Who sells smelt around the west michigan area for tipups

[TheBigRedDog]

I was wondering who sells them or where I can get some whole smelt. I want to try them on a tipup. I have heard of guys using them I just dont know where they get them or I'm any of you guys have any in your freezer that are a few years old I can take them off your hands. Any help would be great. Thanks

[woodie slayer]

meijher thrifty acres sells them -fresh or frozen

[TheBigRedDog]

Do they still have the heads on them? Can you use them without heads and still catch fish?

[Oldgrandman]

Sanitary Seafoods @ 2468 Plainfield NE in Grand Rapids has smelt for fishing. I am pretty sure they are whole, I never really asked. They just have a sign that states they have it. Call ahead if you like.
Tell em Mark or Oldgrandman from here sent you ;) . If the owner is there he should know who I am. But you don't need me to get them there, just be letting him know I send business his way.

[bucko12pt]

I believe they are illegal to sell as they are considered a game fish. Also, the DNR does not want them introduced from one lake to another.

A couple years ago we were questioned while coming off Green Lake with live smelt in a pail by a CO, who wanted to know what we were going to do with them live. After I told him we were going to use them for bait on Lake Leelanau and the spawn for the smelt in Green Lake came from Lake Leeelanau (introduced by the DNR), he said OK have a good evening.

[TheBigRedDog]

Yeah you cant transfer fish from one lake to another.

[TheBigRedDog]

Thanks oldgrandman for the info. I really want to try it I have heard good things about it. That might be a little far for me to travel, but my friend joe works there, mabye he can pick them up for me. How much do they run?

[Robert Hoover]

farmer jack ..and my freezer!

[MSUICEMAN]

i believe they are a COMMERCIAL fish (since there are after all, big smelt boats that still go out), and thusly can be bought. every year someone asks about whole frozen smelt and every year someone knows of an outfit that sells em legally. do a search in the ice fishing forum for frozen smelt, and i'm sure something will pop up.

[Oldgrandman]

Thanks oldgrandman for the info. I really want to try it I have heard good things about it. That might be a little far for me to travel, but my friend joe works there, mabye he can pick them up for me. How much do they run?

No idea, give em a call.

[danf2001]

I use frozen smelt exclusivley for northerns and burbot all winter long. When/if I run out I switch over to herring. I've fished smelt and herring side by side in Montana for northerns through the ice and the smelt outfished the herring easly by 2:1. Up here in Alaska all live bait is illegal to use. Therefore I load up in the spring when the smelt are running. They are a diffrent type of smelt than what I was used to growing up in Michigan. Not sure if this is because they are sea run or what? technically they have the same scientific name according to our Fish and game deptment. These ones are very oily as a matter of fact the natives call them candle fish. They used to dry them and use them for candles! I took a mess of them home this summer and let the relatives try them and they thought they were a tad bit greasy for their taste. There are websites that also sell them. I researched this a few years ago when I was stationed in MT as the prices they wanted for a dozen frozen smelt was ridulous.

[TheBigRedDog]

I would catch them around here but the smelt run is not good or pretty much gone. I havent heard of anybody going off from the piers around here going smelt dipping. I heard back in the day it used to be good but not anymore. I guess I'll have to buy a few and see how they do. Hopefully they are cheaper than buying a dozen shiners and trying to keep them alive in between fishing trips. You dont have to worry about that with dead smelt:D:lol:

[danf2001]

It's been years since I've heard of a good smelt run in Michigan. The last one I can remeber/participated in was in the Late-80's. The grand daddy of them all was in like '84 when my dad and uncle went up to Rapid River near Escanaba and brought home a literal truck load..... Those were the days! I think we all cleaned fish for 2 days after that trip! :)

[therapy]

I bought some at Doug bourn's smoke house a few years ago, Pretty close to muskegon, However most were fairly small,I only used the bigger ones and haven't been back.Last year went to green lake one night and came home with enough for this ice season. And plan to do it again this year!!!