You must try fresh smelt, fried of course, it’s a taste sensation. So much better than frozen.
We used to go to the rivers into Superior, north of Duluth, and net garbage cans full of them at night. Usually the run is around the middle to third week of April. Big bonfires on the beach, it was a blast!
We used to hand catch our Grunion on the California beaches.
I’ll blame this on a martini! Raised on ‘da Range. Wore my 1/4” wet suit smelting. Bad runs, just floated down the river to the bar. Good runs - filled the garbage cans with what we netted.
As a grad srtudent, had Japenese cardiologists as friends who wanted to eat them raw. Reminded them of Dibothriocephalus lutem (?) Those were the days,
I still eat inordinate amounts of squid, anchovies, and sardines. Smelt is unknown in Florida.