I did not know smelt were from Michigan, as were my parents. My mom, as a single mother in about 1966 with 5 kids born between Oct 1954 and Oct 1960... she would buy these huge bags of frozen smelt for just pennies, and then bread and fry them. She could stretch a food dollar SO FAR. That was back in the days before food stamps and when most people actually cooked.
Fried smelt dunked in catsup. Mmm-Mmm-Mmmm.