# Skamania in the Joe



## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

The stars are lining up perfectly for this to be a great year for skams on the river.


----------



## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

steely74 said:


> The stars are lining up perfectly for this to be a great year for skams on the river.


 Drawn out trickle season.  I hope I get my first skam of the season today, Ive had a few good strikes on spinners. Its only a matter of time I hope.


----------



## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

Multispeciestamer said:


> Drawn out trickle season.  I hope I get my first skam of the season today, Ive had a few good strikes on spinners. Its only a matter of time I hope.


Similar to last fall? When you walked past me and arrogantly said "there are no fish in this river," and then 20 minutes later I hook and land a nice king? LMAO :lol:
Just because YOU aren't catching them doesn't mean they are not there :cwm27:...


----------



## jdunn (Sep 10, 2010)

I just got a repaired fly rod back from powell, I broke the tip in april. Instead of fixing it they upgraded it to their Tibron x model. It cost me $99, anyway I caught mine on a fly rod. There were some very big skims on the loose Saturday. Good Luck today
Jim<><


----------



## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

steely74 said:


> Similar to last fall? When you walked past me and arrogantly said "there are no fish in this river," and then 20 minutes later I hook and land a nice king? LMAO :lol:
> Just because YOU aren't catching them doesn't mean they are not there :cwm27:...


 I say that to anyone I dont know. . The way you word that sounds exactly how I would have said it. Last fall was a horrible year for kings at the berrien dam. Compared to the last 5 years, maybe longer. You should have said something and introduced yourself, maybe my tone would have changed. Other then that I see alot of yahoos during king season. 

I did hook my first skam today. In what sounds like the same area Jdunn was fishing. It ended up breaking my 6 pound leader line when it went air borne in a fallen down tree.


----------



## Jay Wesley (Mar 2, 2009)

We are seeing another push of skamania in the St. Joe Right now with the cooler temperatures. Some up at the Berrien Springs Dam.


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Water temp was 74 when we just were there, IDNR took 112 out of the ladder today...


----------



## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

Boozer said:


> IDNR took 112 out of the ladder today...


That's awesome for keeping the early running trait in these fish!


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Water was 76 when we took out last night...

Yesterday during the day, AEP kept shutting off the turbines, then blasting the flood gates, then shutting off gates and blasting turbines, they did this over and over, wish I had my camera, I have never seen so much trash floating, sure wish AEP would notify people when they do this, would have been easy to take a TON of garbage out of the Joe yesterday, we damn near filled the boat with plastic crap and it didn't even make a dent in what was headed down river.

On a side note: If you go down there to fish for Skams, don't try and release them, they will not survive, seen some fool in the run yesterday around noon with a float reel land a skam and then release it, as if it was going to live.


----------



## quest32a (Sep 25, 2001)

Boozer said:


> On a side note: If you go down there to fish for Skams, don't try and release them, they will not survive, seen some fool in the run yesterday around noon with a float reel land a skam and then release it, as if it was going to live.


Better than 2 years ago when that boat was anchored at the top near the dam and we were below them just watching the floaters go by. Or the same weekend those Ohio guys released every fish they caught for 2 days straight during a massive push. 20 bucks said every single one died.


----------



## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

> Or the same weekend those Ohio guys released every fish they caught for 2 days straight during a massive push. 20 bucks said every single one died.


I remember the brag post on TSS right after that from them. They took a pic of each one, so you know those fish kicked it. I believe they're the same ones who brag how they can outfish all the MI guys for salmon when they come up in the fall, even though they've only been doing it like 2-3 years. Funny guys they are.....


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

ausable_steelhead said:


> I remember the brag post on TSS right after that from them. They took a pic of each one, so you know those fish kicked it. I believe they're the same ones who brag how they can outfish all the MI guys for salmon when they come up in the fall, even though they've only been doing it like 2-3 years. Funny guys they are.....



:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


----------



## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

You don't see much from the OH guys anymore considering the fact their fishery has taken a turn for the worse. Every year for the past 4 or 5 years stocking numbers have gradually decreased over there...


----------



## sstslammer (Aug 14, 2010)

Boozer said:


> Water was 76 when we took out last night...
> 
> Yesterday during the day, AEP kept shutting off the turbines, then blasting the flood gates, then shutting off gates and blasting turbines, they did this over and over, wish I had my camera, I have never seen so much trash floating, sure wish AEP would notify people when they do this, would have been easy to take a TON of garbage out of the Joe yesterday, we damn near filled the boat with plastic crap and it didn't even make a dent in what was headed down river.
> 
> On a side note: If you go down there to fish for Skams, don't try and release them, they will not survive, seen some fool in the run yesterday around noon with a float reel land a skam and then release it, as if it was going to live.


ive caught and sucessfully released several so far this season. ive only been fishing it for three years but several of the local drift fisherman that have been fishing it longer then ive been alive are releasing all their fish


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

sstslammer said:


> ive caught and sucessfully released several so far this season. ive only been fishing it for three years but several of the local drift fisherman that have been fishing it longer then ive been alive are releasing all their fish


And there killing the vast majority of them, just because they swim away doesn't mean they live...

Research the DNR's program called the 70 degree pledge...


----------



## sstslammer (Aug 14, 2010)

Boozer said:


> And there killing the vast majority of them, just because they swim away doesn't mean they live...


 very well could be, having two on the stringer the other night for two hours though, they spooked fisherman walking by kicking up water with their tails, swimming just dandy the whole time


----------



## jdunn (Sep 10, 2010)

What's a general water temp that these fish will survive when released? Anything under 70 deg??? 
Jim


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

jdunn said:


> What's a general water temp that these fish will survive when released? Anything under 70 deg???
> Jim


Essentially, any fish caught at creek mouths, should NOT be released...

Anything caught in water temps over 65, should probably not be released and even then you need to take into consideration the circumstances of where and when it was caught...


----------



## jdunn (Sep 10, 2010)

Boozer fished with a fellow with a pin the other day on the joe thats fish's with you. Nice guy, spent a couple of hours just enjoyin the day... Thanks for the info, these fish are beautiful, I don't want be irresponsible.. Just love to fish and catch these guys, guess Ill limit my fishing to 1 catch..
Later
JIm


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

I look at it as, even though they are hatchery mutts and aren't native here, it still is wrong to waste a resource, just my opinion, I know a lot of locals who don't think that way...


----------



## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

Boozer said:


> And there killing the vast majority of them, just because they swim away doesn't mean they live...
> 
> Research the DNR's program called the 70 degree pledge...


 Its not so much temperature but oxygen levels in the water. As SSTslammer said he had two skams on the stringer swimming untill we left. Fast current and oxygen, do wonders. I myself have kept the ones ive caught. But if proper care is taken these fish can be released. Never lifting the fish out the water, get it to shore quick as possible, etc. Untill i see the shore lined with dead fish they can release what they want, but when I find one ill be sure to speak my mind. I think that if your going to catch and release like that you should have the morals to only release 3 fish and quit fishing.


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Multispeciestamer said:


> Its not so much temperature but oxygen levels in the water. As SSTslammer said he had two skams on the stringer swimming untill we left. Fast current and oxygen, do wonders. I myself have kept the ones ive caught. But if proper care is taken these fish can be released. Never lifting the fish out the water, get it to shore quick as possible, etc. Untill i see the shore lined with dead fish they can release what they want, but when I find one ill be sure to speak my mind. I think that if your going to catch and release like that you should have the morals to only release 3 fish and quit fishing.


How do you expect to find dead ones when they swim away, to die hours later?

It's called lactic acid build up, when the run is in the 70's, those fish are as good as dead.

I know you keep them, that's cool, but releasing those fish in water that warm, playing with fire, that is unless you just want to feed the turtles...


----------



## bombcast (Sep 16, 2003)

Kill every one you catch. And if you can't personally use every fillet, every fish, then you should be fishing somewhere else. 74 degree water? Don't kid yourself.


----------



## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Wow 74 degrees the fish in L Michigan will be making a big push for the 54 degree water that we have in St Ignace. In about two weeks it should be good fishing up here. Another reason why the DNR should do all of their fish stocking in the UP why put them in waters where their death is certain.


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Robert Holmes said:


> Wow 74 degrees the fish in L Michigan will be making a big push for the 54 degree water that we have in St Ignace. In about two weeks it should be good fishing up here. Another reason why the DNR should do all of their fish stocking in the UP why put them in waters where their death is certain.


That's a river temp...

These are Indiana stocked fish, have zero to do with Michigan...


----------



## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Boozer said:


> That's a river temp...
> 
> These are Indiana stocked fish, have zero to do with Michigan...


 The Skamania are the one fish in the salmon family that do not usually hang tight to the area where they are planted. I would agree that many of the fish being caught in the St Joe are from Indiana. Where do the ones that I catch in the UP come from? These are not uncommon and are usually bruisers 12 pounds plus, so I am guessing 4 years old. I believe Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan have all participated in planting them at one time or another. In 1986 I caught one at Singing Bridge and at this time the only state planting them was Indiana.


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Robert Holmes said:


> The Skamania are the one fish in the salmon family that do not usually hang tight to the area where they are planted. I would agree that many of the fish being caught in the St Joe are from Indiana. Where do the ones that I catch in the UP come from? These are not uncommon and are usually bruisers 12 pounds plus, so I am guessing 4 years old. I believe Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan have all participated in planting them at one time or another. In 1986 I caught one at Singing Bridge and at this time the only state planting them was Indiana.


They are likely strays from the plants in the Big Manistee, still Indiana's Skams, they stock them there for us in return for some of our LM's.

I caught a skam that was stocked in the Big Manistee originally here in the Joe 2 days ago, I have caught dozens of Wisconsin clipped Skams here in the Joe before, I realize they stray like crazy.

I guess I fail to see your point though, I know you like skams "so do I" and I know you want more stocked, which you wouldn't hear me complain one bit if they were, I don't forsee any issues with stocking them in Northern Lake Michigan and in Lake Huron, well except for the fact I think it's pretty obvious, no matter how bad we want it, the MDNR is never going to increase their plants, they want to stop stocking them all together, which in the grand scheme of things, it's not going to ruin my life, but I would really like to see the MDNR stock them in a river system that is cold and has no huge drowned river mouth. Perhaps the Southeastern UP has a river like this, from the sounds of it they like the areas you are fishing...


----------



## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

Boozer said:


> How do you expect to find dead ones when they swim away, to die hours later?
> 
> It's called lactic acid build up, when the run is in the 70's, those fish are as good as dead.
> 
> I know you keep them, that's cool, but releasing those fish in water that warm, playing with fire, that is unless you just want to feed the turtles...


 Oh ive seen the lactic acid problem on a certain creek mouth I use to fish. Bunch of fly fisherman (happen to be the drift fisherman we've been speaking about) catching and releaseing. Next morning 15-20 dead skams floating, what a waste.


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Fished for about 3 hours today, floated from the dam to the dairy darm for smallies...

On my way back up river, seen at least a dozen dead Skams floating down river, I only stopped and really looked at one, it had been caught and likely "released" had line rubs on its sides...


----------



## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

> On my way back up river, seen at least a dozen dead Skams floating down river, I only stopped and really looked at one, it had been caught and likely "released" had line rubs on its sides...


Come on man, the water's "only" 74 _and_ they swam away.


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

ausable_steelhead said:


> Come on man, the water's "only" 74 _and_ they swam away.


They must have not got the memo, there is plenty of dissolved oxygen around for them :lol:


----------



## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

Boozer said:


> They must have not got the memo, there is plenty of dissolved oxygen around for them :lol:


 Take the sarcasm else where. This forum is becoming a bit ridiculous. :help: And I was told I need to grow up. Its a shame you found dead fish. But its the Joe and it is a warm river with all the dams on it. We all know this.


----------



## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

> Take the sarcasm else where. This forum is becoming a bit ridiculous


I was sarcastic first. The fact that people try to release a steelhead during summer in 70+ degree water, is much more ridiculous; talk about ignorant waste. This is no shot at you, but who would ever defend a practice such as this?


----------



## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

ausable_steelhead said:


> I was sarcastic first. The fact that people try to release a steelhead during summer in 70+ degree water, is much more ridiculous; talk about ignorant waste. This is no shot at you, but who would ever defend a practice such as this?


Agreed. Releasing skams in the mainstreams and creek mouths is one of the most irresponsible things an angler can do. I don't care if they do swim off, those fish will die. You could cut a fish's gills and it'll still "swim off," but an hour later that fish is turtle food. 

If one is a catch and release only angler, then they have no business chasing skams, period. 

I'll tell you what, I'm a guide, but it makes me absolutely sick to my stomach when you see other guides taking clients to creek mouths and then playing the whole take a picture and toss it back in the water game. 

"Experience the ultimate in skamania fly fishing!" 

My...a**. That's the ultimate in pocketing dirty money...floss, toss, repeat. I hope that $400 helps them sleep good at night, because I know I couldn't if that's the type of thing I did. 

Skams are fun, but they are what they are. They are a fish where it's actually irresponsible to sit there and play catch and release all day.


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

_Excellent numbers of summer-runs have entered the southeast Lake Michigan watershed of Michiana. By now, most cool tribs are holding fishable numbers and that's just what I'm going to be doing this week. Water temps are key and as the weather warms later this week hopefully the water clarity improves as the temps have been great thus far. But, this time of year the water can boil quickly and that's when we lose a HUGE number of our fish...some intentionally but many by fishermen that release these fish to certain death. The bottom line is if the water is above 68 degrees bring a cooler because the odds of successfully releasing a steelhead are practically nil. If you can't bring yourself to fillet a steelhead then stay home. Seriously. _

*It's great to see this fly fishing guide with his priorities straight- Guides name is Jay Anglin, if you want a fly fishing trip on the Joe, this is your man...*


----------



## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

Boozer said:


> _Excellent numbers of summer-runs have entered the southeast Lake Michigan watershed of Michiana. By now, most cool tribs are holding fishable numbers and that's just what I'm going to be doing this week. Water temps are key and as the weather warms later this week hopefully the water clarity improves as the temps have been great thus far. But, this time of year the water can boil quickly and that's when we lose a HUGE number of our fish...some intentionally but many by fishermen that release these fish to certain death. The bottom line is if the water is above 68 degrees bring a cooler because the odds of successfully releasing a steelhead are practically nil. If you can't bring yourself to fillet a steelhead then stay home. Seriously. _
> 
> *It's great to see this fly fishing guide with his priorities straight- Guides name is Jay Anglin, if you want a fly fishing trip on the Joe, this is your man...*


 I understand you were just poking fun, but sometimes it gets a bit tiring. This statement above you wrote is well said. :coolgleam


----------



## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

ausable_steelhead said:


> I was sarcastic first. The fact that people try to release a steelhead during summer in 70+ degree water, is much more ridiculous; talk about ignorant waste. This is no shot at you, but who would ever defend a practice such as this?


 No problem dude, sorry I have a short temper sometimes IDK what brings it out. And I do agree it is a waste.


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Multispeciestamer said:


> I understand you were just poking fun, but sometimes it gets a bit tiring. This statement above you wrote is well said. :coolgleam


Sort of like "Where's the Tamer?" :lol:


----------



## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Multispeciestamer said:


> No problem dude, sorry I have a short temper sometimes IDK what brings it out. And I do agree it is a waste.


Probably lack of mooseknuckle and time on the water...


----------



## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

Boozer said:


> Probably lack of mooseknuckle and time on the water...


 Yeah I havnt been out in the past two days and I am going nuts. I need my skamania fix.


----------

