Do you eat the whole smelt or strip the bone out?

The smaller ones fry up and just munch the whole thing down. The bigger ones I pull the bone out.

The smaller ones fry up and just munch the whole thing down. The bigger ones I pull the bone out.

Yep same here. They are cooked just right when the meat falls off the bone.

I fry up the small ones with the bone in, take the bones out of the larger ones. We have these every Christmas eve, delicious!

I remeber my grandfather just sticking them in the deepfryer and us just munching the whole things..

havent had them in years :)

cut head off and slit belly to clean guts out .. Run thumb down back bone a couple of times then rip rack of bones out . scrape knife on sides removing scales . batter and fry,,, serve with french fries ... taste like french fries and french fries ..

Yea, I haven't had them in years as well. I remember the breading and frying thing my mom did.
One thing is for sure, they were good.:)

Good I'm not the only one who east the small ones bone in.

Maine....ice fished and deep fried whole