Ice-fishing for Saltwater Rainbow Smelts

Rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax, has two things going for it. First, its willingness to strike tiny jigs and the scrappy action it provides on ultra-light ice-fishing rods, making it a blast to catch. Second, is its unmistakable sweet and zesty flavor, making it a tablefare that is fit for royalty. And, what could be fresher and more enjoyable than a rainbow smelt that you caught yourself?

Osmerus is from the Greek word ‘osme’, meaning smell or scent. Mordax means biting or piercing, referring to the sharp, pointed teeth of this fish. The rainbow smelt is a slender, fragile and somewhat transparent fish that has a strongly toothed mouth, adipose fin and a deeply forked tail. Its large, thin scales easily shed when the fish is handled. It has a broad, bright, silvery colored band that runs along each side of its body. The back and upper sides are yellowish-olive or bottle green and the underparts are whitish. When removed from the water, it exhibit’s a striking purplish or bluish iridescence. And, if you hold one up to your nose, it has the pleasing oder of a cucumber. 

Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax)

Although the rainbow smelt is found in a number of our inland, freshwater lakes, the largest smelt are from the salt and brackish waters of New Hampshire’s Seacoast Region. The adult sea-run rainbow smelt will average seven to ten inches in length. A number of them will reach 12 to 13 inches in length while some between 12 and 15 inches are also taken periodically. Eight to ten inch smelt are a good size and will provide exciting action and superb eating enjoyment for the ice-angler who seeks them in New Hampshire’s Exeter and Squamscott River. A tidal river, the Squamscott, forms its headwaters below the dam and fish ladder, located in the center of the town of Exeter. It twists and winds through the townships of Exeter, Stratham and Newfields, where the ice-angler can hope to ambush runs of these smelt. 

Because of the delicate nature of rainbow smelt, fishing for them through the ice takes a little more finesse than fishing for other species. There’s a knack to getting consistent hook-ups. The most enjoyable way to fish for these tasty treats is with very light line, a sensitive jigging rod and a small size jig, tipped with a pinch of clam or seaworm. You’ll need several light jigging rods. I generally use four of them. A small size bobber is used on the line as a visual means to detect the smelt’s subtle and barely noticeable bite. Once hooked, it provides scrappy action. Your eyes must keep a constant vigil for the slightest movement of the bobber, indicating a possible take. If movement is noticed, the rod must be picked up immediately and the hook set (not too hard because smelt have a very soft mouth) before the smelt has a chance to spit the hook out. 

The tackle required for this fishing is relatively simple. Short jigging rods with the reels loaded with four pound test monofilament line. Bobbers are the next concern and the small quarter to half-inch spring-loaded bobbers are ideal. These can be moved up or down the line easily to compensate for depth changes that are necessary, due to the rise and fall of the tide. When the tide is running, you’ll want to have some weight on the line, above the jig and bait, to help keep your rig at the depth that smelt are frequenting. I like to use the removable split-shot sinkers that come in assorted weights and sizes. 

The appropriate jig to use is the next item of consideration and the ‘Swedish Pimple’ jigs are hard to beat for smelt fishing. Small sized jigs are the key to best success. I use a #2 (one-tenth ounce) and #3 (one-fifth ounce) size in both nickel and gold finishes. There will be times when one size and color may out-fish the other. For that reason, it is best to have both sizes and colors available. A small piece of either clam worm or blood worm on the jig hook will help entice smelt to bite. These baits can be purchased from several locations in the seacoast area. Among them are: Suds and Soda Store, 365 Portsmouth Avenue, Greenland, N.H. (603) 431-9823 and Ireland’s Bait and Tackle, 897 Woodbury Avenue, Portsmouth, N.H. (603) 436-8811. 

‘What size hole should I cut in the ice for smelt fishing?’ is a question often asked. If you are alone or with another person, a couple of eight or ten inch holes, drilled close together, will do. Some anglers prefer cutting a rectangular hole of about one-foot wide by three-feet long. Such a hole allows you to lay out several smelt rigs on both sides of the hole. However, these can be dangerous, particularly at night or in very foggy conditions, once left unattended. For safety, all ice holes are required by law to be well marked or covered over when left vacant. Don’t be shy about using ice holes that previous anglers have abandoned. Often these vacated holes prove to be hot spots on the next run of smelt. 

Smelt runs are governed by the tides. Generally, I’ve found the best fishing to be during the last three hours on the incoming tide and the outgoing tides. Slack high-tide can also be very productive, but don’t always count on it. Forget about fishing dead low tides. Smelt are very light sensitive. Sunny days can be disappointing fishing for winter anglers. Cloudy days produce the best catches as a rule. Even better are the night tides. Get on the ice while there is daylight enough to set-up. Dress to be warm and take a couple Coleman lanterns with you. Some of the very best action and catches are realized when you fish the night tides for smelt. 

In addition to the Squamscott River, smelt runs also occur in the Lamprey River, Newmarket; Oyster River, Durham; and the Cocheco River, in Dover. The densities of the smelt runs may vary from one year to the next as well as from one river to the next. When the runs materialize and the smelting is ’hot’, they provide the ice-angler with fun, action and a tasty treat that’s hard to beat. There is a limit of 10 liquid quarts of smelt (with tails and heads intact) per day per angler. You’ll need a 5 gallon pail for your catch. Fill your bucket with 10 quarts of water and then draw a line around the outside of the bucket with a black indelible marker, to show the 10 quart level to assure you don’t exceed over that line with your catch of smelt. 

A New Hampshire fishing license is required to fish for smelt as is a saltwater license to fish in tidal rivers. For further information, you can contact New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Marine Biologist, Doug Grout, at: 603-868-1095. So, grab your gear and enjoy some winter rainbow smelt fishing. 

Bob Harris can be reached via e-mail at: outwriter2@aol.com

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