I'm heading up to do some fishing around Ely area for the first time in many years, and was wondering where the best place would be to stop for some dead bait. With all the new rules regarding dead/preserved bait not sure how hard it will be to find.

Preferably looking for salted ciscos or smelt. Frozen would work too. Not sure anymore if I can even buy frozen ciscos or smelt from a verified source and salt them myself. I would think if I saved the receipt I would be ok, but I've read the regs a couple times and am not really sure if that would even be allowed now with out some sort of new permit.

We have verified smelt, can't do ciscoes any more.

We have had people buy bait, put it in a bag with no water & then salt it themselves. Doesn't last forever, but it does help you bring minnows that you don't have to keep in oxygen. :-)

Forrest75: "I'm heading up to do some fishing around Ely area for the first time in many years, and was wondering where the best place would be to stop for some dead bait. With all the new rules regarding dead/preserved bait not sure how hard it will be to find.

Preferably looking for salted ciscos or smelt. Frozen would work too. Not sure anymore if I can even buy frozen ciscos or smelt from a verified source and salt them myself. I would think if I saved the receipt I would be ok, but I've read the regs a couple times and am not really sure if that would even be allowed now with out some sort of new permit.

"

Any frozen Cisco , Smelt, or Alewife that you take for bait must have a VHS Free Certification slip with it.
We may have Ciscoes available next fall, but currently have only frozen Smelt and Alewife that are legal to use. Both can be used for Lake Trout and Pike fishing.
The Smelt have 10-12 per package, the Alewife 4 per package, are very large, and are used by those who want to catch very large Pike.
Stop in and compare the two, quite a difference in size.

Thanks for the replies. I'll be stopping in next month.

I buy medium white suckers and freeze them with a little water. Half a medium white sucker makes a good chunk of bait on a 4/0 circle hook. This year I got more small than medium suckers, which I prefer to use whole.

I've taken frozen (not preserved) bait as late as June. Keep it in its own cooler and make sure it stays in the shade! The fish bite as well on the last day as on the first. Our biggest lake trout this trip (27") came on a pretty ripe sucker on the last full day.

Apparently suckers don't carry VHS so they are not on the list of bait that must be preserved.

The Great Outdoors: "

Forrest75: "I'm heading up to do some fishing around Ely area for the first time in many years, and was wondering where the best place would be to stop for some dead bait. With all the new rules regarding dead/preserved bait not sure how hard it will be to find.


Preferably looking for salted ciscos or smelt. Frozen would work too. Not sure anymore if I can even buy frozen ciscos or smelt from a verified source and salt them myself. I would think if I saved the receipt I would be ok, but I've read the regs a couple times and am not really sure if that would even be allowed now with out some sort of new permit.


"

Any frozen Cisco , Smelt, or Alewife that you take for bait must have a VHS Free Certification slip with it.
We may have Ciscoes available next fall, but currently have only frozen Smelt and Alewife that are legal to use. Both can be used for Lake Trout and Pike fishing.
The Smelt have 10-12 per package, the Alewife 4 per package, are very large, and are used by those who want to catch very large Pike.
Stop in and compare the two, quite a difference in size.
"

Hey TGO, what are your hours? We're coming up on June 21st and could use some jumbo leeches. Promise we'll rid some lakes of smallies for ya!

Hours, about 5:45 or so until 7 Monday through Saturday, 6-2 Sunday.
We should have them, no problem.
See you then!!