Jump to content

steeliebob

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    602

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by steeliebob

  1. steeliebob
    Interesting point. I am just say 300 miles north of Grand Haven and we have the same thing going on here. I just talked with one of the tribal fisherman who says he is catching loads of smelt in his whitefish nets. I am puzzeled as to why the DNR is not planting steelhead or brown trout in place of the salmon. It seems as though they must have some empty raceways at the hatcheries. I caught my big fish in May 28 a 22 pound male chinook and July 3 a 25 pound male chinook. We took alot of small 3 pounders throughout the summer. The Sault Tribe plants all of the salmon in the St Ignace area so I would say that the DNR cannot claim any credit here. As far as the salmon go St Ignace, Cedarville, and DeTour were very good fishing this summer. The fall run the last two years has been down to a trickle here also.
  2. steeliebob
    The amount of yarn you use will vary depending on the clarity of the water. In the fall I use spawn alot because the water is generally clear and slow. In the spring I use yarn rigs alot because the water is high and fast. If the water is highly colored or muddy I tend to use more yarn. If the water is lower and clearer I will use less yarn. I think that you will do better by keeping this in mind.
  3. steeliebob
    The steelhead are just starting to come into the rivers nice in the UP so it might take a couple of weeks to get them in nice in SE Michigan. I am going out tomorrow am. I will be using a small split shot directly on the line above an egg hook.
  4. steeliebob
    Looks like the trip to the silvermine paid off nice fish.
  5. steeliebob
    Sliders are used to run two lures on one pole. A simple not fixed slider can be made by tying a snap swivel on each end of a five foot piece of line put a spoon on one end and hook the other end to yout main line once the downrigger is set. This is a free slider and it will go down to a bow in your line and set right there. This is my preferred method. You can also do a fixed slider by using a rubberband and attaching the slider to the main line to keep the slider at a certain depth. I will not usually mess with sliders at night or when the fish are hitting real good. As you use them you will find out why.
  6. steeliebob
    You will run into these kind wherever you go wether it is hunting or fishing and some of the worst ones are fellow outdoorsmen. I have the same issue with hunters now where I fish. They only think of themselves but they would be the first to complain if the shoe was on the other foot. There are laws against harassment if it falls under harassment turn them in to the DNR. I found out this summer that the DNR is only too happy to write a harassment ticket to protect your rights.
  7. steeliebob
    I fish steelhead alot and I choose to go real light with the sinker weight. Use just enough to get to the desired depth and no more. If a steelhead hits on the spawn and feels the weight it is gone and it is tough to get the same fish to bite twice.
  8. steeliebob
    My last boat was an I/O I would winterize it in Sept and put it in the water in May thus I missed out on 3 months of fishing every year. My next boat will be an outboard, you can winterize them in the winter and they are very easy to take care of. With a smaller motor I may just pull it and keep it in the house for the winter. The I/O is a great salmon boat though, I will just have to rig the outboard differently
  9. steeliebob
    I will bet that you cannot wait to put the boat away so you can go ice fishing over there. I hear that the ice fishing for trout is fantastic.
  10. steeliebob
    The silver mine was loaded good fishing and awesome catch
  11. steeliebob
    I have found some super good deals on craigslist but I think that I will hold off until April or May. When I buy the boat I will probably have to spend a couple of weekends getting it all rigged up. I am still stripping the old boat.
  12. steeliebob
    Before I haul my I/O off to be turned into a budweiser can. How much effort and expense is there into pulling the motor and outdrive. Putting a plate in the back of the boat and converting everything over to an outboard motor. I know that it can be done but by the time I get it done it might be less costly to buy another boat. My 120 merccruiser motor burned up last August so now in the off season I am weighing my options. The boat is a 19 foot starcraft but it is pretty old. All that I need for an outboard would be a 50 or 60 hsp. considering I am never more than mabey two miles out.
  13. steeliebob
    After a 4" rainfall in late Sept the salmon and steelhead fishing almost came to a standstill. Most of the streams and rivers are back close to normal right now. I saw some salmon in the river this am and caught one three pound steelhead. Nothing to brag about but a good one for the smoker.
  14. steeliebob
    Guys I did real good in May and June but kind of missed the hit in July and August but got right back on it. I quit night fishing for a few weeks and started launching the boat at 3:00 am. First one to launch every day, no wait, nobody taking up dock space. What a wonderful thing it was. Every time out just about I would get both rods set and one would go off. Sweet a fish in the cooler in the first 20 minutes. I would have no less than 10 hits on a typical morning and usually get three or four fish in the cooler. I would head back in at 6:30 when the other boats cleared the docks load up quick and head off to work after cleaning fish and myself.
  15. steeliebob
    I always thought St Ignace was a bad spot to fish compared to the West Side. Now I have other thoughts My two biggest kings were 25 and 22 pounds. I caught 59 kings, 2 Atlantic salmon, 3 Steelhead,0 Brown Trout and believe it or not 0 Lake trout. I tried real hard not to catch lake trout this year and it worked. On other boats I caught 8 Kings and 2 Lake trout. My motor smoked just as fishing was getting real good or I would have had a few more fish.
  16. steeliebob
    Get a decent 9 to 10 foot steelhead noodle rod and a decent open bail spinning reel. This should cost you a Ben Franklin. Do not buy the cheap line. Get a good ultra thin line in 6 or 8 lb test, I have caught 20+ pound salmon on both. When you buy hooks, sinkers, and snap swivels do not be afraid to spend $1.00 more to get the quality stuff. If you are fishing steelhead you will want salmon eggs or steelhead eggs. There are lots of ways that you can get them, I always have a good supply. Try ice fishing for steelhead this winter you will have a blast.
  17. steeliebob
    From everything I hear you would do better by Alpena. I have an ongoing battle with the DNR to get them to stock more brown trout in N Lake Huron. Don't know why but they will not plant them. I remember the good old days before the DNR became privately owned they would drive a fish truck around and stock every little pasture stream and fishing was good no matter where you went. Now that the DNR is privately owned they are told where and what they will plant for the most part it has hurt fishing in Michigan. Sure they have their fish biologists and I am sure that they make suggestions but it is all politics now.
  18. steeliebob
    I try to get over there once in awhile. If you ever get a chance when you are up in the Soo pull in behind the big power plant and the college students are usually happy to let you in to see the atlantic salmon hatchery. That is very interesting to see how a small project that started 20 years ago produces so many salmon. Thanks for the pics.
  19. steeliebob
    Your boaat or mine leave me a PM and I will be happy to help you land a few. Every year the lures that work well up here change. I have seen them change over a two week period. You really want to talk with someone who is on the water quite a bit. In May and June I hit them good at night catching some real nice salmon. July came around and I could hardlly get a hit at night but go out at 3 am and you can't get to the rods quick enough.
  20. steeliebob
    I have been fishing out of St Ignace for 20+ years and as far as I am concerned there is no better spot. Looking for a new boat right now for next summer. It is time to put the salmon gear away and break out the steelhead gear. I am sure that for the next 8 months the steelhead will learn to hate me. I am headed out at 4 am tomorrow on a chrome hunt deep in the silver mine.
  21. steeliebob
    I guess you have to lock it up or guard it with a Smith & Wesson. If you are fishing in St Ignace send me a pm. The salmon are about done up here but the steelhead action is just beginning. Loads fo salmon are in Moran Bay right now
  22. steeliebob
    I ifsh alone in my boat alot, so I learned to use the throttle after losing fish because I was too eager to get to the rod. You are going to lose some fish anyway that is why you are fishing. When the rod goes off pick up speed about 1 to 2 mph and watch the pole. This picks the fish off of the bottom and gets it well behind the boat and keeps it out of the way of your other lines. When the fish is where you want it to be slow the boat down and go for the pole.....easier said than done but try it because it does work. Keep your drags set so the fish can take line and you don't lose poles.
  23. steeliebob

    Where are you from and what waters will you be fishing in and I can help you out a little more. Due to my work schedule I have learned to catch more steelhead in the dark than I do during daylight. Funny thing is that I never see another fisherman when I am fishing.

  24. steeliebob

    You will want to fish breakwalls and rivermouths in the fall. I am on the water a couple of hours before day break. I do this for a couple of reasons to get the best spot and the steelhead are active at this time. I use spawnbags and a #14 treble hook and just enough weight to get the spawn on the bottom no more. I have my rods anchored good with a really light drag setting. More often than not the hook is already set when the fish takes off. The same locations that you fish in the fall are usually good all winter long. Tip ups and spawn bags work very well with 8 or 10 pound ultra thin line and at least 100 yards of line per tip up. This method produces big fish and is very exciting.

  25. steeliebob
    Go light....91/2 steelhead rods work great...6 to 10 pound monofilament line no heavier. Mepps spinners and cleos are probably the best lures although plugs and rapalas produce salmon as well. Believe it or not I take about 90 percent of my river caught salmon on spawn bags on a #14 treble hook fished 2 to three feet under a balsa float. I hope that helps there Boltman, next time you wander up to the UP let me know I will get you hooked up. If you scream louder than the drag I will get the net.
×
×
  • Create New...