Summer heat means one thing!!!!

Smallmouth bass are the prime target. Its time to hit the Muskegon river for some super fun smallie action. Either fly-fishing or light spin fishing, now is prime time. Id suggest either minnow type baits or aggressive popper type baits. The topwater bite can be awesome for the larger fish. There seem to be some big pike around as well.

Give us a call to lock in a day or two.

Summertime fishing in West Michigan = mixed bag!

With the extremely low flows on local rivers it seems to have nudged us into a summer pattern sooner than normal. The Muskegon is fishing well for trout and smallmouth at this time, with the occasional walleye and rock bass thrown into the mix. Either fly-fishing or ultra light spinning gear are getting it done. As for the PM, look for super fussy fish until we see flows up to normal or above.

We are seeing a bump in water finally, lets hope it sticks around. Last week the water was so low I was running trips in my drift boat, its great to have that option.

Give us a call to get a day or two on the water.

Spring is here and so are a few steelhead….more to come for sure!

We are off to a pretty non typical spring here in west Michigan. It has been fairly seasonable as far as temps go, but it has been extremely dry. The rivers are very low and very clear for this time of year. This is making the fish just trickle in, and when the get here they are very spooky. The mornings are fishing the best for sure, afternoon fishing has been slow for 2 reasons, the fish are getting a lot of pressure and it has been sunny almost every day. This weeks coming rains should get things going.

We are floatfishing for the most part, floating beads and small nymphs. sometimes throwing the odd ball baits can pay off big time with pressured fish that have seen every bead and fly….thinking outside the box can payoff.

I do have a few open dates in late April, give us a call if you would like to get on the water.

Now is a great time to book your summer fishing trips on either the river or the big lake.

Sorry for the lapse in reports, I couldn’t believe it has been so long in between the reports when I logged into update it…

Well its January now, we flew through the fall season and were busy, working hard every day for our clients.

Winter mode is going 100 percent, fish numbers are on the low side for this time of year mostly due to the lack of water this fall and lack of snow/precipitation this first half of winter. We are still getting into a handful of fish on most trips, but we are working hard and covering a ton of water. Float fishing seems to be the best method in the low clear water, with either beads, bags or small jigs tipped with wax worms. Look for the fish to be in the slower slack water.

If your looking to get on the water this winter or spring please give us a call or shoot us a text.

Salmon season is going great guns!!!

Although numbers of fish have been on the light side on most rivers, there are good numbers around, just not great numbers. The plus, is that the size is up again this year.

Fall steelhead season is right around the corner….less than a couple weeks for us, and we will be after the silver bullets.

I do have a very limited number of openings in October and November, December is still fairly open, give us a call soon.

Dog days are here………

Its prime smallmouth time here on the Muskegon river. The fishing has been great, good numbers of fish as well as some really nice fish. Topwater, crankbaits, soft plastics are all getting plenty of fish. If your looking to target the bigger fish topwater is the way to go. Give us a call to get in on the summer action, its a great way to spend the day.

Side note..

Now is the time to book your fall trips, King salmon will be entering the rivers in a month and dates are filling in, Fall steelhead are close behind. After the corona shut down this spring we would really appreciate the bookings.

Summertime….plenty of options!!

Summer is upon us…plenty of choices….trout? smallmouth? King salmon?

Local rivers are running normal and the fishing has been great. The Muskegon is producing some trout still, however as it warms the smallmouth bass fishing will take over center stage. Minnow and crayfish patterns as well as some dry fly fishing can be expected.

The Pere Marquette is another option, classic summer trout fishing. This river gets plenty of pressure, so expect to work hard for the bigger fish. There are some solid browns being taken after dark. Daytime fishing is more of a chuck it and chance it…cover water with buggy flies and make good presentations to get some looks.

We offer both flyfishing options as well as light spinning gear.

Now is a great time to lock in your Steelhead and Salmon river trips for this fall.

We are cleared to begin our guiding operations once again!!!!

Our calendars are very open right now and we could use your support more than ever.Give us a call to lock in your trips.

After 6 plus weeks of mandatory shut down we are once again cleared to take clients out on the rivers. Things will be a bit different for sure, for now everyone is required to wear some type of mask and lunches on guided trips are no longer available. So you will have to pack your own lunches and drinks into your own coolers.

The steelhead run is limping by on its last leg, sure there are still a few around, but most are spawned out or in the process of spawning. Trout fishing will be our immediate focus if it ever warms up we should have some great dry fly fishing for browns…also nymphing with sucker eggs can produce some nice fish. Streamer fishing can be lights out on the right days. Trout trips are available on both the Muskegon and Pere Marquette rivers at this time.

June thru August will be a great time to book those summer smallmouth trips. Either light spinning gear or flyfishing are great options. Muskegon river for this trip.

Also its never too early to book your fall Salmon and Steelhead trips before all the prime dates are filled.

Also remember that we offer Lake Michigan charters out of Ludington as well on a 31′ Tiara.

Peak season and we cant even fish with family, let alone operate our businesses!!!!

By now everyone knows that this horrible virus has crippled our country, state and family’s. For the guiding business it has decimated us.

I am really looking forward to the re-opening of the state and to get back on the water. If things open up we should be able to get a solid week or so of late season steelhead guiding in, there will be a few fresh fish mixed in with the drop backs, trout will also be on the feed as the salmon fry and insect life will be active.

Mid to late May-August will offer trout fishing on both the Muskegon, but also the Pere Marquette rivers, please let us know if you would like a nice relaxing float trip down one of these rivers.

June -August is a great time to chase smallmouth bass on the Muskegon river…a great summer trip with lots of catching!!!

September the King Salmon begin to pile up in our rivers…please book early for this fall, I have a feeling that dates will fill in fast.

Mid May-August….Remember we operate Hattrick Charters on Lake Michigan out of the port of Ludington. A fully rigged super clean and comfortable 31′ Tiara, we can take up to 6 fishermen, great for family outings, great times….catch some fish and come home with some great eating salmon and trout.

Please shop local and support the small businesses, we will need your support more than ever!!!!

Almost March…..

The winter steelheading continues, some days are great….some days they make you work for them . This time of the year weather conditions and water levels seem to make the biggest difference. The best days have been on cloudy days, with steady water levels. The fish seem to be very fussy this winter with all the changing of water levels, and the bite seems to be the best when levels remain steady. Sunny weather makes the fishing hard. Light line, smaller hooks and smaller beads are the way to go…We are still getting into some very nice fish and cant wait to see what the spring run brings. Should be some monsters this year.

Please be respectful of the resource and leave a few for the next guy.

Spring dates are going fast…call or email to lock in your dates.