait,or smashed shiners. I was just trying to use smelt for the convenience on spur of the moment trips.I even caught 1 on smoked kielbasa.   sam
    #12
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