Why are smelt fish so expensive?

[Solemn Wind]

Seeing how Hmong people in Alaska would be able to get truckloads of smelts in a couple of hours I thought smelts are cheap fish that only poor people eat. But boy was I so wrong. I was very surprised to discover that smelts can cost between 10 to 20 dollars a pound. That’s the price of jumbo size shrimps or even lobsters. Wow!!!

[azn-guy]

im guessing it just the depends on the season, sometimes it be easy to come by and sometimes there not, theres a seafood store near my area, a couple of months ago live lobster was only $5.99 a lbs, now its $13.99 a lbs, pretty much supply and demand

[theking]

...pretty much supply and demand

Nailed it when it comes to seasonal food items...

[YAX]

One time, my wife and I caught a bunch of Smelt at the coast.  foot long smelts too.  Then I cut one opened and it was full of worms so we tossed them all away.  No thank you!

[hmgROCK]

i am the smelt master
they are attractive to bright light
so we do fire to attractive them
they only come to spawn once in the spring
so you gotta get as much as you can
or you will be sad for the rest of the year



some of the catches from earlier this year
incase you miss my earlier post

tree branch spell
p=pebhmong so you know im legit

[hmgROCK]

no BS
if you are interest in smelting
PM me next spring around April

i will take all you virgin out
and get all the fishes you want

FLINT ROD
i know you reading this
make plan, if you want some of these action

[Gucci K]

no BS
if you are interest in smelting
PM me next spring around April

i will take all you virgin out
and get all the fishes you want

FLINT ROD
i know you reading this
make plan, if you want some of these action

you gotta have balls of steel to go with hmgrock...caus e the cold water will smelt your balls! ha!

[ProudLao]

They don’t look good at all.

[VillainousHero]

Smelt are even better when caught ice fishing...you won't get bucket loads...maybe half a bucket.  Years ago catching 9-12 inch long smelts was common.  Now it's almost impossible to catch a 9 inch smelt.  Too many people are smelt ice fishing now.  You'll catch 6-7 inches mostly.

[DuMa]

You are what you eat. 

Not sure about you freshwater smelt but the ocean ones here in the bay, well just take a look at this video.  I have seen it on my smelt first hand and this is not just a rumor when it is an epidemic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-iZXre6Vgw

[nightrider]

Smelting is a seasonal food item. Like hmgRock says, only time to do it is in spring, at least it is up here in the Great Lakes. Duluth is the place for Minnesotans. Every year people flock there to smelt and even the worst smelters can still collect bucket loads of them but due to commercializat ion. Smelting isn't as good as it used to be. And yes, they are expensive considering that they're a poor mans food item.

[hmgROCK]

Smelting is a seasonal food item. Like hmgRock says, only time to do it is in spring, at least it is up here in the Great Lakes. Duluth is the place for Minnesotans. Every year people flock there to smelt and even the worst smelters can still collect bucket loads of them but due to commercializat ion. Smelting isn't as good as it used to be. And yes, they are expensive considering that they're a poor mans food item.

i've been smelting for years
and lately
it has been some of the best years
im from wisconsin, so we go to ashland, wi

we were catching them by the cooler and bucket full
we stop because, we ran out of bucket

[lexicon]

Yo, isn't the daily limit like 2 gallons?

[nightrider]

i've been smelting for years
and lately
it has been some of the best years
im from wisconsin, so we go to ashland, wi

we were catching them by the cooler and bucket full
we stop because, we ran out of bucket

Maybe there's more fish on your side. Duluth is small and the state doesn't have as much shore line as Wi.

[hmgROCK]

Maybe there's more fish on your side. Duluth is small and the state doesn't have as much shore line as Wi.

These fish are everywhere
Just gotta go at the right time