# Favorite smelt presentation for pike



## bigtooth hunter (Nov 27, 2013)

Last year I fished with a local guy from freesoil for pike. we were using shinners. got some nice pike but, he was using whole smelt an got 38 and 42 inch pike. He mentioned that something about the smelt attracts the big ones. couple days after we met up again and the samething. So this year I located a meat market that has whole frozen smelt (half the battle). I was looking on youtube for some ideas on how to rig a flouro set up for pike. I came accross a video from Bigtooth tackle co. (liked the name) They have a rig set up with two trebles and a spinner that are designed for smelt. I found a bait shop in Minn. that sold them. Kruger farms and the rep said that was the favorite setup there. He uses the steel leader version and is trying out the flouro this year. So, I bought some flouro and a couple steel and was wondering if anyone has heard of bigtooth leaders or what you favorite setup is. The guy from freesoil used a nail to keep the smelt uprite. looked to complicated to me. any ideas?


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

I use live smelt on my tip-ups, but the concept of a spreader for dead bait is interesting.

One thing I dont understand is the need for all of the hardware. Why would you add spinnerblades to a bait that is hanging motionless under a bobber or tip up. Way too much hardware for me.

Dead smelt are often fished on bottom here.


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## Nick109 (Feb 5, 2011)

I would experiment if I was you. Like swampbuck I use live smelt which takes a lot of effort so I never try dead smelt. I have used 8-10" herring that I caught as bait on my tip-ups after they were dead(too strong to keep flag down) for lake trout. We used nails and other metal to keep them horizontal and down in deep water so they didn't float up.


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## HastingsJohn (Aug 8, 2013)

I use Swedish Hooks with frozen (slightly thawed actually) smelt. I only use them when I can't get shiners or suckers.











I rig them up kind of like this except I put the hook right in to the anal vent and run it all the way through the fish with the hook buried in the head.


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## bigtooth hunter (Nov 27, 2013)

nice set up. The spiner is a copper blade. my guess its to attract. The leader has two trebles. One put behind top of the head. The other coming from the opposite side behind top fin. Check out Bigtooth leader on youtube. If you are interested go to krugerfarms.com. #1 flouro or the steel. The steel you can get smaller hooks, #4. The #3 flouro has too big of hooks. unless you dredging the bottom. I will headed up to Hamlin on the 9th to 19th of January. Would post the results. Not spefic details of course But keep you posted. Keep your ideas coming, interested in your setups.


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## snootman (Dec 5, 2012)

+1 for Swedish hooks.


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## bigtooth hunter (Nov 27, 2013)

Nick109 said:


> I would experiment if I was you. Like swampbuck I use live smelt which takes a lot of effort so I never try dead smelt. I have used 8-10" herring that I caught as bait on my tip-ups after they were dead(too strong to keep flag down) for lake trout. We used nails and other metal to keep them horizontal and down in deep water so they didn't float up.


interesting do you have to catch smelt yourself or do you get them from a bait shop. Live bait would seem a better solution.


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## Martian (Apr 28, 2011)

I use dead smelt I do like the quick stike rig for dead bait,to keep it balanced, but of late I have been using cirlce hooks just under the dorsal, and with dead bait, I keep it right near or at the bottom , where dead bait would be. I know of the logic, that pike look up, but I also know that any predator looks for an easy meal, (dead), and it will not be floating in the middle water column.If it is weedy, I keep it 6in. to a foot above if I can see . Oh yeah I don't see any advantage of beads , spinners blades or hardware on dead , motionless bait. even on live bait, I think too much hardware fatigues the bait into motionless.


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## Nick109 (Feb 5, 2011)

bigtooth hunter said:


> interesting do you have to catch smelt yourself or do you get them from a bait shop. Live bait would seem a better solution.


You cannot buy smelt in the bait store. This means you have to catch them by bringing them up slowly and placing them in a five gallon bucket full of fresh water. Then you must change the water as you catch more fish, drive them slowly to your minnow box in a stream so they dont slosh around too much and try to use as many as you can before they die in your box. So it is not easy.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

bigtooth hunter said:


> interesting do you have to catch smelt yourself or do you get them from a bait shop. Live bait would seem a better solution.


They are illegal to sell live for 2 reasons. They are a highly invasive species, And they are also a game fish. How is that possible ?

I have no problem keeping them alive and re-use them multiple times even. They are quite hardy. Of course I live on a lake infested with them.

*I would not recommend using live smelt in any lake that they could possibly survive in. You do not want them established in any body of water.*


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## bigtooth hunter (Nov 27, 2013)

Martian said:


> I use dead smelt I do like the quick stike rig for dead bait,to keep it balanced, but of late I have been using cirlce hooks just under the dorsal, and with dead bait, I keep it right near or at the bottom , where dead bait would be. I know of the logic, that pike look up, but I also know that any predator looks for an easy meal, (dead), and it will not be floating in the middle water column.If it is weedy, I keep it 6in. to a foot above if I can see . Oh yeah I don't see any advantage of beads , spinners blades or hardware on dead , motionless bait. even on live bait, I think too much hardware fatigues the bait into motionless.


Ya, too much hardware and could design something similar, if you were good at that kind of thing. which I'm not. that's how I found Bigtooth leaders. was on YouTube trying to learn how to make flouro leader. Unsuccessful I might add. Question, I bought frozen uncleaned and some are smaller. does it matter what size. Do u use just the bigger 4 or 5"


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## Teddy372 (Mar 19, 2013)

Here are 2 rigs clam is offering this winter. Zero Rig.








AND
Bigtooth Rig


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Swedish hook.Weight can be put in mouth to level. Whole frozen smelt. 
When you set your first one,block the lite over hole with smelt two or three feet below,look under ice and check it out.Had our lesson in early seventies on river bayou.


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## catfishhunter (Jan 6, 2010)

*I would not recommend using live smelt in any lake that they could possibly survive in. You do not want them established in any body of water.*[/QUOTE]
I'm glad you added that at the end. Transporting minnows like that from lake to lake can be dangerous because of fish disease too. 


Sent from my XT907 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Martian (Apr 28, 2011)

bigtooth hunter said:


> Ya, too much hardware and could design something similar, if you were good at that kind of thing. which I'm not. that's how I found Bigtooth leaders. was on YouTube trying to learn how to make flouro leader. Unsuccessful I might add. Question, I bought frozen uncleaned and some are smaller. does it matter what size. Do u use just the bigger 4 or 5"


 we use them all,, when buying live bait, we go to gander and buy what they call bass minnows, pike minnows, can be 1$ ea. at GM the Bass shiners are $6.99 a doz, and we always get 18 or better on the dip. I refuse to go to a bait shop who count, only once, good luck to you ,, love T-U fishing


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## bigtooth hunter (Nov 27, 2013)

Martian said:


> we use them all,, when buying live bait, we go to gander and buy what they call bass minnows, pike minnows, can be 1$ ea. at GM the Bass shiners are $6.99 a doz, and we always get 18 or better on the dip. I refuse to go to a bait shop who count, only once, good luck to you ,, love T-U fishing


Ya, live minnows down here if you can find them are $2.50 to $3 each. I bought 10# of whole smelt for $14.99. Great info. hard water on the way. cant wait to try em out.


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## downfloat (May 3, 2007)

Anybody know where to get whole frozen smelt in se mi? Have found a few places that have them headless and gutted! Want to try them side by side live bait! Thx


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## bigtooth hunter (Nov 27, 2013)

Is Buchanan Mi too far. Lowerys meat mrket. Check on line. 10# for $14.99. whole uncleaned


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## downfloat (May 3, 2007)

bigtooth hunter said:


> Is Buchanan Mi too far. Lowerys meat mrket. Check on line. 10# for $14.99. whole uncleaned


Yeah just a bit!! But thanks for the heads up!


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

I've always used whatever dinks I can catch, little bluegills or smerch seem to last a long time with a hook in em, chubs & sucker minnows seem to die on me.


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