# Ausable float



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

MapleRiverSalmon said:


> View attachment 281152
> Caught this planter in late October that summered over from this spring! Never know


How can you tell that fish spent the summer in the Ausable? There are a bunch of "Skipper" Steelhead in the river every fall. They didn't spend the summer there - they returned from the lake in the fall. I'm not saying that fish might not have over-summered in the river. We had a relatively cool wet summer, and the river never quite got to 80* this year. But it bumped over 75* more than a few times. That is lethal to most Rainbows, and Atlantics. I wonder why Brown Trout aren't in the river year-round, below Foote dam? They have been planted many times, and are a LOT more tolerant of warm water than other Trout. 

Brian0013: It isn't that lake Huron isn't cool enough to support Steelhead, or Atlantics - it surely is. But these species must spend a year in the river they are born in, before they Smolt (swim out to the ocean/great lakes) and grow to adult size. Then they return to their natal rivers to spawn. If their natal rivers get too warm in summer, the high temps will either kill the small fish, or force them to leave the rivers before they are ready. And at that size, they are prey for pretty much every other fish in the lakes. 

There _*is*_ a small trib of the Ausable that dumps into Van Ettan lake, which drains into the Ausable, and which supports decent natural reproduction of Steelhead. Unfortunately it doesn't support a large population of Steelhead smolts. But it does some good. I wouldn't think anyone would want Atlantics planted there, though. The return route for spawning isn't real good.


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## brian0013 (Feb 11, 2011)

Fishndude said:


> How can you tell that fish spent the summer in the Ausable? There are a bunch of "Skipper" Steelhead in the river every fall. They didn't spend the summer there - they returned from the lake in the fall. I'm not saying that fish might not have over-summered in the river. We had a relatively cool wet summer, and the river never quite got to 80* this year. But it bumped over 75* more than a few times. That is lethal to most Rainbows, and Atlantics. I wonder why Brown Trout aren't in the river year-round, below Foote dam? They have been planted many times, and are a LOT more tolerant of warm water than other Trout.
> 
> Brian0013: It isn't that lake Huron isn't cool enough to support Steelhead, or Atlantics - it surely is. But these species must spend a year in the river they are born in, before they Smolt (swim out to the ocean/great lakes) and grow to adult size. Then they return to their natal rivers to spawn. If their natal rivers get too warm in summer, the high temps will either kill the small fish, or force them to leave the rivers before they are ready. And at that size, they are prey for pretty much every other fish in the lakes.
> 
> There _*is*_ a small trib of the Ausable that dumps into Van Ettan lake, which drains into the Ausable, and which supports decent natural reproduction of Steelhead. Unfortunately it doesn't support a large population of Steelhead smolts. But it does some good. I wouldn't think anyone would want Atlantics planted there, though. The return route for spawning isn't real good.


Ah I see said the blind man.i actually fished said place today,no luck though


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## MapleRiverSalmon (Aug 19, 2007)

Fishndude said:


> How can you tell that fish spent the summer in the Ausable? There are a bunch of "Skipper" Steelhead in the river every fall. They didn't spend the summer there - they returned from the lake in the fall. I'm not saying that fish might not have over-summered in the river. We had a relatively cool wet summer, and the river never quite got to 80* this year. But it bumped over 75* more than a few times. That is lethal to most Rainbows, and Atlantics. I wonder why Brown Trout aren't in the river year-round, below Foote dam? They have been planted many times, and are a LOT more tolerant of warm water than other Trout.
> 
> Brian0013: It isn't that lake Huron isn't cool enough to support Steelhead, or Atlantics - it surely is. But these species must spend a year in the river they are born in, before they Smolt (swim out to the ocean/great lakes) and grow to adult size. Then they return to their natal rivers to spawn. If their natal rivers get too warm in summer, the high temps will either kill the small fish, or force them to leave the rivers before they are ready. And at that size, they are prey for pretty much every other fish in the lakes.
> 
> There _*is*_ a small trib of the Ausable that dumps into Van Ettan lake, which drains into the Ausable, and which supports decent natural reproduction of Steelhead. Unfortunately it doesn't support a large population of Steelhead smolts. But it does some good. I wouldn't think anyone would want Atlantics planted there, though. The return route for spawning isn't real good.


I was mostly guessing because of how small it was. Didn't really think a Atlantic would leave and return that small. Haven't seen anouther one that small all fall... my guess would be it hung out in the coffer all summer and got lucky, maybe not tho...


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## DXT Deer Slayer (Nov 14, 2009)

MapleRiverSalmon said:


> I was mostly guessing because of how small it was. Didn't really think a Atlantic would leave and return that small. Haven't seen anouther one that small all fall... my guess would be it hung out in the coffer all summer and got lucky, maybe not tho...


Would be my guess as well! Lots of planters/smolts are able to survive the summer in the slightly cooler, oxygenated water below the dam. I think it foolish to talk in ultimatums about the reproductive potential of fish in the Ausable. Certainly not even a fraction of a cool-water tailwater like the Manistee, but 'totally put-and-take' or 'never reproduce', I don't think so, and hopefully not!

Plenty of creeks, and cold groundwater seepages in the lower river that create microclimates of suitable water temperatures for coldwater species to survive in warmer months. That's pretty basic science. Same way in many streams, including a different section of the Ausable below Mio dam. This section regularly reaches above 70* in the summertime, and runs east/west (little relief morning or evening from direct sun), so it bakes. Yet it still sustains a viable reproducing population of large brown trout in stressful/(borderline) lethal temps. The trout don't survive just anywhere in that section in the summer.

Bottom line is that nobody really knows much right now. What we do know and should be thankful for is that the DNR is giving us an amazing opportunity and things look good for this fishery in its infant stages!


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

brian0013 said:


> Ah I see said the blind man.i actually fished said place today,no luck though


Hopefully not. The trib I am referring to flows _*into*_ Van Ettan, not out of it; and is closed to fishing at this time. I did hear that the Association for Van Ettan Lake was going to start drawing down the lake starting last Monday. That usually pulls some fish into Van Ettan Creek - when there are fish in the Ausable to be pulled. Last week was dismal on the Ausable, for Steelhead. I think I'm going to start taking fall Walleye vacations in November, instead of Steelhead vacations. Better taste. Better numbers. Can keep a bunch @ Saginaw Bay. Less driving around whining about how great the fishing used to be.

But there was a time when the Ausable below Foote dam was possibly the best 10 miles of Steelhead river in America, and maybe the World. I am thankful I got to experience those days. People who didn't fish that river 25+ years ago have no idea what it was like when there were tons of Kings, and Steelhead to play with. There were days when I went home early because my arms were tired from fighting fish, and I wanted to be able to fish again the following day. I always carried extra line to re-spool, in case I lost too much line in a day from breaking off fish. And I bought line in 3300 yard spools back then, cuz they lasted a couple years.

As far as some planters holding over through summer, I suppose anything is possible. I know the river is mostly full of Smallmouth (mostly smallish), Rockbass (never see them other than summer), and Carp in the warm months. There are some Walleyes, Catfish, Suckers, and Pike mixed in. It is a fun river to swim, canoe, kayak, and snorkel in, during summer. The Whirlpool launch was just rebuilt to accommodate hordes of canoists, tubers, and kayakers. Surely all that extra parking isn't for the 5 Steelhead rigs I see launched there on a busy day. But that was USFS work. I know a guy who guides below Mio year-round. He takes his clients for Smallies when the water is too warm to C&R Browns. That is one of the few things he, and I probably agree on.
http://www.70degreepledge.org/


I wonder how many 12" Steelhead could have been planted in the river for the cost of the useless pier that was built in Oscoda, a few years ago? $5M plants a lot of fish.


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## brian0013 (Feb 11, 2011)

Fishndude said:


> Hopefully not. The trib I am referring to flows _*into*_ Van Ettan, not out of it; and is closed to fishing at this time. I did hear that the Association for Van Ettan Lake was going to start drawing down the lake starting last Monday. That usually pulls some fish into Van Ettan Creek - when there are fish in the Ausable to be pulled. Last week was dismal on the Ausable, for Steelhead. I think I'm going to start taking fall Walleye vacations in November, instead of Steelhead vacations. Better taste. Better numbers. Can keep a bunch @ Saginaw Bay. Less driving around whining about how great the fishing used to be.
> 
> But there was a time when the Ausable below Foote dam was possibly the best 10 miles of Steelhead river in America, and maybe the World. I am thankful I got to experience those days. People who didn't fish that river 25+ years ago have no idea what it was like when there were tons of Kings, and Steelhead to play with. There were days when I went home early because my arms were tired from fighting fish, and I wanted to be able to fish again the following day. I always carried extra line to re-spool, in case I lost too much line in a day from breaking off fish. And I bought line in 3300 yard spools back then, cuz they lasted a couple years.
> 
> ...


Nope was fishing the dam


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

brian0013 said:


> Few pics


That bend, where you parked your toon is an interesting place to fish. Much higher water this year than usual, so you can slide right over it. In a motorized boat you usually have to swing wide around it to a slot that runs along some downfalls - always a fun run. Then it has an almost sheer dropoff to a real deep hole, with some slack water on the inside. I've fished it many times, and seen plenty of fish there, but never been able to get any to go. If you fish the main current, it is real fast, deep, and full of wood. There is great water another 100 - 150 yards down from there, that is a lot easier to fish - Upper Hairpin. Next time you run that stretch, watch that rail fence, then look for it again when you are past (100 yards past) the point, downstream. You'll understand why it is called the Hairpin. If they hadn't improved the bank (years ago) the river probably would have blown through that small ridge by now. 

The Ausable is just a beautiful river, and a great place to fish for, and fight Steelhead. I love the wood in the upper stretches, which makes it a real tough place to land truly big fish. If you could just add a couple thousand Steelhead, it would be amazing right now, with the high water. Maybe next month....... 

I wonder how many Steelhead are relaxing above the coffer dam? Sad waste of a resource we pay for.


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## brian0013 (Feb 11, 2011)

Fishndude said:


> That bend, where you parked your toon is an interesting place to fish. Much higher water this year than usual, so you can slide right over it. In a motorized boat you usually have to swing wide around it to a slot that runs along some downfalls - always a fun run. Then it has an almost sheer dropoff to a real deep hole, with some slack water on the inside. I've fished it many times, and seen plenty of fish there, but never been able to get any to go. If you fish the main current, it is real fast, deep, and full of wood. There is great water another 100 - 150 yards down from there, that is a lot easier to fish - Upper Hairpin. Next time you run that stretch, watch that rail fence, then look for it again when you are past (100 yards past) the point, downstream. You'll understand why it is called the Hairpin. If they hadn't improved the bank (years ago) the river probably would have blown through that small ridge by now.
> 
> The Ausable is just a beautiful river, and a great place to fish for, and fight Steelhead. I love the wood in the upper stretches, which makes it a real tough place to land truly big fish. If you could just add a couple thousand Steelhead, it would be amazing right now, with the high water. Maybe next month.......
> 
> I wonder how many Steelhead are relaxing above the coffer dam? Sad waste of a resource we pay for.


It’s a nice spot! First place I stop after I launched.it was sallow enough to wade out and fish the seam in the bend .hooked one fish in the seam on the pin with a bead and one chuckin duckin spawn in that drop off . Walked back to that spot two day later after the rain and could hardly wade it. Seen fish jumping but couldn’t hook up


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

The fall run will be next month, like it mostly seems to be anymore. I’ll take December on the Au Sable over October and November all day.


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## brian0013 (Feb 11, 2011)

I agree I’m alway up at the cabin for deer hunting in nov and I feel naked if I don’t bring the rods along. hope I can make back in dec.seam to have better luck at the thunder bay in nov ,except this year. always steel below the dam


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## MapleRiverSalmon (Aug 19, 2007)

This weekend the big river was awful! Couldn't find fish at all. Too much rain and fish were scattered! Found fish but not like a few weeks ago. Went home early as the alternative rivers that paid good on fri were blown out today. Oh well


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

MapleRiverSalmon said:


> This weekend the big river was awful! Couldn't find fish at all. Too much rain and fish were scattered! Found fish but not like a few weeks ago. Went home early as the alternative rivers that paid good on fri were blown out today. Oh well


Finally a post about fishing again in this thread! Need to lose all these posts with made up BS and talk about fishing. Every year there are wild coho, chinook, brown trout and steelhead caught in the Au Sable in limited numbers. Hopefully a few wild Atlantics join them. All that water has made it tough the last couple days in the lower river. But should bring a good run for December! A few weeks back before Atlantics started spawning fishing was awesome. There have been so many of these caught and so cool to have a fall fish that love to crush streamers, spinners and spoons!


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## Chaoticfishing (Jun 2, 2005)

It's been a couple years since I've posted on here ... and was hoping to get a couple clues. This weekend is my first weekend chasing Atlantics, any pointers? I've heard from locals in Alpena that they will be in the rivers until February. My plan is to pretty much act as if I am chasing Steelhead, headed to the popular holes below Foote Dam. Might even walk the river path downstream from High Banks and get tangled in logs lol. Gonna float King spawn, waxworms, and flies (mostly Woolie Buggers) ... Probably bottom bounce waxies in deeper holes. Am I barking up the right tree or should I be throwing cranks baits like I'm chasing Kings?


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I would focus on spawning gravel, as the Atlantics are in the river for that purpose. I'd drift more flashy flies (tinsel adds flash), and maybe throw some cranks. You should be able to see their redds from the bank. They look like any other spawning beds, but aren't as "clean" as King redds are. Smaller, and duller in color. They must not make their beds as much, lol.


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

Fishndude said:


> I would focus on spawning gravel, as the Atlantics are in the river for that purpose. I'd drift more flashy flies (tinsel adds flash), and maybe throw some cranks. You should be able to see their redds from the bank. They look like any other spawning beds, but aren't as "clean" as King redds are. Smaller, and duller in color. They must not make their beds as much, lol.


This is just terrible advice to catch Atlantic Salmon on the Au Sable! Its what you did Fishndude and complained to every boat you saw about nothing would bite. These salmon are very poor biters when on there redds. With these fish not dying from spawning the pre and post bite can be excellent but there are a little fickle at times. Fish them like you would brown trout and not steelhead. They love the shallow water structure of the Au Sable. 2-7 feet deep sections with logs and sand or some gravel and logs. Hold a lot of shallow sides of the river. Bouncing lead on the bottom with spawn bags and flies is not very productive. They like to move up in the water to feed. Streamer fishing on sink tips with lots of flash in patterns have worked well. Intruders in white/silver or copper/green and lots of different shiner/shad patterns. For the spin fisherman Little cleos, Artic spinners, small crank baits in silver or gold have work well. Nymphs and beads have work well also with the use of floats to keep them well off bottom. Currently there are lots of empty redds with only a very few spawners. Seems like run is winding down but hopefully another push comes. These fish have been a game changer for the fall fishing in the lower river. Getting some beautiful steelhead in the winter type water now but not big numbers.


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## Chaoticfishing (Jun 2, 2005)

So i ended up not checking this post until I got home and missed out in the advice. Ended up fishing a deep hole around the bend from the dam ... Hooked on to a fat log that i thought was gonna pull me in. Lol, I'm recovering from a broken leg ... I had no business wading in the water that deep ... So I got out and casted into the the next hole down stream (meat hole) a few times ... No hook ups. Hit the dock and then on to high banks. Didn't see anything in the gravel so down the path I went ... walked/hobbled about a mile donating flies and crank baits to the log piles. Good times, fresh air, I can't complain. Funny part is ... I got about 30 minutes from home and my boss called to tell me I have to work this coming weekend so I now have tomorrow and Tuesday off. My dad didn't raise a quitter so I'm headed back up late tomorrow morning


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

MichiganStreamside said:


> This is just terrible advice to catch Atlantic Salmon on the Au Sable! Its what you did Fishndude and complained to every boat you saw about nothing would bite. These salmon are very poor biters when on there redds. With these fish not dying from spawning the pre and post bite can be excellent but there are a little fickle at times. Fish them like you would brown trout and not steelhead. They love the shallow water structure of the Au Sable. 2-7 feet deep sections with logs and sand or some gravel and logs. Hold a lot of shallow sides of the river. Bouncing lead on the bottom with spawn bags and flies is not very productive. They like to move up in the water to feed. Streamer fishing on sink tips with lots of flash in patterns have worked well. Intruders in white/silver or copper/green and lots of different shiner/shad patterns. For the spin fisherman Little cleos, Artic spinners, small crank baits in silver or gold have work well. Nymphs and beads have work well also with the use of floats to keep them well off bottom. Currently there are lots of empty redds with only a very few spawners. Seems like run is winding down but hopefully another push comes. These fish have been a game changer for the fall fishing in the lower river. Getting some beautiful steelhead in the winter type water now but not big numbers.


I suppose I could have advised people to go to Alpena, and throw Crocodile spoons from the Boardwalk for Atlantics. Cuz I have real reliable reports of that working well, right now. :evilsmile

I haven't fished for Atlantics on the Ausable at all. I caught a couple small ones a few years ago, fishing with spawn for Steelhead. 

I was only noting my lack of Steelhead success, using the same fishing methods that I've used successfully for decades. Hardly anyone was fishing (for anything) over the Thanksgiving holiday on the Ausable. I have to assume it was due to the same lack of fish I experienced. But perhaps people were just more focused on eating Turkey, and watching football then they have been in the past? For whatever reason.....


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

The Au Sable has been fishing well! Here are some photos from today. Swinging streamer on sink tips produced all. One of the Atlantic even hit while streamer was still on surface!


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Hope that first Atlantic was kept; thing looks like it’s gill bleeding like crazy. I’ve had cohos do the same thing to hardware, where they eat the damn thing and get a hook in the rakers.


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## Chaoticfishing (Jun 2, 2005)

Very nice pics MichiganStreamside ... Can't wait to hook up on my first Atlantic. The boss @ home didn't let me come back up so I ended up going to a local river (Huron River - down state) and didn't even a get nibble


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## brian0013 (Feb 11, 2011)

I fished Thunder Bay and it was stacked with fish.i caught steelhead, lakers,Atlantic’s an a odd king.chuckin ducking flys n beads floating spawn and jigs .flys and jigs worked the best for me


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

The East doesn’t have any fish boys; remember?


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

It's been like shooting fish in a barrel lately. Glad it's finally getting cold...


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