# Skams in the river



## Aboogie15 (Jun 19, 2016)

About when do they run (if they do) and I assume you catch them similar to winter run steelies?


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## RS1983 (Mar 16, 2009)

Aboogie15 said:


> About when do they run (if they do) and I assume I'll catch them similar to winter run steelies?


They will run when easterly wind push warm water away from shore and cold water takes its place. I'll give you a hint. Look for them where the water is under70 degrees. Most of the time they get congregated because they will run intoninto the river and the main temp will rise. I find spoons and streamers to be very effective on these territorial fish. One other thing, this is a catch and keep fishery. If the water is near 80 degrees those fish will not survive. Don't be that guy catching and "releasing" 15 fish while being totally oblivious to all the dead steelhead piled up around the bend.


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## danimalt14 (Aug 30, 2012)

As hot as it is now, doubt they will run until a major cold front cools the rivers. Couple of yrs back they ran with the kings in late Sept.


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## RS1983 (Mar 16, 2009)

danimalt14 said:


> As hot as it is now, doubt they will run until a major cold front cools Couple of yrs back they ran with the kings in late Sept.


This will be the first year in a while i have not fished for the skams. I just had a kid a few months back so my time is limited so I can't attest to present conditions. I think you would be surprised though. All it takes is a rain storm and a day or two of easterly winds and there will be steel in the river. Watch the pier cams. When you all of a sudden see the thing lines shoulder to shoulder with guys I can tell you that those people aren't cane polling perch. Within a couple days the fish should be able to make it up to their usual spots. It's all about water temps. You have to monitor them over a period of weeks to get some perspective. You can check this online. I guarantee if you pay attention, and this is true no matter how hot it gets, you will see periods in time when the water suddenly goes from being 75 to 80 degrees near shore to being in the 60's. That is the time to fish. All it takes is for a wind to blow the warm water away from shore. Cold water from the middle of the lake will take it's place.


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## Julez81 (Feb 6, 2009)

@


Aboogie15 said:


> About when do they run (if they do) and I assume you catch them similar to winter run steelies?


Skams begin showing in the beginning of June. When conditions are right as the last poster explained there can be big runs. If they don't get good conditions most will wait and run with the early Salmon. Even then fresh Skams will trickle right into February or March.

You can catch them with the same methods. As RS1983 said, summer run fish here in Michigan are very stressed and if you choose to pursue them understand they will not survive release 99% of the time. Good luck and have fun.


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## S.D.M.F FOREVER! (Sep 8, 2006)

Aboogie15 said:


> About when do they run (if they do) and I assume you catch them similar to winter run steelies?


A friend caught three about a week and half ago in s w michigan out on peir


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

Summer Steelhead are very strange, some will enter early (May), others will run the gauntlet in 80 degree water temps mid summer, while others will wait till fall cool down. Yes you read that correct they will run in 80 degree water. How ever most times after 75 degrees they will have lock jaw. I have found from 70-75 degrees lures are the top producers, bellow 70 lures and bait both work effectively. This idea that you need a flip to start the run is completely false. While flips do better your chances, they will and do run in warm water. They will also show up in the late spring before waters even warm up and before any flip. Been catching them off and on for 5 weeks now. From several different river systems.


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## Aboogie15 (Jun 19, 2016)

You've been gettin em outta the rivers already or do you mean the piers as in river systems like the joe and black rivers


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## danimalt14 (Aug 30, 2012)

Yrs back, when we actually had a substantial population of alewives. The biggest and baddest skams- majority of which were bucks, would follow them in during the alveys spawning run. Real butt kicking fish! Climate change , forage food chain collapse has ended that party for yrs now.

Proof that the only constant is change.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Aboogie15 said:


> You've been gettin em outta the rivers already or do you mean the piers as in river systems like the joe and black rivers


One year, about 18 years ago, there was a big push of Skams up the Joe in May, before the DNR opened the fish ladder. They just stacked up below the dam @ Berrien Springs, and it was HOT fishing for about a week. Incredible fishing. I went twice (across the State, and I went after work, and came back to work the next day), and saw cars from probably 5 or 6 States each time in the parking lot. Everyone caught Skams, and most of them were big. Small fish were 8#. It was pretty great. Then the DNR opened the ladder, and most of the fish moved up.

I know of several rivers that have enough Skams to fish for them, right now. They have been in for weeks. If you are looking for a perfect 3 hour window to slay them, that is just silly. The guys who have the fantastic days of fishing also endure poor days of fishing. They just don't talk about the poor days as much. But they fish a lot, and that really increases their odds of being in the right place, at the right time. 

Here is something else to consider, if you are river fishing for Skams. I modified mine to be a 65* pledge. I won't C&R Skams in rivers in summer. 
http://www.70degreepledge.org/


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Fishndude said:


> One year, about 18 years ago, there was a big push of Skams up the Joe in May, before the DNR opened the fish ladder. They just stacked up below the dam @ Berrien Springs, and it was HOT fishing for about a week. Incredible fishing. I went twice (across the State, and I went after work, and came back to work the next day), and saw cars from probably 5 or 6 States each time in the parking lot. Everyone caught Skams, and most of them were big. Small fish were 8#. It was pretty great. Then the DNR opened the ladder, and most of the fish moved up.
> 
> I know of several rivers that have enough Skams to fish for them, right now. They have been in for weeks. If you are looking for a perfect 3 hour window to slay them, that is just silly. The guys who have the fantastic days of fishing also endure poor days of fishing. They just don't talk about the poor days as much. But they fish a lot, and that really increases their odds of being in the right place, at the right time.
> 
> ...


That is what I am talking about. The DNR fisheries division needs to get with the program and start planting skams throughout the state not just in one or two places. We are paying them to raise and plant fish and they keep stuffing lake trout down our throats. Quit wasting our money on lake trout and plant some skams.


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## danimalt14 (Aug 30, 2012)

They do not want the rivers overrun with skams mixed with the Manistee gene pool


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## danthebuilder (Nov 22, 2011)

You guys have it all wrong I got this all figured out. 

The guy who C&R 22 fish in one epic day of his life does less damage to the fishery than a guy who catches & keeps everything. One day of his life. He's the bad guy. All the other days. He isn't. Everyone needs to get off their high horses. I'll tell you who the real problem is.

The truth is I am the real problem. Some years I fish more than 150 days. If people are around. I give them the fish I catch. I always stop after I catch 3 fish even if that day nobody was around so I release them all. The guys who fish every single day and give away fish. That's the bad guy. All the guys I fish with every single day. None of us can eat a fraction of the fish we catch. We all give them away.

So if you want to take a pledge to truly help the fishery. Take a pledge to not accept another man's fish. Tell him to throw it back. I am going to guess, that pledge won't be as popular.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

danthebuilder said:


> You guys have it all wrong I got this all figured out.
> 
> The guy who C&R 22 fish in one epic day of his life does less damage to the fishery than a guy who catches & keeps everything. One day of his life. He's the bad guy. All the other days. He isn't. Everyone needs to get off their high horses. I'll tell you who the real problem is.
> 
> ...


Well if you are unwilling to ice a summer skam in a warm river, you probably shouldn't be fishing for them. Throwing back steelhead and trout in water hovering near 70 is flat out wasteful.


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## hotbite (Aug 21, 2009)

danimalt14 said:


> They do not want the rivers overrun with skams mixed with the Manistee gene pool


That would be a good excuse if they did not plant them in the Big Manistee which just so happens to feed into the same lake as the Little Manistee. 

It probably wouldn't be bad if they mixed, maybe we would see more fall runners rather than the spring rats that show up, spawn, and leave in the same week.


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## danthebuilder (Nov 22, 2011)

Trout King said:


> Well if you are unwilling to ice a summer skam in a warm river, you probably shouldn't be fishing for them. Throwing back steelhead and trout in water hovering near 70 is flat out wasteful.


People use arguments like yours all the time to justify keeping over their limit of fish. One away from a limit and get a double. Keep both. Its not wasteful to throw a fish back when you know its going to die. It'll feed other wildlife. If it breaks down & decomposes the nutrients will be released back into the ecosystem. 

Saying that, I don't fish in bathwater.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

danthebuilder said:


> People use arguments like yours all the time to justify keeping over their limit of fish. One away from a limit and get a double. Keep both. Its not wasteful to throw a fish back when you know its going to die. It'll feed other wildlife. If it breaks down & decomposes the nutrients will be released back into the ecosystem.
> 
> Saying that, I don't fish in bathwater.


I think any responsible sportsman just stops after they get their limit. Of course their will be the poachers and unethical (my opinion) who will have good days and release summer steelhead to just float downstream and end up on the bottom of the river.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Trout King said:


> I think any responsible sportsman just stops after they get their limit. Of course their will be the poachers and unethical (my opinion) who will have good days and release summer steelhead to just float downstream and end up on the bottom of the river.


Yeah, but it's sooo cool to brag about my big number days, camped off a creek mouth, railing temp-stressed skamanians! Lining or dining, I get'em!!


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

Aboogie15 said:


> You've been gettin em outta the rivers already or do you mean the piers as in river systems like the joe and black rivers


I mean rivers and piers, and many more then the ones you just mentioned.


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## AdamBradley (Mar 13, 2008)

I'm never gonna tell anyone what to do, but me, I kill my 3 on the pier or river, get out, and call it a day. These fish don't like bath water.


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