# Rain rain rain! betsie getting any yet?



## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

Map does not show precipitation yet in the Frankfort/Benzonia area.
Thunder storms predicted for the area today with possibility of some being heavy.

Anyone in the area? Look like rain? Someone willing to update us locally?
Love to hear that the giant islands by the m22 bridge got smaller showing some increased flow.

Any more pushes of dry backed fish making it thru the gauntlet?


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## Matty_joe86 (Sep 4, 2008)

it looks like 2 storm system that were heading for the betsie just split, one headed north and one south. I sure hope they still get hit, ill be there friday.


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## SteelieArm14 (Jan 6, 2012)

My contact up there said nothing! they got a little bit monday night but nothing to really increase the flow. still big islands out by M22 and very few fish in the river. it isnt raining up there now nor does it look like its going to. sorry for the bad news! hopefully they still get a little tonight.


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

Uhhh, doppler shows rain pushed north across the U.P. 
Wind now out of the WNW. Crossing fingers it will slide down the north west cost of the lower. 
If this system misses there is still the forecast for rain on Friday.
Lookin kinda bleak so far.

Swinging all the way from south winds to north wind by tonight. Might be rained out before north winds bring it down from the upper p.


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## cmwilson2308 (Oct 25, 2007)

Was on the river today from 10am to 5pm. Walked down from the landfill/public access we all know and love. Hot and sunny all day. The few fish that are there are very spooked. Did have an older guy tell me the DNR is preparing to put a CCTV system on the parking lots that uploads to the internet that will be able to identify license plate numbers. Hopefully that cleans things up a bit down there.


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

I talked to my neighbor in Benzonia yesterday. He said it dumped rain on Monday night, not sure about today. He's not big into fishing so I'm not sure if it had much/any effect on the river flow.


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

Quack Addict said:


> I talked to my neighbor in Benzonia yesterday. He said it dumped rain on Monday night, not sure about today. He's not big into fishing so I'm not sure if it had much/any effect on the river flow.


"dumped rain" <--beautiful words.
Had to have some effect. Entire river valley, ditches, etc would all feed the river.

Today was a miss. Still have hopes for Friday also. Forecast raised chance of rain up to 60% (up from 40% earlier).


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## Matty_joe86 (Sep 4, 2008)

weather channel said traverse city recieved .41 inches monday night. Thats almost half an inch, thats def a good start! Hopefully they get pounded by an all day soaker on friday, thats when i start my vaction up there.


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## piscatorial warrior (Sep 14, 2011)

Matty_joe86 said:


> weather channel said traverse city recieved .41 inches monday night. Thats almost half an inch, thats def a good start! Hopefully they get pounded by an all day soaker on friday, thats when i start my vaction up there.


 HAHAHA Only a fisherman would pray for an all day soaker on his vacation! :lol:


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

WHAT IS GOING ON?
Looks like the rain is splitting and avoiding the Frankfort/Benzonia area.
That pic just came from weather underground.

Supposed to hit the area later today. If anyone can confirm this with actual sighting of rain and how much that would be awesome.


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

Davelobi said:


> WHAT IS GOING ON?
> Looks like the rain is splitting and avoiding the Frankfort/Benzonia area.
> That pic just came from weather underground.


It's nothing new - the rain has been fizzling out around FF all summer. I called off several trips on my boat in June and July on account of rain coming across Wisconsin and western Lake Michigan that mostly or totally petered out as it came across. Usually it builds when it hits the lake. Not this year though.

Over the 4'th of July weekend, a storm was coming across. I opted to stay in that morning. Half of it split north, half of it went south. We got a couple drops at my place in Benzonia that morning but not even enough to make the ground wet. The guys that went out of FF that morning loaded their boats. That was the day / same storm a guy I know from another site sunk his boat out of South Haven...


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## SteelieArm14 (Jan 6, 2012)

Im so sick of weather guys! get my hopes up and then shut them down! so frustrating!


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## carsonr2 (Jan 15, 2009)

Davelobi said:


> WHAT IS GOING ON?
> Looks like the rain is splitting and avoiding the Frankfort/Benzonia area.
> That pic just came from weather underground.
> 
> Supposed to hit the area later today. If anyone can confirm this with actual sighting of rain and how much that would be awesome.



We need a lot of rain to have any impact to the rivers up here. I'm talking 5-8" over a several day period. 

An inch or two of rain likely won't bring the river levels up much at all due to how dry it is. The swamps are empty so any rain that doesn't soak into the ground and causes runoff to the streams is likely to be held and slowly released by the swamps since they are so low.

Not the news I'm sure you're looking for, but it is what it is.

Regardless if we get rain or not, the fish will start to head up into the systems before too long. The length of day has as much effect on the spawning run as rain does. The fish will still come up to spawn even if the water is low. They won't wait and die out in the lake without spawning, that is not how their biology works.


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

YAY...
 

5-8 inches would be wonderful but it isn't going to happen. Any amount helps. The miles of river basin all trickling some will add up to increased flow. Raining now and possibly more next week. A little deeper and dirtier will give the fish that do run a tad more comfort at least.


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## wintrrun (Jun 11, 2008)

It's pouring here in honor.

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## Blueump (Aug 20, 2005)

Definitely getting it now!


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## SteelieArm14 (Jan 6, 2012)

I was up there all weekend and even with the rain it didnt push any fish! water is still very low in the bay. i did hook 3 fish all weekend and landed one. all fish were pretty dark. water in the river did go up about 6 inches and had a great stain to it. maybey this week something will happen.


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## carsonr2 (Jan 15, 2009)

Davelobi said:


> 5-8 inches would be wonderful but it isn't going to happen. Any amount helps. The miles of river basin all trickling some will add up to increased flow. Raining now and possibly more next week. A little deeper and dirtier will give the fish that do run a tad more comfort at least.



To get that little deeper, dirtier water we will need upwards of 4-5 inches. If we got a deluge of 2" in a hour or two that may do it as well.

The rain we got did little to the rivers and the tribs. I checked several locations where it rained the hardest and all were still low and clear, and the swamps didn't fill up as well. For the water levels to rise we need water in the headwater and trib swamps, and it will take a good amount for that. Most of my wood duck holes are fairly empty right now.

It has been cold here at night though so at least the river water temps are on the decline. Trout fishing is still the name of the game for now, as the fishing has been great.

The salmon will come regardless of rain, may just take a little longer.


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

Steelie?
Carson?
Anybody?

Thoughts about this weekend?
Making the long trip. It's a matter of going when I can, not when it's good.
Crossing my fingers and toes for a good push of fish.

Someone encourage me. The forecast isn't doing it.

anyone peek at the m22 bridge? Did the islands go down any? Can fish at least make it through?


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## Matty_joe86 (Sep 4, 2008)

I'm there now, ill take a pic of the islands for you

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## SteelieArm14 (Jan 6, 2012)

On saturday the water at m22 was still very low lots of sand and alot of dead fish on the sand. We went out on sunday but didnt fish m22. A couple of my buddies went down there and said the water had gone up alot and some fish were starting to move. On a different note: my buddy said he picked up over 20 fish that had beached themselves and brought them to deeper water so they could continue their push. He also stood on the bridge and watched a few fish pass but they arent stopping. the water is still far to low for the fish to just hang around. any fish that is coming into the river is going to just keep going. Is it worth going up this weekend? absolutly its ALWAYS worth fishing that river. But i dont know how many fish will be there. The thing with that river is one day you wont hook anything but the next could be your best day ever. Everthing happens very very fast on the Betsie and yopu just have to hit it right. i do think that there will be a few fish hanging around but it isnt going to be the huge numbers that everyone wants to see. IMO there we arent going to see the shear numbers like we did last year. they are going to trickle in everyday from now on. If they make it past the gauntlet of snaggers in the bay before they even get to the river. I watched alot of people out there picking up beached fish and putting them n the stringer. But if you can go this weekend then definatly go there should be a few fish for the taking , not alot but a few. But thats just my opinion.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

its ugly...the fish arent going to come over that sandbar until the last minute, find gravel dump and die
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SteelieArm14 (Jan 6, 2012)

Also i will be up there this weeknd soakin spawn so come say hi if you make it.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

btw fished most of the lower river saturday. saw maybe 15 fish. nothing rolling, no pods, just a couple here and there. floating down in the dark was an adventure though. i love the river but it is in bad shape at the mouth. i resally dont foresee much good fishing this year.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

Thanks matty_joe
Thanks steeliearm.


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## carsonr2 (Jan 15, 2009)

Haven't seen the Betsie since before the last little rain, although I heard it is still low like was said above. The Big Man. didn't really get impacted much by the last rain except for a slight, slight stain and a temp drop. The water really didn't seem to rise much. Although everything is so low even if it comes up a few inches it will still look like low water.

Hoping that the rain comes soon. Might get some by the end of this week, but the percentages are still rather low.


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## rogs13 (Aug 20, 2012)

After being on and off the river all last week up until yesterday I can say that all the rain that did fall did raise the river a little but from what I could tell the river is only down a couple inches from last year. We put a couple markers out there and saw a rise after Monday rain then again on Saturday evening. The main reason slow run isn't the river levels, it's the Lake Michigan levels being to low. Fish will get in either wY but not like in past years unless there is a large snow pack this winter to the north and locally. Good luck to those that are venturing out, see you in October again.


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## amsprinkler (Sep 7, 2012)

Matty_joe86 said:


> I'm there now, ill take a pic of the islands for you
> 
> any pics of the betsie to share...going up next weekend...


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## Pier Pressure (Dec 21, 2008)

First two are from the 22 bridge Saturday afternoon......


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## Pier Pressure (Dec 21, 2008)

From the bridge it appears that the fish can only get through on the far north side, which is where everyone was lined up.


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

That view from the bridge looks a lot better than it did in the beginning of August.
Looks like they can at least make it thru.
Maybe I should quit the rain dances and try a cold snap dance.


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## Waz_51 (Jan 10, 2010)

Pier Pressure said:


> From the bridge it appears that the fish can only get through on the far north side, which is where everyone was lined up.


thats just sick...i dont know how people can justify "fishing" like that...i wanted to do it when i was up there but couldnt get myself to stoop that low...and i was fishing with skein under a bobber! i cant believe that those people dont even care enough to give them a chance to spawn...its kinda like the mentality that goes with buck hunting, if i dont shoot sparky then the next guy sure will! i feel exceptionally angry towards the fathers who think that its ok to teach their kids that its the right way to catch salmon...


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## Matty_joe86 (Sep 4, 2008)

Yeah sorry couldn't figure out how to post pictures with my phone but that's what it looks loke. The only area that the fish can go up is the far north side it is about. 15 feet wide maybe. Saw Billy Bob Jr and hank with a cooler full of salmon they got from wading out there. They were bragging there asses off knowing full well they ripped those poor fish I said sarcastically "man must of taken a lot of skill pulling those out of 10 inches of water". One replied with a huge smile " yep we know what were doing, been here for years"

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