For those that wonder what the deal is with smelt, here's some answers.
Most every winter smelt return from the ocean to spawn in many Columbia river tributaries. These fish are a slender, oily fish about 8-12" long and are harvested by the pound through the use of dip nets. Some people smoke or can them and eat them
most folks use them for sturgeon bait 
A few years ago I had a pack of students that loved smelt dipping but their folks banned them from bringing any more home. I put out the word that I would take all the smelt they could bring in ( what was I thinking). Yowza, I had students bringing dripping garbage bags full of smelt into my office, students bringing large coolers full of smelt in, in short, I soon had smelt coming out my ears (we're talking hundreds of pounds here).
Most of it was hauled down river for C-Brats to convert into sturgeon....I asked Mike repeatedly and always recieved the same answer " yes, I'll take all the smelt you can get me" little did he know that his freezer was about to get plum full the slimey buggers.
The last two years have been slim pickins for smelt runs (don't blame me) but maybe next year we can restock on bait. I still have some left for the great harvest of 03...which reminds me...I have to get that boxed up and mailed off to Joe and Dee
some more info- http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Smelt.htm
and that's the deal on the smelt
Most every winter smelt return from the ocean to spawn in many Columbia river tributaries. These fish are a slender, oily fish about 8-12" long and are harvested by the pound through the use of dip nets. Some people smoke or can them and eat them
most folks use them for sturgeon bait A few years ago I had a pack of students that loved smelt dipping but their folks banned them from bringing any more home. I put out the word that I would take all the smelt they could bring in ( what was I thinking). Yowza, I had students bringing dripping garbage bags full of smelt into my office, students bringing large coolers full of smelt in, in short, I soon had smelt coming out my ears (we're talking hundreds of pounds here).
Most of it was hauled down river for C-Brats to convert into sturgeon....I asked Mike repeatedly and always recieved the same answer " yes, I'll take all the smelt you can get me" little did he know that his freezer was about to get plum full the slimey buggers.
The last two years have been slim pickins for smelt runs (don't blame me) but maybe next year we can restock on bait. I still have some left for the great harvest of 03...which reminds me...I have to get that boxed up and mailed off to Joe and Dee
some more info- http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Smelt.htm
and that's the deal on the smelt