Just back from Manistee, MI.........Salmon fishing was FANTASTIC

[raincheck]

I lived in N. Ind, Worked almost on the lake, For almost 6 yrs I quit bass fishing. We'd start the spring with coho,the summer with trout and the fall with everything.During the winter it was the warm water discharges,that was truly a fishermens paradise.Then something happened to the alewives, the kings got smaller,also the cohos came down.Now when I talk to some of my old pals, they talk nothing but small mouth.

The reason i fished Samon in Lake huron was they stoped planting Lake Mi. Didn't JVD just win on SM.

[GeoFisher]

I lived in N. Ind, Worked almost on the lake, For almost 6 yrs I quit bass fishing. We'd start the spring with coho,the summer with trout and the fall with everything.During the winter it was the warm water discharges,that was truly a fishermens paradise.Then something happened to the alewives, the kings got smaller,also the cohos came down.Now when I talk to some of my old pals, they talk nothing but small mouth.

Man, that is COOL.

[fishincreek]

This past weekend on a river/trib, my buddy got a 17 and a 21 lber. He saw hundreds of fish running up.

[JUSTINHALL]

Most of the locals I've talked to don't even mess with them around the river. A GOOD friend of mine grew up in Manistee, and he has been arranging the charters for us.

We actually went up the river to do some fishing. They were not stacked up and in fact things were pretty behind for this time of year.

We did manage some trout in the river.

So, when you went that late, were the fish still in good shape, or had they started to turn. Seems the fish out of the big lake are really silver, and the meat pink as can be. Those in the river and Manistee seem to be darker, and from what I've heard are not quite as "good" as those early caught salmon.

I don't know......only what locals have told me.

I CANNOT wait until next year.

Later,

Geo

If you catch them coming up river they are full of energy and the meat is all good. That's why I said timing is everything. If you get there too early they are full of energy but few and far between and if too late they have started to turn. They start dying from the tail up and they lose a lot of energy when this happens. I prefer to fish the creeks where they are spawning more actively if you go to the dam there are hundreds of thousands but too many are past their cycle and have less energy.

[GeoFisher]

If you catch them coming up river they are full of energy and the meat is all good. That's why I said timing is everything. If you get there too early they are full of energy but few and far between and if too late they have started to turn. They start dying from the tail up and they lose a lot of energy when this happens. I prefer to fish the creeks where they are spawning more actively if you go to the dam there are hundreds of thousands but too many are past their cycle and have less energy.

We didn't fish at the dam.....just went up there to see it. WHAT a site.



We ended up doing some "wade fishing" around an area called 6-mile, I think. Somewhere in the Manistee Forest ?? State land way up the Manistee or Little Manistee River. It was an unbelievable trout stream. Something out of the movies. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures because I left my camera in the car and didn't want to walk a mile back to get it......

We saw fish there and threw spawn bags at them. I'd never fished that way. Kind of Cool. Didn't catch anything but a few trout. I also took a big bait caster and "flipped" a spoon at them and a flutter spoon. Nothing.....

Again, it was really cool doing so.

I cannot wait until the next time.

Later,

Geo

[Embrey]

Man, that is COOL.

id say judging from the pics, they didnt let you man the net?

[kygorski]

I fell head over heels with the steelhead fishing, late oct used a fly rod, and up till your snot froze solid it was the ulta long spinning gear and 4 lb line, the water was crystal clear. What ruined on the st joe was all those pesky lake trout you couldn't keep.Before they made release only in the river got a 14 lb laker on 4 lb test.

[GeoFisher]

I fell head over heels with the steelhead fishing, late oct used a fly rod, and up till your snot froze solid it was the ulta long spinning gear and 4 lb line, the water was crystal clear. What ruined on the st joe was all those pesky lake trout you couldn't keep.Before they made release only in the river got a 14 lb laker on 4 lb test.

That is pretty cool.

Thanks for sharing.