How do you catch smelts

[Icetroller]

I there a way to trap smelts or is it just jigging the way to catch them?

[surflizard]

Bait fish traps will work if you locate how the Smelt are relating to structure and around inlets from brooks. Dry dog food worked best for me, I also had better luck with the black traps then the zinc coated ones.

[56987]

In the spring here, we are allowed to net them while there spawning. They usually spawn in small creeks around the great lakes. We normally get a 5 gallon pail half full and have a fry of them that night and freeze the rest in water for another day.

Now im craving smelts.

[Androwildfire]

Bait fish traps will work if you locate how they are relating to structure and around inlets from brooks. Dry dog food worked best for me, I also had better luck with the black traps then the zinc coated ones.

X2!

[redneck deer blaster]

find the deepest hole,and jig them on a small hook with maggot,mouseys,sucker,shiner,or smelt in a little strip about1/4inch and check different depths every 10 ft or so,usualy from night till sunrise they will be from 15 ft down to just under the ice...and ive never herd of anyone using bait traps on them ,just the dealers use big nets