# Tippy and Bear



## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Well I drove all the way up here last night, fished tippy from about 1-4 AM, caught some shut eye in the truck, back in the river from 9-1.... I tried multiple spots from the coffer to the tunk and left with the skunk. Sucks that I lost a whole Sunday deer hunting to not even see a fish but that's the game. I'm sitting at Bear now. Not a sign of a fish, can't even find a brookie or a creek chub. I've thrown spoons, Panther Martins, floating cured skein. Rivers aren't all leafy at least and there's guys fishing, so I assume that somebody is catching something, but nada for me. Gonna start heading back soon unless somebody can put me on a good tip... anything at the piers? Did i miss the coho in the Platte? 

Thanks for reading... 

Tight lines and bent rods 

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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Oh, I did pull this huge wad of lead and steel out. I bet this was the 30 pound salmon that broke guys off left and right during the kangbang. LOL. It was no match for my 80 lb spiderwire.









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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Just curious ...why are you using 80lb braid for steel???


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## on a call (Jan 16, 2010)

Macs13 said:


> Well I drove all the way up here last night, fished tippy from about 1-4 AM, caught some shut eye in the truck, back in the river from 9-1.... I tried multiple spots from the coffer to the tunk and left with the skunk. Sucks that I lost a whole Sunday deer hunting to not even see a fish but that's the game. I'm sitting at Bear now. Not a sign of a fish, can't even find a brookie or a creek chub. I've thrown spoons, Panther Martins, floating cured skein. Rivers aren't all leafy at least and there's guys fishing, so I assume that somebody is catching something, but nada for me. Gonna start heading back soon unless somebody can put me on a good tip... anything at the piers? Did i miss the coho in the Platte?
> 
> Thanks for reading...
> 
> ...


Nothing at tippy ??? what ??? did you see any ??


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## koditten (Sep 3, 2016)

I thought this thread was about the bears that hang out there. I've seen that big bastard once every year for the last 3 years.


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## DXT Deer Slayer (Nov 14, 2009)

80 lb braid! Can skip em across the surface and KVD 'em into the boat. Power move. Nice touch


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## Clum (May 11, 2015)

because I spent 7 dollars on this crank and Im winning against this tree branch whether I catch anything or not damnit. effing maple.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Sparky23 said:


> Just curious ...why are you using 80lb braid for steel???


Well the rod is rigged up for kings and I have been using it to pier fish for cats and carp. Very valid question though, LOL. I was too lazy to change it and honestly, that cost me a ton of casting ability today. 

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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Clum said:


> because I spent 7 dollars on this crank and Im winning against this tree branch whether I catch anything or not damnit. effing maple.


Dude that is so accurate. I've towed in logs before. What happened is that I kept losing my hardware this fall during the king run so I kept upping my braid. It turned out, I was tying a fisherman's knot for braid instead of a Palomar - rookie mistake - and my knots kept slipping. I have 100 pound too. I use it for dropper lines attached to weights. 

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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

on a call said:


> Nothing at tippy ??? what ??? did you see any ??


One guy that was leaving said he caught a brook and a steelhead with shiners for bait - C&R - but I didn't see a single fish even fought. I stayed until dark today. Also, water level on bear was very high. 

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## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

Good job on effort you deserve a few steelhead. I don't think line size hurt anything rivers have enough color if steelhead around you would have known. Few fish off the pier yesterday morning. Nothing crazy mostly little guys and seen one nice fish landed.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I'm willing to bet the Brook Trout at Tippy was actually a Brown in full spawning colors. But I suppose a Coaster might have wandered up there, in the cool late-fall water. You got some re-stock tackle out of that tangle of crap you pulled out of the river.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

salmon_slayer06 said:


> Good job on effort you deserve a few steelhead. I don't think line size hurt anything rivers have enough color if steelhead around you would have known. Few fish off the pier yesterday morning. Nothing crazy mostly little guys and seen one nice fish landed.


Thanks. I started this year hunting the rivers and streams around GR looking for my first steelie and I'll end the year the same way. Still haven't caught one.

I think the line size did hurt in that the big Man is wide and my casting distance was severely hampered by the weight. I was running mono leader, though, so the green line wouldn't have been an issue to the fish. 

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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Macs13 said:


> Dude that is so accurate. I've towed in logs before. What happened is that I kept losing my hardware this fall during the king run so I kept upping my braid. It turned out, I was tying a fisherman's knot for braid instead of a Palomar - rookie mistake - and my knots kept slipping. I have 100 pound too. I use it for dropper lines attached to weights.
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS998 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


If you are fishing from a boat, for Kings, with lures, you _*need*_ one of these.
https://www.cabelas.com/product/Dotline-Decoy-Retriever-Poles/3460107.uts?slotId=2

There are other tools made to retrieve snagged lures, but that works the best. From shore, none of them work as well as they do from a boat, cuz you can position the boat directly above the snagged lure.


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## wysiwyg (May 8, 2018)

Fished the bear on black friday, talked to a guy that was on the pier all morning. 0 bites, he was pretty bummed. Claims he usually hooks one every year on Tday.

I threw mostly spinners or wax worms and didn't get a bite. I Walked from that park by the railroad tracks all the past Sheridan trailed and to where the water starts to go really fast. Oh and I poked around above the dam under that bridge. Saw plenty of guys fishing at least. It was a nice black friday in the end.

Do those heavy rapids hold anything in the winter?


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

Fishndude said:


> I'm willing to bet the Brook Trout at Tippy was actually a Brown in full spawning colors. But I suppose a Coaster might have wandered up there, in the cool late-fall water. .


I don't think so.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Fishndude said:


> If you are fishing from a boat, for Kings, with lures, you _*need*_ one of these.
> https://www.cabelas.com/product/Dotline-Decoy-Retriever-Poles/3460107.uts?slotId=2
> 
> There are other tools made to retrieve snagged lures, but that works the best. From shore, none of them work as well as they do from a boat, cuz you can position the boat directly above the snagged lure.


That's pretty sweet. I tell ya what though, with the tow rope line and proper knots, I'll bend a hook before anything breaks off. 

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## rippin lip (Nov 29, 2010)

Macs13 said:


> One guy that was leaving said he caught a brook and a steelhead with shiners for bait - C&R - but I didn't see a single fish even fought. I stayed until dark today. Also, water level on bear was very high.
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS998 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Those are little browns up at tippy right now. Caught over 20 yesterday. Saw a few steel beached on the wellston side too and I managed these 2 hens and coho. One hen and the coho bit on pink and white jig and the other hen came on a char jig. I called it quits at 2pm.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

rippin lip said:


> Those are little browns up at tippy right now. Caught over 20 yesterday. Saw a few steel beached on the wellston side too and I managed these 2 hens and coho. One hen and the coho bit on pink and white jig and the other hen came on a char jig. I called it quits at 2pm.


You crushed it!

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## DXT Deer Slayer (Nov 14, 2009)

Speaking of 80 lb braid, our new preferred method of landing fish is the KVD boat flip. Screw the net. Flipping a 10-12 lb fish in the boat is serious sport. Adds a whole 'nother dimension to steelhead fishing. More pics and video to come.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

rippin lip said:


> Those are little browns up at tippy right now. Caught over 20 yesterday. Saw a few steel beached on the wellston side too and I managed these 2 hens and coho. One hen and the coho bit on pink and white jig and the other hen came on a char jig. I called it quits at 2pm.


that coho looks like a coal miner lmao!


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

i plugged a whole section of a northwest river on sunday with only one rod dropper, didnt pin it good tho and only got a few seconds of fight out of it. the water didnt do what i would expect. hopefully next weekend.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

BMARKS said:


> that coho looks like a coal miner lmao!


That black Coho looks like a super-dark Steelhead to me.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Macs13 said:


> Thanks. I started this year hunting the rivers and streams around GR looking for my first steelie and I'll end the year the same way. Still haven't caught one.
> 
> I think the line size did hurt in that the big Man is wide and my casting distance was severely hampered by the weight. I was running mono leader, though, so the green line wouldn't have been an issue to the fish.
> 
> Sent from my LG-LS998 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Line size can and does still have a huge impact even if they can't see it. Effects your drift as thicker line doesn't cut the current the same. The only time heavy braid can be needed is t sticks for kangs and skein for kangs. Even then 80 is not really needed. Try downsizing and watching if around gr and it shouldn't take long to get your first


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## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

I would try and get a hold of pier pressure mark chmura tell him you would like to go with him fight a few fish. I know its been good and record year for pigs. Usually surf is phenomenal and imo best numbers but not with clay mud after every big wind. Get at it b before its too cold last few weeks been prime run of early winter and fall fish.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

salmon_slayer06 said:


> I know its been good and record year for pigs.


The last few years have been good for big fish. i have seen probably 4 of the 5 biggest steelheads in the last three years. this year has been a slow start for me, but my brother boated a 17 lb buck the other day.


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## Fish Eye (Mar 30, 2007)

DXT Deer Slayer said:


> Speaking of 80 lb braid, our new preferred method of landing fish is the KVD boat flip. Screw the net. Flipping a 10-12 lb fish in the boat is serious sport. Adds a whole 'nother dimension to steelhead fishing. More pics and video to come.
> View attachment 466955


I find this post reprehensible for a number of reasons. The fact this guy is offering to provide more pics/videos of this practice, and this site's administrator "likes" this post, is simply astonishing to me. Pure Michissippi.

First off, our relationship with these special fish and rivers should be symbiotic not adversarial. Dropping what appears to be a 6 lbs. fish 3-4 feet into the bottom of the boat is not a "serious sport" nor is it a good practice. It's vindictive and ignorant. If you chose to eat these sub par tasting fish, and you drop them into the boat, you're going to bruise the meat. Granted, what some people call food I call fertilizer. Using enough artificial seasoning to mask the natural flavor of the fish and believing it tastes good, I suppose is a tactic one could use to justify killing a fish. Not for me. I haven't kept a fish to eat in years. As the food chain changed in the lake we had what was average table fair morph into the inedible.

Secondly, we're at a place on our rivers where we're fishing for 1-2 bites a day from mature fish. Some days might offer a few more bites, some days no bites at all. Every fish counts. Steelhead lives matter. You cannot justify the costs of truck and boat gasoline, insurance, maintenance, and tackle, by killing every fish you catch because it provides a meal. Fishing is a sport. If this were a financial equation it is far less expensive to purchase high quality fish at a meat market than it is to fish our rivers and kill a fish that tastes awful.

On my boat, close to 15 years ago we transitioned to using single hooks on our plugs/spinners, a rubber net, a quick photo, and careful release. Isn't it much better that this same fish makes someone's day if its caught 2 weeks after it's been released? So what if the fight has been diminished due to being caught and released several times during the season. Catching 1 mature fish is better than catching no fish.

Lastly, as for the KVD reference and B.A.S.S. Studies have shown there is an extremely high mortality rate on bass caught, weighed, and later released in fishing tournaments. Part of this reason certainly is due to the mishandling of fish. I'm not the only person to criticize this organization's practice. https://www.wired2fish.com/opinions/opinion-why-arent-the-elites-using-nets/

I would strongly suggest you not post pics/videos to this forum depicting this method of landing fish. Put your pics/videos on You Tube if you must. If Steelheaders from the Pacific Northwest watch your videos, you will be quickly reprimanded in the comments section. No one who cares about this sport or the fishery wants to see fish carelessly dropped into a boat. Anyone who would engage in this practice should not be encouraged to continue it.

In closing, the practice of landing fish in this manner is beneath the dignity of this special species of fish, the sport we call Steelheading, and a forum titled "Michigan Sportsman".


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Fish Eye said:


> I find this post reprehensible for a number of reasons. The fact this guy is offering to provide more pics/videos of this practice, and this site's administrator "likes" this post, is simply astonishing to me. Pure Michissippi.
> 
> First off, our relationship with these special fish and rivers should be symbiotic not adversarial. Dropping what appears to be a 6 lbs. fish 3-4 feet into the bottom of the boat is not a "serious sport" nor is it a good practice. It's vindictive and ignorant. If you chose to eat these sub par tasting fish, and you drop them into the boat, you're going to bruise the meat. Granted, what some people call food I call fertilizer. Using enough artificial seasoning to mask the natural flavor of the fish and believing it tastes good, I suppose is a tactic one could use to justify killing a fish. Not for me. I haven't kept a fish to eat in years. As the food chain changed in the lake we had what was average table fair morph into the inedible.
> 
> ...


Agreed. Doing things like this isn’t funny or cool, it just makes you look like a jackass. This is steelheading in modern times, where numbers, how you catch them, status and what kind of nonsense you can create; is preferred over the basic thrill of catching them.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

I wasn't a huge fan of that post either.


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## herb09 (Jan 11, 2009)

Fish Eye said:


> I find this post reprehensible for a number of reasons. The fact this guy is offering to provide more pics/videos of this practice, and this site's administrator "likes" this post, is simply astonishing to me. Pure Michissippi.
> 
> First off, our relationship with these special fish and rivers should be symbiotic not adversarial. Dropping what appears to be a 6 lbs. fish 3-4 feet into the bottom of the boat is not a "serious sport" nor is it a good practice. It's vindictive and ignorant. If you chose to eat these sub par tasting fish, and you drop them into the boat, you're going to bruise the meat. Granted, what some people call food I call fertilizer. Using enough artificial seasoning to mask the natural flavor of the fish and believing it tastes good, I suppose is a tactic one could use to justify killing a fish. Not for me. I haven't kept a fish to eat in years. As the food chain changed in the lake we had what was average table fair morph into the inedible.
> 
> ...


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## herb09 (Jan 11, 2009)

Seriously you need to get a life, I've seen this kid release more fish than you've probably caught. It was meant as a joke. Obviously you haven't witnessed to many steelhead trying to jump coffers, ladders or damns. This exactly why I don't post on this site anymore to many assholes.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

I was also going to propose that the picture could be a still of a fish jumping in the boat. it may be rare, but twice in my life i have seen fish jump right into the driftboat i was sitting in. and dxt is a regular poster and sportsman, i find it hard to believe he was intentionally hurting a fish that he didnt intend to keep, besides you can tell from the pic that he is in what is more or less a put and take fishery.


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## DXT Deer Slayer (Nov 14, 2009)

Fish Eye said:


> I find this post reprehensible for a number of reasons. The fact this guy is offering to provide more pics/videos of this practice, and this site's administrator "likes" this post, is simply astonishing to me. Pure Michissippi.
> 
> First off, our relationship with these special fish and rivers should be symbiotic not adversarial. Dropping what appears to be a 6 lbs. fish 3-4 feet into the bottom of the boat is not a "serious sport" nor is it a good practice. It's vindictive and ignorant. If you chose to eat these sub par tasting fish, and you drop them into the boat, you're going to bruise the meat. Granted, what some people call food I call fertilizer. Using enough artificial seasoning to mask the natural flavor of the fish and believing it tastes good, I suppose is a tactic one could use to justify killing a fish. Not for me. I haven't kept a fish to eat in years. As the food chain changed in the lake we had what was average table fair morph into the inedible.
> 
> ...


The only simple response I can give to that 7-part Shakespeare play is, "Live, and let live".

I disagree with the specific actions of other hunters and fishermen at times, sometimes I even comment. But still respect their individual liberty and right to do what they please. That includes catching and killing fish. Especially when they're consumed by appreciative friends in a timely manner, taken from a put-and-take river, by a boat that releases 90% of its fish. The fact that it was aggressively hoisted into the boat with no net was freakin' awesome, and garnered many laughs from many serious river fisherman. I assure you it received no extra unethical treatment than the fish you hold up for a picture and slips out of your hands.

I guess my views have matured, and I don't really have much in common with the elitists anymore, I just like to go fishing. I also love a good joke, 80 lb braid was a good opportunity for one, guess it was a dud.

Was going to post a pic of the 175,000 btu Kerosene torpedo heater we used to keep warm in the boat today, it was pretty neat, but wouldn't want to OFFEND anyone with excessive fossil fuel usage.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

BMARKS said:


> The last few years have been good for big fish. i have seen probably 4 of the 5 biggest steelheads in the last three years. this year has been a slow start for me, but my brother boated a 17 lb buck the other day.











took me a minute to find the photo. 17lbs on the money.


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## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

I weighed a 18 1/2 pound silver buck in late October. Biggest Ive seen. Year before that site member from here I weighed a pig maybe pound under that. I can only blame myself for the big ones I've had on. I'll tell you what it's a different animal when they get that big. It'll make you cry a little when you see it and can't get land it because something always goes wrong. Only one broke off due to tangle mess , the rest spat the hook.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

salmon_slayer06 said:


> I weighed a 18 1/2 pound silver buck in late October. Biggest Ive seen. Year before that site member from here I weighed a pig maybe pound under that. I can only blame myself for the big ones I've had on. I'll tell you what it's a different animal when they get that big. It'll make you cry a little when you see it and can't get land it because something always goes wrong. Only one broke off due to tangle mess , the rest spat the hook.


Agreed, not even in the same league. 12 pounds and up are a completely different animal, especially when the water is above 40 and they're leaping all over.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

My dad always claims they were big like that in the 70s and 80s too. But who knows, he says the weed was better then too! Lol.


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## riverbob (Jan 11, 2011)

BMARKS said:


> My dad always claims they were big like that in the 70s and 80s too. But who knows, he says the weed was better then too! Lol.


 they were n it was, maddog 73


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## koditten (Sep 3, 2016)




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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Fish Eye said:


> I find this post reprehensible for a number of reasons. The fact this guy is offering to provide more pics/videos of this practice, and this site's administrator "likes" this post, is simply astonishing to me. Pure Michissippi.
> 
> First off, our relationship with these special fish and rivers should be symbiotic not adversarial. Dropping what appears to be a 6 lbs. fish 3-4 feet into the bottom of the boat is not a "serious sport" nor is it a good practice. It's vindictive and ignorant. If you chose to eat these sub par tasting fish, and you drop them into the boat, you're going to bruise the meat. Granted, what some people call food I call fertilizer. Using enough artificial seasoning to mask the natural flavor of the fish and believing it tastes good, I suppose is a tactic one could use to justify killing a fish. Not for me. I haven't kept a fish to eat in years. As the food chain changed in the lake we had what was average table fair morph into the inedible.
> 
> ...


What a convoluted mess that you're so far separated from the natural order that you feel that fishing is a sport moreso than a harvest for protein. 

I eat almost every legal fish that I catch (from safe waters). Fish are food, not friends.

I didn't watch the video but it sounds like he boat flipped it. Oh no. How terrible for one of these fish that brave rapids and waterfalls as part of their natural life cycle! :: sarcasm :: If the fish are so sacred to you, stop jamming hooks into their faces and pulling them into the air where they can't breathe - YOU'RE TORTURING THEM!!!! 



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