Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Smelt?

I have done some searching on the site but can only find them where people have mention them of the cuff.

Just wondering if smelt would make a good forage fish in a pond. I do understand the rainbow smelt will spawn on shore lines.

I would think the long slender body type would make it a great forage fish for walleye and perch.

Just thinking out loud here.

Cheers Don.

Great coldwater forage fish but also extremely predacious on other fish and fish eggs. My DNR refuses to give the green light on restablishing them -- in a local lake chain that once has a reproducing population of them -- that provided forage for trophy size brown trout and lake trout. Never mind the smelt aren't even in the same water column as the warmwater and coolwater species when spawning due to too warm of water temps.

Now days if it's not native it's bad according to many fish and game divisions. 180 degree turn from a century ago. Ours has the added pressure of a another department that wants to reintroduce natives species and keep out any exotics.

I sympathize but thing some f it is unrealstic.

There is a fish hatchery in Maine that will Fed ex fry. If you want contact info...

Thanks for the reply and education. I am a sport fisherman and thought hey why not smelt for a forage fish. Big long slender and so on.

I guess they will put to much pressure on common shiners and other shiners in a perch pond to be worth adding as a forage fish. Just thought they would be very prolific. I have seen them do quite well in norther land locked ponds.

Cheers Don.