# Steelhead or Trout?



## Splitshot (Nov 30, 2000)

Saturday I spent the day at a karate tournament with my nine year old grandson Jake. If you remember Jake is the one who catches some nice fish. He is pretty good at karate too and placed in 4 out of 5 events he entered. He will earn his second degree black belt before he turns 10.

I would have taken him fishing with me today, but Im staying at the cabin tonight and Jake has school tomorrow. Sunday morning I arrived at Denniss house shortly after 7:30 and we headed out to fish the upper Muskegon. We were fishing before 8:30. For the first hour and a half, we stunk up the river pretty bad. Dennis guides on the river sometimes and knew most of the guides were fishing further downstream.

We could have gone where all the guides were, but we opted to be different. In that first hour and a half, we started thinking it was a mistake but Dennis isnt one to give up easily and decided to fish an unlikely spot where the water was swift. Well his instincts were right on. We both landed a small trout on our first casts and it was enough to tell us what kind of water to fish.

By the time we quit at 1:30 we were 4 for 6 on steelhead and landed about 20 trout half of which were very nice indeed. At one point Dennis hooked the biggest fish of he day and I joked that because of his guide skills, he should land this fish by his self in the fast water. Im glad I didnt bet with him as he landed the fish on his first try without a hitch.

One!









Two!









Three!









Never a dull moment when your fishing with Dennis. Later in the day, some guide in a drift boat comes floating down river and the guy is a client who fished with Dennis earlier this year and told Dennis he tired to book him for this trip but discovered Dennis was not available. Apparently he was not too happy with his current guide since he hadnt hooked a fish.

Still later another guide in a drift boat came floating down river. We offered the normal greeting and then asked if they had caught any. One small trout the client replied and you. I replied we had hooked about a dozen steelhead. The guy smirked a little and said good work. As they kept drifting by, Dennis hooked the first steelhead of the day and as it jumped, he stated Number 13". The client surprised said; You guys werent kidding were you? We laughfed all day about that one.

The temperature was about 36 degrees with a sometimes stiff North wind, but both Dennis and I agreed that it was a perfect day, a dark sky, a little snow and wind but plenty of fish to keep us warm. We both would have stayed longer, but Dennis had a date with his entire family to all go deer hunting in the afternoon. I wouldnt be surprised is they all filled tags.

Anyway I titled this post trout or steelhead. This first pictures and the one above are surely steelhead, and the third is most likely a rainbow but the next two fish are questionable. What do you think?

Steel









Rainbow









Trout or steelhead?









Trout or steelhead?









For fun, brown or brookie?









Thanks for the good company Dennis. This is fishing at its best, lots of amusing stories, good food and plenty of fish. Looking forward to our next adventure. I hope to read about your hunting success.


----------



## quest32a (Sep 25, 2001)

Trout, steelhead, doesn't matter. Nice fish guys!


----------



## mechanical head (Jan 18, 2000)

All I know is that last one is a brookie no doubt about it, you can tell by the deformed jaw-line  
As for the rest on them I say there all trout, big ones little one who cares, there biters. I'm glad we ran the upper water, if were down river I would have had to kick TC and Bookmaker of the water and stole Steve's grease...No Free Samples For You...


----------



## UBDSLO1 (Feb 23, 2004)

I'm going to say trout with the last 2 pics. I haven't seen steel with markings/dots all the way down on their belly. Great report as always and pics too.


----------



## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

Nice job guys, why didn't you take me there Ray? Man you always hold out on me.:corkysm55


----------



## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

The only thing better then reading your posts..................would to be part of them......good job...........congrats you your Grandson.


----------



## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

A couple of lucky guys...
They get to fish WITH you Ray!
Great PiX as usual!!
You da man Ray!
:fish2:
*R*


----------



## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

That last pic is not a brookie.
And those rainbows will grow up to be steelies should they get out to the big water.
Nice pics!
Here is a brookie, (thanks DanP I got this from the photo forum)


----------



## mechanical head (Jan 18, 2000)

Oldgrandman said:


> That last pic is not a brookie.


No kidding and all this time Ray and I thought those were brookies. I'm not sure that Danders knows what he talking about when it comes those trout..


----------



## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Maybe my sarcasim detector needs tuning!


----------



## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

I would bet trout and I would bet they are not leaving the river. As for the brookie, I'm embarrassed to say the first thing that came to my mind when I read Oldgrandman's post was to "hop on the cluebus":lol: 

Great read! Even when more fish are way down the upper is still always fun to fish. I like the upper if for no other reason it always feels great to be successful even when having to deal with so much pressure from other anglers.


----------



## Splitshot (Nov 30, 2000)

Bill,

Next time you come to Michigan we can hit the Muskegon. It is a great river. You know I wouldn't hold out on you.

The first picture titled trout or steelhead I am really not sure about. In the scheme of things, it really doesn't matter, but I would like it more if that fish was river trout.

Oh and my grandson Jake, he is awesome. Yes I'm bragging. The other day he told me he loves Karate, but he likes fishing better.

He is training in Xtreme Martial Arts, a new form of martial arts. and this is him competing in weapons.









He took third in fighting loosing only to a state champion that had him by 6 inches and 40 lbs, but the score was 5 to 2. Check him out. No fear and rearing to go.









And finally here he is with 3 XMA metals and a trophy for sparing. 









Same kid last summer.


----------



## mechanical head (Jan 18, 2000)

TSS Caddis said:


> "hop on the cluebus":lol:


:lol: Every once in a while I get a great laugh reading these threads, and the cluebus was indeed a good one, it's a bus we've all been on, just won't admit it...
Ray, Jake is a stud, not only can he fish like a madman, he's a great student of an Exellent sport that takes 100% dedication..


----------



## Mitch (Jan 10, 2003)

Awesome, thanks for sharing. All that's missing is a pic of you with fish, didn't want to let Dennis touch your camera 'eh?

Your grandson is definately one to be proud of! I got a kick from his hat in the last pic. Must be only a select few get one of those!LOL

As far as Brown or Brookie goes... I'll get in touch with a biologist friend of mine, we'll get to the bottom of this!

Mitch


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Split: You have every right to brag on your Grandson - he obviously knows how to commit to things. And those are all very nice fish. 

I would say that the last fish is a Brown in Fall spawning colors. 

The MO gets planted with some Rainbows which are not Steelhead. Those colored-up fish sure look like stream Rainbows to me. The largest one looks like a Fall spawning Steelhead, though. Not sure where they come from, but there was a pretty sizable run of them in the Ausable a few years back. They looked just like that - chunky and very colored. They fought like crap, but bit real good. They made a couple marginal days a lot better for me.


----------



## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Great day on the river guys! Thanks for sharing the photos of both fish and greandson.

Trout? Steelhead? Brookie? That wasn't a "brookie"? What the heck have I been catchin' all these years????   

Sorry guys, I just had ta add that touch of humor.

It's time for me to get over to OUR Big M! and fish one of these days.


----------



## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

Ha you guys cant fool me, this is a trout!









And to think you guys have been keeping those suckers.


----------



## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Not a trout! :lol:


----------



## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

Looks like a good time to me. I like that left handed reel Dennis, would sure make walking spawn or bobber fishing alot easier. I also got a chuckle of you fighting the fish. I'm always harping on folks, rod tip low, rod tip low, you got that tip so low there's no way that fish's head will ever get out of the water to shake a hook out!!!!! I don't know what to think about those trout. Look's like they went thru the washer with my daughter's pink panties!!!!


----------



## alexsalmon (Feb 16, 2006)

Top to Bottem-

Steelhead 

Steelhead Smolt

Rainbow

Rainbow

and ummm oh boy this ones hard, it's no doubt a brown trout!


----------

