Winter steelhead?..

It is December on the calendar but the weather and the fishing have been more like mid November. For the most part we are still float fishing with beads and Raven float gear. Centerpin style of fishing is getting more popular, if you are interested in learning how to use your new centerpin gear give us a call,we also have Raven centerpin gear for you to use if you would like to try it.

Holding water and preferred colors of baits have been changing daily, it pays to try different offerings until you unlock the hot baits. Water temps are still in the low 40’s which are great for this time of year.

Gift certificates are available, if you are looking for that last minute gift idea.

Now is the time to take advantage of the winter 1/2 day specials on the Muskegon river for only $200.

Just a quick update…..

As you might expect the heavy rainfalls over the Thanksgiving holiday shuffled the deck and brought in a pretty good push of new fish. Numbers seem to be very good for early December an the fishing should be steady from here on out. I am expecting December to fish better than November for sure. I really look forward to this time of year, less crowds equal more fish for the angler. Look for cloudy days to still fish better than bright days, due to the clearing water. As of late it has been advantageous to try different colors and sizes to see what the fish prefer.

Float fishing with Raven gear and beads and small sacks has been the popular method. www.raventackle.com for everything you need for steelhead season.

Looking for that special gift?  We offer gift certificates for the Christmas season.

Plenty of openings from here on out, give us a call to hit the river. The weather looks more like October for the next week or more…..Get on the water before winter arrives.

Sorry for the lapse in updates!

Its been a busy several weeks since the last update, the fishing has improved slightly most days. We finally got the much needed rain and have seen several small pushes of fall steelhead. The fish have been moving very fast from the lower river up to and above Newaygo. The fish seem to be spread out well, but not heavy in any one section. The name of the game has been to cover tons of water, move quickly and do your best to hook up the bites you do get. This weeks rain should help bring in  few more.

Please remember to limit your kill, the fish we get this time of year will be here thru the winter to play with, the next time you fish, the one you catch may be the fish another angler released.

We have been float fishing most days with small spawn bags and beads.

December is right around the corner and we have plenty of openings if you are interested in hitting the water.

Finally….its raining out!!!!

Not much new to report on the fishing, we have been fishing hard and getting rewarded with a few daily, about 1/2 are skippers. This is pretty typical for this time of year. I am sure this rain we are getting will finally turn the tide. Fishing should show much improvement in the coming days. The Kings are finishing up their duties, trout are looking very healthy and the steelhead numbers are improving daily.

We have been running our trips from the very low end of the river up to and above Newaygo. We have been float fishing with Raven centerpin gear on most trips, both 8 and 10mm beads in natural colors have produced, small spawn bags are working as well.

Best of luck on the water!

Aaaaahhhhhhhhh Fall has arrived, cooler days finally and chrome fish!

We are transitioning into my favorite season, fall steelhead…silver lighting ! These are the best of the best…..Michigan’s premier sport fish. Yes Kings are big and fun to catch pull hard and so on….but fall steelhead will leave you saying what the hell was that, as they kick your butt up and down the river. Hard fighting, huge leaps, line peeling runs…and other un expected twists and turns. These early fish can be easy to target, but covering water and using the right presentation is the key. We prefer to float fish with long rods, casting reel or center pin reels, with floats and beads or small spawn sacks. Flyfishing is also an option with indicator rigs on switch rods and chuck and duck bottom bouncing type set ups.

We still have a few dates open if you are interested in hitting the water this fall. Please give us a call or text us for more info on openings.

Maybe you have heard or read about all the bad press Michigan’s fall salmon run is getting…yes overall numbers are down….but there are still fish is all west Michigan rivers, returning like they always do to spawn. Sure our catches aren’t what they used to be, we knew that they were going to drop because the DNR plants are down. But the truth is, that in order to save the King fishery this is necessary, we will have a few slim years until the baitfish numbers rebound. Just remember this….how many places can you catch King salmon in the world? What we had was a under appreciated fishery….now its a little tough and we have to work harder for our fish will make us appreciate them that much more.

This season converted many hardcore fly fishermen into true Salmon fishermen by actually using presentations that will get the fish to strike our lures or bait. Casting hardware (crank baits,spinners) and float fishing eggs put bends in the rods daily from fair hooked fish. River Kings will eat the proper presentation. At the days end, many people learned a great deal and had a fun time on the river away from their usual daily doings.

I will be switching gears into my favorite season here in the next week or so as our focus will be towards fall run Steelhead. Great fall colors and the hardest fighting fish pound for pound will be our target. We offer float fishing trips with standard gear as well as center pin gear. Fly-fishing can also be productive at this time.

We still have a few openings in October and November. December fishes great as well and the crowds are gone!

I have been running almost daily on the PM since September 10. From the looks of it the run will peak later than most years, due to the late summer heat waves and lack of our typical hard north winds that help cool the water and send the adult kings up the river.

For the most part we have been fishing low in the river system, getting our chances most days on crank baits and float fishing skein. This style of fishing looks like it may become the norm, if you are a die hard “fly guy” looking for the glory days of years past….those days may be very un-realistic for a while as we wait for the forage populations to rebound in the lake…until then be ready to work a lot harder between hookups.

Still a few openings for Kings, fall steelhead trips are booking up as well. Please call, email or text for more info or open dates.

River time…….almost!

The pm saw a decent push of fish last week, but they have spread out, and now a slow trickle at best is moving up the river. Look for the next push to happen with the next big wind event, especially if its from the north or east. Near shore water temps are very warm, keeping the fish deep.

I will begin guiding the PM for river Kings next week, I still have a few dates open for anyone looking for a river trip. Our preferred method will be casting hardware and drifting skein under floats for these fall run fish. The smashing strike from a fresh king on a crank bait is awesome.

I still have some open dates in both October and November as well for fall steelhead, though they are going fast.

Fall is closing in…..and open dates are going fast for river Kings and fall run Steelhead.

We are starting to see large mature kings staging off of Ludington the past couple weeks. There looks to be a decent number of fish out there and I am expecting a good run this year, much better than last year. Look for a good push of fish as soon as we get either a hard north or east blow, flipping the lake water and urging the salmon to run.

I still have some dates open for Kings on the PM and Kings and Steelhead on the Muskegon, late September and October. If you are interested in river salmon I urge you to contact me for a hardware / float fishing trip. Yes, I still offer flyfishing trips for these fish, but would like you to try a different angle for these fall run Kings.

Fall steehead dates are going fast….I will begin guiding for fall chrome around October 5.

Plenty of options…find a day that works and let’s fish!

King salmon and fall steelhead season is right around the corner!

In less than 6 weeks I will begin fall Chinook guided trips on the PM river. I still have some open days for river trips if you are interested in hitting some Michigan Kings. Fall steelhead trips will start around  October 5.

I have been busy on the big lake this summer and have not had time to hit the river in a while. Plus I am in the process in updating the river boat fleet. A new 16′ drift boat from stealthcraft is in the works.

Call, text or email for open dates or with any questions you might have.