# Ausable River Fall Steelhead Question



## cowboy48098

slickdragger said:


> It will be worth it to pick up a little trash to watch the man give him a good rapin


You should change your screen name to Keyboard Warrior. Lol


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## MIfishslayer91

dinoday said:


> He means there is a cable stretched across the coffer with buoys attached, keeping it on top of the water.
> I saw it two weeks ago.
> If you ever tried casting up there (illegally) you're getting snagged every cast.


Oh I bet cowboys got a trick up his sleeve to get around that too


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## chuckinduck

I think Podunk has resurfaced. God we missed you. Lol


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## cowboy48098

MIfishslayer91 said:


> Oh I bet cowboys got a trick up his sleeve to get around that too



Wow, another one. Lol


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## Fishndude

I've taken quite a few fellow anglers boating on the Ausable, for Steelhead, over the years. Sorry, though, I can't make that offer to you, Cowboy48098. We aren't snaggers, and don't toss our trash on the ground. But good luck with your pursuit of whatever it is you pursue when you go fishing.


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## cowboy48098

Fishndude said:


> I've taken quite a few fellow anglers boating on the Ausable, for Steelhead, over the years. Sorry, though, I can't make that offer to you, Cowboy48098. We aren't snaggers, and don't toss our trash on the ground. But good luck with your pursuit of whatever it is you pursue when you go fishing.



And another one lol. They keep coming


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## Fantastic0

I have a hat that says keyboard warrior....just an FYI


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## cowboy48098

Fantastic0 said:


> I have a hat that says keyboard warrior....just an FYI


You should send it to one of the many save "Cecil" the Salmon people on here. Bhahahahaha


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## jjc155

Man after reading the coffer thread I cant help to think that this guy may be a troll, LOL

J-


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## mfs686

Paddled from Foote down to the whirlpool Saturday evening. Stopped at a few runs and holes to practice swing casting with my switch rod. Had a few swipes from some smallmouth. 

While I was waiting for my ride at the whirlpool a guy came down with his pitbull to give him a bath and wash the blood off his face. Said the dog got bit up by a bunch of insects. I wasn't buying it. Sheriff was on the water too. Don't know what they were looking for but I heard a couple of large explosions about a mile down from Foote. 

Other than that it was a nice night, won't be much longer.


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## cowboy48098

mfs686 said:


> Paddled from Foote down to the whirlpool Saturday evening. Stopped at a few runs and holes to practice swing casting with my switch rod. Had a few swipes from some smallmouth.
> 
> While I was waiting for my ride at the whirlpool a guy came down with his pitbull to give him a bath and wash the blood off his face. Said the dog got bit up by a bunch of insects. I wasn't buying it. Sheriff was on the water too. Don't know what they were looking for but I heard a couple of large explosions about a mile down from Foote.
> 
> Other than that it was a nice night, won't be much longer.



Awesome, yeah Labor Day weekend I stay away from the River. All the yahoo's are out their tubing and making a racket. 

About late October is when I'm thinking for some good steelhead action. Weather permitting.


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## Robert Holmes

There should be steelhead in the river now if you want to fish hard for them.


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## mfs686

Robert Holmes said:


> There should be steelhead in the river now if you want to fish hard for them.


I was doing more scouting and practicing than anything else. Checking places I could beach my kayak and then wade where I could cast. Water was up and moving fast from the rain earlier in the week. I'll do it again at the end of the month.


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## cowboy48098

mfs686 said:


> I was doing more scouting and practicing than anything else. Checking places I could beach my kayak and then wade where I could cast. Water was up and moving fast from the rain earlier in the week. I'll do it again at the end of the month.


That's a good way to map it. I have been doing a little hole mapping myself. A few places way down river that are a hike, but I don't mind the walk.


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## ausable_steelhead

I've got the first week of November off, and CAN'T WAIT! I'll be on the Big A and a smaller trib down the road. Should be steelhead, walleyes, whitefish, and atlantics around. Maybe coho as well. Fresh spawn on the big river, and the switch rod on the small water. Should be good...


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## cowboy48098

ausable_steelhead said:


> I've got the first week of November off, and CAN'T WAIT! I'll be on the Big A and a smaller trib down the road. Should be steelhead, walleyes, whitefish, and atlantics around. Maybe coho as well. Fresh spawn on the big river, and the switch rod on the small water. Should be good...


OH YEAH!!! I do the noodle rod for spawn and flies and my other rod for casting body baits and etc.


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## herb09

ausable_steelhead said:


> I've got the first week of November off, and CAN'T WAIT! I'll be on the Big A and a smaller trib down the road. Should be steelhead, walleyes, whitefish, and atlantics around. Maybe coho as well. Fresh spawn on the big river, and the switch rod on the small water. Should be good...


Leave some for me, hopefully I'll fill those tags a little earlier this year.


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## Robert Holmes

Is anyone catching anything silver in the big A yet?


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## cowboy48098

Robert Holmes said:


> Is anyone catching anything silver in the big A yet?


I doubt it. The water is still in the low 70's, but with this 40 degree weather at night that temp should slowly start to fall.


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## Robert Holmes

OK here is some silver to get your mouth watering. I caught this one Sunday morning. A 13 pound chromer caught off from a pier.


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## Fishndude

Robert Holmes said:


> OK here is some silver to get your mouth watering. I caught this one Sunday morning. A 13 pound chromer caught off from a pier.


Nice. Atlantic? Which NW pier did that come from, if I might ask?


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## Robert Holmes

The problem with the AuSable is that when the water in the lake turns over the warmer water goes to the bottom and that is the water that spills out of the dam. The Cheboygan river is the same way, this will cause later runs of salmon and steelhead. In the 1980"s when salmon were thick I used to catch a few in the coffer during August, they were pretty aggressive despite the warmer water.


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## Robert Holmes

Fishndude said:


> Nice. Atlantic? Which NW pier did that come from, if I might ask?


 It is a steelhead and I am sworn to secrecy. Nice try though.


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## wyandot

I know where R.H. was at. PM me for details.


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## cowboy48098

Robert Holmes said:


> The problem with the AuSable is that when the water in the lake turns over the warmer water goes to the bottom and that is the water that spills out of the dam. The Cheboygan river is the same way, this will cause later runs of salmon and steelhead. In the 1980"s when salmon were thick I used to catch a few in the coffer during August, they were pretty aggressive despite the warmer water.


Yes you are correct. The water is now about 70F, and that sucks. Probaly not going to see a run till late October, if that.


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## Fishndude

Robert Holmes said:


> The problem with the AuSable is that when the water in the lake turns over the warmer water goes to the bottom and that is the water that spills out of the dam. The Cheboygan river is the same way, this will cause later runs of salmon and steelhead. In the 1980"s when salmon were thick I used to catch a few in the coffer during August, they were pretty aggressive despite the warmer water.


In the fall the lakes will sometimes "turn over" when the water on top, and the bottom are roughly the same temperature, and a heavy wind stirs everything up. The warmer water never sinks to the bottom, though. Foote dam draws water off the top of the pond. I would love it if they drew the water off the bottom of the impoundment, which would keep the river below the dam cooler in the heat of summer. But they don't, and it gets 80* in that river pretty much every summer. 
In the 80's, there were Kings in the coffer at Foote dam after July 4th. Not many, and they were mostly big ole males (really big), but they weren't biters. They just sat there for a couple/few months waiting to spawn. But in the 80's there were literally tons of Kings that returned to the Ausable, as well as (literally, again) tons of Steelhead. Not too many tons of Steelhead, or Salmon returning these days. More Steelhead than Salmon, in numbers, and weight. 

When the river cools down below 50*, things get interesting. Once the temps get down to 37*, or so, the fish start to get lethargic. Then they roll more than they run, and jump.


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## Robert Holmes

Steelhead skein with a bobber no sinker used to do the trick and it still works. I used to just toss it up into the coffer at night and let it drift around. I would catch some massive brown trout in there too.


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## cowboy48098

Robert Holmes said:


> Steelhead skein with a bobber no sinker used to do the trick and it still works. I used to just toss it up into the coffer at night and let it drift around. I would catch some massive brown trout in there too.


I'm going to miss that coffer.


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## Robert Holmes

cowboy48098 said:


> I'm going to miss that coffer.


You just suck it up and move on, there are other places to fish


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## Robert Holmes

I had to give up the greatest walleye fishing in the world when I left Saginaw to move up north. Now I have some of the best trout, salmon, and pike fishing in the world.


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## cowboy48098

Robert Holmes said:


> I had to give up the greatest walleye fishing in the world when I left Saginaw to move up north. Now I have some of the best trout, salmon, and pike fishing in the world.


Yeah, yeah...lol.


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## Robert Holmes

Cowboy, when you get serious about fishing look me up when you cross the mighty mac. I have heard rumors that the Sault Tribe is going to start planting kings up here. This could be the next or last hot spot for Chinook


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## cowboy48098

Robert Holmes said:


> Cowboy, when you get serious about fishing look me up when you cross the mighty mac. I have heard rumors that the Sault Tribe is going to start planting kings up here. This could be the next or last hot spot for Chinook


Well, when they do you still have 3 years in front of that before there is plentiful fish. This year I'm focusing on the Ausable. November should be the month. I'm planning on using a week and a half of my vacation time of what I have left to fish it hard come the first of that month.


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## chemjunkie

cowboy48098 said:


> Well, when they do you still have 3 years in front of that before there is plentiful fish. This year I'm focusing on the Ausable. November should be the month. I'm planning on using a week and a half of my vacation time of what I have left to fish it hard come the first of that month.


Dude, the boss goes away and you forget about work because all you're thinking about is fishing!


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## cowboy48098

chemjunkie said:


> Dude, the boss goes away and you forget about work because all you're thinking about is fishing!


Tis the season. Lol


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## mfs686

Not Cool!


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## Fishndude

That looks fine to me. But I like fishing for Steelhead. LOL. Less ice on the rivers in winter means more fishing for me in winter.


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## mfs686

Fishndude said:


> That looks fine to me. But I like fishing for Steelhead. LOL. Less ice on the rivers in winter means more fishing for me in winter.


Yeah I don't know what I was thinking when I typed it but now I can't edit it. If it is true I could be walleye fishing till Christmas and I won't freeze to death Steelhead fishing.


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## Ralph Smith

Fishndude said:


> That looks fine to me. But I like fishing for Steelhead. LOL. Less ice on the rivers in winter means more fishing for me in winter.


I like the sound of it also. I might be catching perch up till new years!


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## Robert Holmes

I plan to be ice fishing in December


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