Smelt Rigs for Spring/Summer pike

[bigcatpike]

How do you guys like to rig and fish your frozen smelt?

 

[tikkalover]

Through the ice I just use a bigger treble hook, and before I hook the treble hook to the leader, I push the treble hook up through the center of the smelt, and then hook it to the leader. I try to place\balance the smelt on the treble so it hangs level, and squeeze the air out of it so it doesn't float. If I shore fish for them, I usually just lay the smelt on the bottom.

 

[KDM]

Circle hook buried in the middle of the smelt fished right on the bottom. I put about a 4 inch piece of wood kabob stick down the spine of the smelt to help keep it on when I cast. Then I like to tie on a piece of engineering tape to the line as an indicator and crack a cold one.

 

[fishn4fun]

What tikka said, during open water I usually run a 3-way swivel just before the steel leader and run mono about 6 inches longer than the steel leader for the weight and use a bigger bobber to hold it all up.

 

[Kickemup]

I like to use a big bobber with a treble stabbed up though the bottom.

 

[Davy Crockett]

This is what I grew up with and still use but they are getting hard to find. Is that a good thing ?? I've never hooked a smelt on anything else. Anyone else use both these and trebles for comparison ?

 

[tikkalover]

This is what I grew up with and still use but they are getting hard to find. Is that a good thing ?? I've never hooked a smelt on anything else. Anyone else use both these and trebles for comparison ?

Gas Stop on the south side of Minot had a couple of these the other day I was in there.

 

[dean nelson]

Would have to think dakota would have them? Used them back in the day but stopped when I got to lazy one day to swing by and pick some more up and just went with a treble and never looked back. Anyone ever do a head to head between the two?

 

[buckhunter24_7]

I just use what I would call a catfish rig. A circle hook with a 3 oz weight infront of the leader swivel. I squeeze the eyelet so the weight can't slide past it. It's pretty much just a big Lindy rig. O and if you leave your rod wedged in the rocks with the clicker on make sure you remember to release the spool. It's amazing how far in the air a $150 rod/real combo will fly out into the water when a northern takes off with it.

 

[Sluggo]

I use the same A shaped quick strike rig for winter and summer.....under bobber or on the bottom.

 

[Ponyroper]

This is what we used 50 years ago when pike were the only fish in the mud holes back where I grew up. You took the hook off the clevis and pushed the hook into the smelts mouth and out its back. Supposedly pike always swallow their prey head first so the hooks in the smelts mouth were in the right position. Seemed to work good. Haven't fished with smelt for nearly 50 years but I still carry a couple of these hooks around in my tackle box.