# Au Sable river boat launch.



## ogie (Dec 31, 2011)

Hey all,

Going up north to Oscoda to visit some friends for halloween and was hoping to do a little fishing while we are up there. I've got a 14' foot low v with a five horse. Would I be able to get into section of the river for some steelhead/salmon with this? Or would I be better sticking to one of the Dam ponds? Not to picky about what we go for but if I could get into some steelhead or salmon that would be awesome. Any tips would be appreciated, thanks in advance for the help!


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## BassFisher91 (Sep 11, 2005)

Should be able to push up the river with a 5 hp, last weekend a 14 footer was using a trolling motor with no problem, granted it wasn't Rea Rd., it was at Whirlpool. I just tilt my 25hp up all the way and keep it slow on the river, have to watch out for the dead-heads. Hopefully as I learn the lower better I'll be able to go a little faster in some sections. And by the last post I read you might be able to get into some fish.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

BassFisher91 said:


> Should be able to push up the river with a 5 hp, last weekend a 14 footer was using a trolling motor with no problem, granted it wasn't Rea Rd., it was at Whirlpool. I just tilt my 25hp up all the way and keep it slow on the river, have to watch out for the dead-heads. Hopefully as I learn the lower better I'll be able to go a little faster in some sections. And by the last post I read you might be able to get into some fish.


It's No Wake from Foote dam down to Lake Huron. I'd stick with what you're doing. There's already been a big increase in idiots with sleds and ****, roaring up and down the AS the last couple years. The DNR has also been looking for this, and tickets have been written. We don't need the Au Sable river turning into another Big Man or MO. It's got a lot more boats now that the steelhead runs have rebounded.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

ausable_steelhead said:


> It's No Wake from Foote dam down to Lake Huron......


They need to post this more clearly at the boat launches as I swear the only ones I see obeying that rule are the canoe'rs!


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## Shift7609 (Aug 9, 2011)

The idiots screaming up and down the river if they don't slow by me this year will have lead cast at them last year I got swamped not once but twice!


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## Jayvelaz1130 (Oct 11, 2012)

I'll be looking out for that guy this year Shift


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## Mags (Apr 10, 2002)

You may also want to try putting on one of those "prop guards" to protect your prop/lower unit. 
Cheap insurance, IMO, and as the others have said, please go slow.


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## BassFisher91 (Sep 11, 2005)

Good to know. As I said I'm new to lower Ausable, usually only fish the fly waters. If it's truly a no wake zone there need to be more signs stating that. Dont recall seeing one at Whirlpool. Again thanks for the heads up.


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## Shift7609 (Aug 9, 2011)

At both boat launches upstream it says on sign the river is no wake hey if your comming upstream and make a bit of a wake so be it ur pushing up but the a holes ripping both ways u can hear comming is the ones who piss me off plus the people that come down that clearly see you and go right through your drift looking for fish seriously I don't care if u come 10 ft from me don't go motoring through where I'm fishing espically small and short drifts


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## BassFisher91 (Sep 11, 2005)

I hear ya shift. The very few fisherman I did see last weekend I made sure to stay way clear of them. I'd rather fish away from people anyways, it's one of the reasons why I'm up there.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Okay, I'll out myself. I boat the Ausable most of the time when I fish it. I can't possibly motor upstream without pushing some wake. And I sometimes open my motor up for short shots on stretches of river I am familiar with, and can't see anyone I would bother with it. My motor kind of loads up after running at lower rpms, and once in awhile it is good to run it harder. But I have a 25 hs outboard. Once in a very great while I run past someone who is on the bank, who I couldn't see ahead of time. I always feel bad about that, and try to be attentive. I know the entire river from the dam to the mouth, and all of the spots people are likely to be. Every once in awhile someone is huddled up in Mom's Run, or some other spot that is rarely fished from shore, and I am surprised to see them as I slide by. Mostly it happens in low light. I don't think I've ever swamped anyone, and when I see someone fishing, I'll drive through so as to not disrupt their drift if I can. 

But I don't go screaming up, and down the river, ruining people's drifts or swamping wading anglers. There is no call for that. 

Anyone who wants to just hit that river, and blast around with a big ole jetboat might be in for a surprise. A good friend of mine fishes it in a large Riverman jet boat that belongs to his brother. They don't run hard on the Ausable (although they do on the Big Man), but once put a 4" gash through the hull of his boat, on a deadhead they didn't see ahead of time. There is a ton of wood in the Ausable (which is what makes it so much fun to fight Steelhead there), and it is from top to bottom. There are no truly "safe" places to run wide open. 

Be safe. Have fun. Pack out more than you brought in. Have fun.

A 14 foot boat with a 5 hs outboard should work. It won't run fast, so expect it to take time to move any distance upstream. Have a good anchor system that you can use easily, and effectively. I use heavy chain for anchors. Each link weighs 7#. 30# should hold a 14 foot boat, I would think.


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## ogie (Dec 31, 2011)

Fishndude said:


> A 14 foot boat with a 5 hs outboard should work. It won't run fast, so expect it to take time to move any distance upstream. Have a good anchor system that you can use easily, and effectively. I use heavy chain for anchors. Each link weighs 7#. 30# should hold a 14 foot boat, I would think.


Oh I know, I run it down the Grand regularly and the Huron/Raisin when I'm visiting my parents. She's a total dog but she'll get there... eventually.


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## ogie (Dec 31, 2011)

Thanks for all the info, everyone in the area was really helpful and more then willing to toss a little information our way. Here's a shot of the best fish of the trip, just shy of 20 inches. Second best smallmouth of my life, when we brought it in I was convinced it was going to measure 22 it was so fat.


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## mrjimspeaks (Aug 23, 2009)

Nice fish Ogie.


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