Frozen Smelt: The Versatile Bait for Fresh & Saltwater Success

Your Essential Guide to Fishing with Frozen Smelt

Why Frozen Smelt is a Consistent Producer

Frozen smelt are a highly effective bait because they closely mimic the natural forage of many predatory fish. Their slender, silvery profile, combined with a distinct natural scent and oil content, makes them an appealing target. Smelt are particularly favored in colder water fisheries and are a staple for ice fishing, but their versatility extends to many saltwater applications as well.

Understanding Bait Smelt: The Rainbow Smelt

The most commonly used smelt for bait is the Rainbow Smelt (*Osmerus mordax*). These are small, slender, silvery fish that can be anadromous (migrating between salt and fresh water to spawn) or live entirely in freshwater (landlocked populations). They are an important link in the food chain, serving as prey for numerous larger fish.

Sourcing and Quality of Frozen Smelt Bait

At Wholesale.Fishing, we focus on providing premium, flash-frozen smelt. Quality is paramount; good frozen smelt should have a bright, silvery appearance, be mostly intact (minimal broken pieces or damage), and firm to the touch once thawed. They should be free of excessive freezer burn or discoloration, which can indicate poor handling or extended storage.

Thawing and Preparing Frozen Smelt

• Thawing: For best results, thaw smelt slowly in a cooler with ice or in the refrigerator. If faster thawing is needed, place them in a sealed bag and submerge in cold water. Avoid warm water or microwaving, as this can make them mushy.
• On-Trip Care: Once thawed, keep smelt well-iced in an insulated bait cooler to maintain firmness and freshness.
• Preparation:
  • Whole: This is the most common presentation, especially for ice fishing (jigging or on tip-ups), trolling for salmon and trout, or drifting for larger predators.
  • Cut Pieces: For smaller target species, or when fish are less aggressive, smelt can be cut into chunks or strips. The head or tail sections are often favored by some anglers.

Effective Rigging Techniques for Smelt

1. Whole Smelt Rigging:
   • Lip Hooking: Pass the hook through both lips (bottom up is common) or just the top lip. This allows for a natural presentation when trolling, drifting, or jigging.
   • Eye Hooking: Hooking through the eye sockets can provide a secure point for jigging or trolling.
   • Dorsal Hooking: Lightly hook the smelt under the skin just behind the dorsal fin. This is excellent for presenting bait horizontally under a tip-up (ice fishing) or for still fishing.
   • Tandem/Quick-Strike Rigs: For larger smelt or targeting toothy predators like Pike or Lake Trout, a tandem hook rig (often with small treble hooks or single hooks) can improve hook-up ratios.
2. Cut Smelt Rigging:
   • Hook chunks or strips securely through the meatiest part, ensuring the hook point is well exposed.
3. Popular Rigs:
   • Jigging (Ice Fishing / Open Water): Attach a whole smelt to a jigging spoon, a lead-head jig, or a specialized bait-holding jig.
   • Tip-Up Rigs (Ice Fishing): A smelt hooked through the back or lips, suspended under a tip-up.
   • Trolling Rigs: Often used with dodgers, flashers, or specialized bait heads to impart action for salmon and trout.
   • Drift Rigs / Bottom Bouncers: Effective for presenting smelt near the bottom for walleye, lake trout, and some saltwater species.
   • Fish-Finder or Bottom Rig (Saltwater): Good for presenting whole or cut smelt for flounder, cod, striped bass, or bluefish.

Use sharp hooks appropriately sized for the smelt and your target species. Fine-wire hooks can allow for better action with smaller smelt.

Pro-Tips for Fishing with Frozen Smelt

• Consider brining your thawed smelt in a saltwater/borax solution to toughen them up, enhance their shine, and help them stay on the hook longer.
• When trolling, ensure your smelt is rigged to swim true and not spin unnaturally. This might involve adjusting hook placement or using specialized rigging aids.
• For ice fishing, the scent dispersion of smelt in cold water is a key advantage. Jigging with a smelt can attract fish from a distance.