# Where's the steel



## brian0013 (Feb 11, 2011)

fished the dam today and down river didn't see a fish and hardly anyone fishing!i thought they'd b in with all the rain? Talked to one guy on a boat that got one that's all. Plan to start off in the deeper holes tom


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## cowboy48098 (Aug 20, 2015)

Didn't you see my earlier Post titled "Wait till Spring"? Don't waste your time their. No matter how many pics get posted by people claiming it's full, it's not their full of ****. Lots of rain and cold weather will do wonders though. Otherwise "Wait till Spring."


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## Jayvelaz1130 (Oct 11, 2012)

Don't start at the dam, plenty more areas to fish that actually have chrome. This "early" into the fall bite I'd be fishing in town and mid-river down. There are fish all around by now, but better your chances by concentrating on the lower half right now I would think.


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## brian0013 (Feb 11, 2011)

Thanks again for the info fished the lower today got a couple skips all released . Did swing by the dam and one guy had a 23in steel


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## Jayvelaz1130 (Oct 11, 2012)

There's always fish at the dam, I just feel you rob yourself of some very beautiful and peaceful river that provides just as many fish. I'm no pro, but I always do better away from there.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

cowboy48098 said:


> Didn't you see my earlier Post titled "Wait till Spring"? Don't waste your time their. No matter how many pics get posted by people claiming it's full, it's not their full of ****. Lots of rain and cold weather will do wonders though. Otherwise "Wait till Spring."


Haven't saw a post yet claiming the river as "full"; by anyone. However, don't doubt others just because you're not getting them. That never works. Move around, fish all through the river, not just one spot or area. If you want numbers on the Au Sable, covering water is the way to do it...besides good presentation.


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## brian0013 (Feb 11, 2011)

ausable_steelhead said:


> Haven't saw a post yet claiming the river as "full"; by anyone. However, don't doubt others just because you're not getting them. That never works. Move around, fish all through the river, not just one spot or area. If you want numbers on the Au Sable, covering water is the way to do it...besides good presentation.


Haha I tell u what I must of put a good 5 mile on my wading boots covering a lot of water. With no result I still had fun . I'm new to steel heading but I threw every thing I had at them spawn wet flys spoons bounced the bottom n floated jigs n spawn . Didn't try beads I'll be back up in a few days for hunting the rut plan on putting some time in the river as well . Mite hit Thunder Bay river too


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

This time of year I watch a stretch of river and wait for one to rise. When it does I make a well placed cast about 2 feet in front of the circle with a spawn bag. If this does not work I work the area over with a spinner.


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

Just hit the dam at the creek its was full of them last week! All those steelhead from the stocking pens in Au Sable head that way.


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

MichiganStreamside said:


> Just hit the dam at the creek its was full of them last week! All those steelhead from the stocking pens in Au Sable head that way.


Wrong! Mostly wild fish in there. (I could also tell where those fish were caught by the pics) That's what you don't get, all the best spots have WILD fish. Hatchery fish are walleye and laker food. Wild fish are survivors.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I fished the river yesterday. I put in at Whirlpool, and fished to the dam, and back. I started at the crack of 9:30, and came off the river around 5-ish. I landed 5 Steelhead, and didn't lose any. They were all Skippers, with the largest going maybe 22", or 23". The water flow was really low, with lots of exposed wood that is usually covered. I didn't hook any adults, but I missed some bites. 1 trailer at the Whirlpool, but the guy was hunting (I saw his boat pulled up on shore in a place where hunters put onshore a lot), and 2 trailer at Rea Rd. I saw a guy fishing at the Scout Camp, and another at the dam. There were 3 guys fishing the dam when I was coming to the river. I didn't see anyone else fight a fish, or any stringers hanging. My fish went back to the river. One was a very colored-up male. I didn't catch a lot of fish anywhere, but just kept hitting spots. I did see a nice sized fish in one spot, but he fled when I motored by. I hit that spot later in the day, but only pulled a small fish, and not the larger one. 

I saw some Deer, an Eagle, bunches of Ducks, and had a great day on the water. The Ausable could use a nice shot of water right now. I know some guys who were fishing the lower end. They got into a few fish, and some nicer fish to 9#. The lake is higher than it has been in years, so the lower part of the river has nice deep water. That ends a little bit upstream of the RR Trestle.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

You are fishing one of the premier spots for the DNR to plant fish so I highly doubt that there is a shortage of nice fish to be caught. It must have been an off day or something like that. I hope that this tip helps a little. Take a couple of salmon poles and run plugs in your backwash no more than 15 feet of line in the water. Keep the drags set loose and motor upriver about 2 mph. The prop will attract the big ones and they will come up and hit your lures. Drift down using spawn or waxies and repeat the process.


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## cruiseplanner1 (Aug 6, 2012)

That river gets a lot of fish planted. Over 100,000 yearly not counting what Van Etten gets. And no the DNR only fin clips about 20% of them so just because you do not see a fin clip does not make it a "wild" fish. They use tetracycline (an antibiotic) in the water so they show under fluorescent lighting. Check out this page on DNR fish plants and you will have access to all stocking in Michigan. 
http://www.michigandnr.com/fishstock/


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I fished the A again, Saturday. Made breakfast for my wife's family, and hit the river around 11:00. Went by a nearby trib to check it out, and three guys were fishing the fastwater - I didn't even stop. I got 2 nice Steelies that fought like crazy, although neither of them jumped. One was about 6#, and the other about 9#. I was off the water by 4:00, and had a fun day fishing for a few hours. Saw an Eagle, a bunch of ducks, and a Muskrat. I saw a lot of Swans this weekend.


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## brian0013 (Feb 11, 2011)

Glad u hooked up with some I went 0-1with nice steel sat been hunting the past two days . Might get back out there today


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

cruiseplanner1 said:


> That river gets a lot of fish planted. Over 100,000 yearly not counting what Van Etten gets. And no the DNR only fin clips about 20% of them so just because you do not see a fin clip does not make it a "wild" fish. They use tetracycline (an antibiotic) in the water so they show under fluorescent lighting. Check out this page on DNR fish plants and you will have access to all stocking in Michigan.
> http://www.michigandnr.com/fishstock/


If you can't tell the dif between wild and hatchery with reasonable accuracy, clipped or not, you ain't caught that many steelhead. I now for a fact that the trib in question gets a ton of wild fish and they are easy to distinguish from the others that run the river.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I've fished for Salmon, and Steelhead for a little over 40 years. I can tell a hatchery fish by the edges of their fins - they tend to nibble on each other's fins in the raceways when they are being raised. But not all hatchery fish get nibbled. Without a fin clip (and I can find some pretty obscure clips), it is pretty tough to tell the difference. Any fins with separated spines are likely to have been clipped. Sometimes there is a tiny nub off a pectoral, or ventral fin that is an almost-missed clip. If all the fin edges are pretty much perfect, I would guess that may be a naturally spawned fish. 

FWIW, I haven't caught a clipped Steelhead on the Ausable this year. Not one. I don't for a minute believe all the fish I landed were naturally spawned. There is one trib, of a trib, of the Ausable that has decent natural reproduction of Steelhead. It is a small trib, and doesn't produce a real lot of fish - but some.


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

FWIW, I haven't caught a clipped Steelhead on the Ausable this year. Not one. I don't for a minute believe all the fish I landed were naturally spawned. There is one trib, of a trib, of the Ausable that has decent natural reproduction of Steelhead. It is a small trib, and doesn't produce a real lot of fish - but some.[/QUOTE]

I caught one yesterday about 100 miles from the closest stocking site for clipped fish. Second fish I caught this year that had ALEWIVES for breakfast, no $#@! !


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## cruiseplanner1 (Aug 6, 2012)

SJC said:


> If you can't tell the dif between wild and hatchery with reasonable accuracy, clipped or not, you ain't caught that many steelhead. I now for a fact that the trib in question gets a ton of wild fish and they are easy to distinguish from the others that run the river.


Ha almost did not answer this as I do not want to get into a pissing match. Caught my limit three days in a row last week in less than two hours each day. Also have caught hundreds of steelhead in my 40 plus years of fishing them. Glad you "think" you can distinguish a difference once they have fully grown. Pfff


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

Oh lord......here we go again.


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

cruiseplanner1 said:


> Ha almost did not answer this as I do not want to get into a pissing match. Caught my limit three days in a row last week in less than two hours each day. Also have caught hundreds of steelhead in my 40 plus years of fishing them. Glad you "think" you can distinguish a difference once they have fully grown. Pfff


I'm not going to argue with you, but since you obviously are looking for a peeing match, I'll give it a squirt... 
Hundreds??? I remember my 10th grade Easter break, too.:lol: If it takes you two hours to catch three steelhead right now and if you are only fishing for a "limit", all i can say is keep practicing!:coolgleam


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

How'd I do?


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## fishmaster1 (Dec 9, 2006)

Since you asked, Hmmm..... Arrogant as Hell! How I read it. SJC


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Fishndude said:


> I've fished for Salmon, and Steelhead for a little over 40 years. I can tell a hatchery fish by the edges of their fins - they tend to nibble on each other's fins in the raceways when they are being raised. But not all hatchery fish get nibbled. Without a fin clip (and I can find some pretty obscure clips), it is pretty tough to tell the difference. Any fins with separated spines are likely to have been clipped. Sometimes there is a tiny nub off a pectoral, or ventral fin that is an almost-missed clip. If all the fin edges are pretty much perfect, I would guess that may be a naturally spawned fish.
> 
> FWIW, I haven't caught a clipped Steelhead on the Ausable this year. Not one. I don't for a minute believe all the fish I landed were naturally spawned. There is one trib, of a trib, of the Ausable that has decent natural reproduction of Steelhead. It is a small trib, and doesn't produce a real lot of fish - but some.


I think that over 95% of the steelhead out there are natural fish. The DNR would be far better off to invest their time and money into river restoration and protecting spawning fish by closing sections of rivers. This would protect spawning trout, salmon and other fish. I very seldom ever catch a clipped fish so it goes to show that the hatchery fish don't do well.


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## herb09 (Jan 11, 2009)

Of the 150,000 fish planted in the Ausable only 20,000 are fin clipped.


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## jmaddog8807 (Oct 6, 2009)

All I know is I'll be in Oscoda Tuesday through Sunday. I'll be fishin the Ausable every day. I don't care if I catch a clipped fish, a natural fish, a skipper or a big one. I'll be happy enough being on the river...fish are just a bonus


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Robert Holmes said:


> I think that over 95% of the steelhead out there are natural fish. The DNR would be far better off to invest their time and money into river restoration and protecting spawning fish by closing sections of rivers. This would protect spawning trout, salmon and other fish. I very seldom ever catch a clipped fish so it goes to show that the hatchery fish don't do well.


I strongly disagree that 95% of the Steelhead being caught are naturally reproduced. Especially in the lower peninsula. The DNR doesn't fin clip all Steelhead, and there really aren't a lot of rivers that support big numbers of naturally spawned Steelhead. The thing with Steelhead is that they don't migrate out to the lakes right after hatching. They spend at least a year in their natal river before heading out to the lakes. So, for a river to support a strong population of naturally spawned Steelhead, it MUST be able to support the little (Parr) Steelhead for a year within the river. Lots of rivers have good spawning areas, and great hatch success. But a lot (Big Man is a great example) just get too warm in summer for the baby Steelies to survive. I former DNR biologist advised me (years ago) that their studies estimate that up to 3 MILLION Steelhead hatch in the Big Man every year. But, very few of them live long enough to smolt. Almost none. And, in rivers that do stay cool enough in summer, the Steelhead Parr need to compete with all the other species of fish in the river, many of which feel on Steelhead Parr. I'm sure there are more rivers in the UP that support better natural reproduction of Steelhead than there are in the lower peninsula. But, then the question becomes, "how many Steelhead will the river support?," before the fish smolt. That is called the Carrying Capacity of the river. 

In the lower peninsula, the Pere Marquette, and Little Manistee rivers are the premier rivers for naturally spawned Steelhead. To be clear, there are plenty of small rivers, and streams that do have some successful natural reproduction of Steelhead. They just don't support large numbers - not enough to sustain the kind of fishery that brings a lot of anglers out to fish for them. 

Closing the mile below Tippy Dam to protect spawning Steelhead would do virtually nothing to increase the numbers of Steelhead that return to spawn. And that is prime spawning water for all sorts of fish. 

What facts do you base your opinion that over 95% of Steelhead are naturally spawned on, Bob? What makes you think that?


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Throw a mepps #0 spinner into some of the rivers that I fish in the summertime. You catch bucket loads of 7 and 8 inch chromers. I catch a clipped steelhead about every 3 or 4 years. Not saying that I don't catch a few hatchery fish but when you get one out of about 300 steelhead that is not many. Also the fisheries division tells me that it does not do any good to plant steelhead in the UP because reproduction is so high. I have been told that less than 5 % of what they plant in the UP survive to become mature fish. I agree that reproduction is high in the UP because of the numbers of fish that I see. Canadian streams also get huge numbers of steelhead.


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## RobW (Dec 6, 2012)

And meanwhile, those guys on the west coast are jacking their jaws 'cause we have the gall to call these rainbows of ours "steelhead"...

_You definded a steelhead correctly then simply ignore it when the great lake bows are in the discussion.

Yes steelhead are in trouble. Calling a lake run fish a “steelhead” can only harm the populations of steelhead in trouble as it contributes confusiom to what a steelhead actually. Is. Fish farms have jumped on the bandwagon thanks to you guys and farm “steelhead”, which never see salt in their life and are in a lake all their life.

Further steelhead have to go throw osmoregulatory changes caused by the different gradients of salt and freshwater. Lake run rainbows do not.

And lastly, I have caught many lake run rainbows in rivers that are a good size. I refuse to call them steelhead as being an upcoming bio, I acknowledge doing so can only harm the actual steelhead we have running up the west.

Stop calling great lake rainbows steelhead. They dont touch salt, its no different then a rainbow in the adams river coming out of shuswap lake, and it confuses the non angling public on what a steelhead is.

_


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## nighttime (Nov 25, 2007)

Steelhead,steelhead, steelhead,steelhead..... Please go to the west coast to fish


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

So does that mean the few remaining salmon we have left aren't really salmon because they never see salt water either?


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## Kisutch (May 26, 2011)

RobW said:


> And meanwhile, those guys on the west coast are jacking their jaws 'cause we have the gall to call these rainbows of ours "steelhead"...
> 
> _You definded a steelhead correctly then simply ignore it when the great lake bows are in the discussion.
> 
> ...


For being an up and coming bio please leave the great state of Michigan. Better yet when you get thru with your "education" go work for the feds. They are all about genetics and destroying a once great fishery. Please educate yourself on where our "genetic" material came from for our "steelhead". I went to school with a bunch of fishery/wildlife students and none of them had any passion for their craft. Heck some of them hold high positions here in the DNR and don't spend much time fishing or hunting. It makes me sick knowing what I know.

Kisutch

"lakers" kill them all


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## RobW (Dec 6, 2012)

mfs686 said:


> So does that mean the few remaining salmon we have left aren't really salmon because they never see salt water either?


I know, right? These west coast snobs... I heard someone this fall say "That's a nice Faux King fish", so maybe...


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

There is plenty of road salt that is deposited into the lakes. I think that they are steelhead . Really


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Our Steelhead are certainly Steelhead. I will say that I fished in Alaska 5 years ago, on a river that has tons of native Rainbows. Those fish fought like crazy compared to our Steelhead. I've caught Steelhead in CA as well (Klamath River), and the wild fish there fought better than our Steelhead. But I am happy driving 3 hours to catch my favorite fish a number of times each year. I really can't make it to northern CA, or Alaska a handful times each year.


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

I have been to Alaska several times and caught a bunch of steelhead fresh from the salt. I remember I couldn't wait to catch a "real steelhead". Turns out they looked, fought, and acted just like ours. Same methods worked on them, they held in the same type of water, etc. Alaska steelies are a blast nonetheless, and the scenery is superior to anything around here, but as far as I'm concerned, a steelhead is a steelhead.


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## MIfishslayer91 (Dec 24, 2013)

Male steelhead + female steelhead = not a steelhead? 
And he's going to be a biologist? Pretty sure a 1st grader can figure that one out!


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