# Ausable in boat



## hawkeye68 (Jun 29, 2007)

Guys I will be heading up next week to fish the river from a boat for the first time with my teenage son. Plan on putting in at the pool and will head towards town and hit a few holes. Can anyone share some info on the river this time of the year I might want to hit? Or should I concentrate on the river closer to town? Thanks guys!


----------



## Firemedic (Apr 5, 2005)

I'd try to fish between the Foote and Whirlpool.


----------



## GONE FISHIN(LARRY) (Dec 28, 2002)

Firemedic said:


> I'd try to fish between the Foote and Whirlpool.


I DISAGREE , most of best action I've herd so far this spring is downstream whirlpool .Overall things are pretty slow right now up there.The Au Sable gets a late run most likely the latest run in the lower penniusla . There won't be fish on the beds yet , so I would fish the deep holes and pools , most of them are down in the lower end , Especailly if you have a boat . There is always fish up by the dam but I'd stay low right and try for some chromers .


Larry


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I wouldn't wait to fish the Ausable, if you want to fish with spawn, or any kind of bait, for that matter. Rumor has it that the DNR is going to plant smolts EARLIER this year, in the hopes that they will migrate to the lake before the Cormorants swoop in and eat them, all. If you are using bait, and there are smolts in the river, you will have them biting for every cast - the entire drift; and will stand a much lesser chance of hooking actual Steelhead. Crowds get heavier later in the season as well. Even though the runs have dwindled, there are lots of people who remember catching bunches of Steelhead on the Ausable, and they come back every year to try to duplicate that feat. Get after it, and good luck to you.


----------



## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

I agree with Larry, but we seen fish heading upstream at a good pace, one good pod was in the upper.


----------



## hawkeye68 (Jun 29, 2007)

Thanks for the input


----------



## bigwak (May 28, 2005)

Especially in the AuSable, but I practice it in every river I boat fish, is to always be upriver of your trailer. If anything ever happens, you can at least float downstream to it. You go downstream and chance much harder issues with getting your boat on your trailer. 

Good luck.


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

That is a very good idea, in general. But on the Ausable, you will be able to find people and help a lot easier downstream of the Whirlpool than you will upstream, if you need it. Phones, homes, businesses, etc. I would not boat the river without a pair of oars along for the ride, regardless of which direction I went. I like fishing upstream from the Whirlpool a lot better than downstream, but that is just me.


----------



## bombcast (Sep 16, 2003)

great water downstream of the pool. Even really good drift water. We had a couple evenings, late 90s probably, where we were passing waves of chrome fish downriver. Fought fish until after dark, that were CRUSHING wobble-glos and spawn on high green water. Absolutely amazing fishing, probably best big water drift fishing I've ever had. 

Chasing memories now... So sad.


----------



## Firemedic (Apr 5, 2005)

Fishndude said:


> I like fishing upstream from the Whirlpool a lot better than downstream, but that is just me.


I will have to agree with you, hence my post. But to each their own. I will be leaving Monday morning to fish both sections, I will let you know what happens.


----------

