Looking for Smelts (for bait) Where can I buy ??

[tizfun]

Hey all, Heading out for the pike opener next week for a 4 day weekend and wanted to use some smelts as bait.. Does anyone know of where I can purchase any that haven't been cleaned yet ?? Went to a couple Asian markets and all have been gutted and headless..

 

Any help would be most appreciated...

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Tiz

[MJL]

I bought a few packs of the frozen smelts from an Asian grocery food store here in Scarborough around the Brimley rd & Sheppard area...Assorted sizes mixed together from 2.5 inches through to 6 inches long in each bag (only 3-4 big ones per bag) - No tails but everything else was intact...They went for $1.30 per bag with a few dozen smelts inside. I also had trouble looking for the ones with heads on - I planned to use them for lakers though. I ended up only using a few smelts and I fried up the rest...I actually fried up a bag I had left over from ice season today for lunch.LOL

[waterwolf]

whole frozen sardines are all I use during hard water.many stores, no frills , price chopper, food basics, carry whole sardines, just try to find the smaller size at this time of year. great sent trail.

whole smelts are sometimes hard to find.maybe an east coast store might have 'em.

either way ,sardines will always take pike on a dead-stick offering.

good luck .

Edited April 28, 2010 by waterwolf

[waterwolf]

good heads up on anoher bait source, thanks.

Edited April 28, 2010 by waterwolf

[Beats]

They seem to be surprisingly hard to find whole. Years ago I used to buy them at Food Basics in Stratford for about $3 and change for a bag of dozens of whole smelt. Since living in London I still haven't found any but can't say I've really looked too hard, just 5 or 6 stores which have the headless, gutted variety. If you are just using them for bait, I'd be interested in knowing if the pike tend to prefer them gutted and without heads I've always figured it was more the thawing oily scent off them that attracted the pike opposed to their looks. But who knows, only ever used whole ones.

Edited April 28, 2010 by Beats

[Stern Rules]

I got a bag of whole uncleaned ones at Price Chopper in Brantford for about $3 or so in December.

[Dara]

I was using them this weekend with great success. We were cutting small ones into 3 pieces and the trout didn't care. I wouldn't worry about if they are cleaned or not.

 

PS I hear they make good bear bait too

[cram]

i don't know if its even legal to do this, but i bet using a little mackerel or something would be great for dead-baiting. They give off a lot of oil.

[torco]

Food Basic's in Guelph has whole frozen smelts. Cheap like 3/bag.

 

Yeah Mackeral could work well, really quite large though. Big bait big fish they say!

[Aaron`]

Wait, isn't it against the law to use smelts in ontario? Or am I getting mixed up???

Edited April 30, 2010 by Aaron`

[torco]

I just checked the regs, you definitely can not use smelts as live bait but it made no mention of dead bait, so I don't know.

 

Never fished with them myself, I just know they sell them a food basics.

Edited April 30, 2010 by torco

[Aaron`]

Smelts can't be used as live bait according to regs, but what about dead bait? Anyone?

[The JAY]

I know what logic dictates... But that usually has little to do with the Ministry Regs....

[Woodsman]

Legal as dead bait unless stated in the zone exceptions.

[tizfun]

Thanks for all the tips everyone. Found some at an Asian Store in Pickering. $1.29/bag, but they are mixed and there seems to be more smaller that the ones I had hoped for.. Will try a couple more places before our weekend getaway this weekend..

 

Thanks again to all... Will post pics when I get back..

 

Tiz