# Salmon/Steelhead fishing and whitefish fishing



## engineer20

I've heard Muskegon has a whitefish run but that st. joseph also has a whitefish run. And both St Jo and Muskegon have steelhead runs as well, they tend to coincide right? So I'm planning to take a trip out there next week, so would I be able to do two things at once, instead of taking two seperate trips to the west side of the state. I'm from metro detroit (western suburbs), i won't tell you my exact location for privacy, but in one of the far edge western suburbs closer to ann arbor than detroit downtown but not far from detroit proper, since detroit is large esp in the westwards direction.

Anyways, st jo is about 160 miles away by i94, and muskegon is about 180 miles away by i96, and st jo and muskegon are 90 miles away, approx. So I have to decide on either st jo or muskegon. Which one is better for steelhead, or for whitefish, or is it roughly equal? I don't want to end up going somewhere, being disapppointed, then driving to the other city 90 miles away, as this is quite an investment for me to drive to far and use a full tank of gas.

Which is better for which species, or is muskegon better for whitefish and st jo better for steelhead? any suggestions as to where to fish from those areas, and is the steelhead run much better than it is on the lower huron in metro detroit? or if i don't catch any steelhead, just catching whitefish, woudl that be worthwhile, can i expect to catch a lot and quickly like the silver bass run on the detroit river, or fewer than that? and they bite at night, right, the whitefish? what about steelehad? i'm new to fishing for both species and while we're at it, any news on steelhead in the lower huron esp at flat rock? what about shad at flat rock?


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## chuuken

Howdy,

I don't know much about the steelhead, but I can give some info about the whitefish.

St.Joseph has been reporting anglers catching whitefish for the last 2 DNR Fishing reports. Muskegon generally doesn't see any until at least the middle of the month. If you're going next week, St J's might be better, or you might end up sort of stuck between st J's run and Muskegon's run.

I always go to Muskegon for whitefish, but in the last 2 years, the thick of the run hasn't been until around the 20th.

You might want to look up a local bait shop and call a day or two in advance to see how much action they're getting.

Good luck!

Mike


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## danthebuilder

If I was throwing a tank of gas like you. I'd go to grand haven and fish during the day. Once the sun goes down i'd go grab some food and head over to muskegon to check it out. I think you're a little early. I'd wait for firearm deer season to start at least for muskegon.


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## Far Beyond Driven

You can jig whitefish in the channel at night when they are spawning - as said it's early for that, but you can catch them on single eggs / small bags / waxworms during the day as they are feeding. A good approach would be one rod with that set up for whities, another rod with a spawn bag for steel / browns, and cast a third rod with spoons for steel. See if they shown a preference and if so switch as many rods as you can to that presentation. (Obviously you can only cast one rod).

Do a search here lots of information on how to rig up for them.


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## Yak-a-Lucius

I would go to Muskegon for both species


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## engineer20

are the steelies running in st joseph now? and does it coincide with the whitefish run so I can take a long weekend trip from metro detroit to fish for both rather than fish for one, one week, and then fish for another, the other week. or are the steelhead earlier than the whitefish or are the whitefish earlier than the steelhead? and how long do the st jo whitefish last until?

and what about in muskegon? so just go to muskegon later this month? this next weekend or the weekend after this upcoming weekend? or thanksgiving weekend? or what about the weekend before thanksgiving or the weekend after thanksgiving to go to muskegon?

do you need to wade for the steelhead, or whitefish? i heard the huron river wasn't good for beginners for steelhead, but rather for experts, so if you can fish for steelies in the huron, you can do so anywhere, but it's not a good place to begin for steelies, so would st jo or muskegon be better for a novice for both species? thanks.


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## engineer20

and speaking of night, are whitefish or do they only bite at night? what about steelhead? do they both bite at night,k or one is during the day and the other is at night, so maybe in the same trip, i can target steelies during the day and whitefish at night, and what are some good spots in both these cities, or is there any city in between these two with good public shore fishing/access for both whtiefish and steelhead? thanks.


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## engineer20

is alpena better than either of these cities for whitefish or steelhead and is it worth it going all the way up to alpena? and when is the alpena salmon run?


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## engineer20

what kinds of bait are good besides spawn sacs, or is it safe just to use spawn? what pound test do you recommend I use? and would minnows work or wax worms? what about trout worms like little earthworms? what about powerbait? i'm asking becasue i've tried these at those trout derbys we have like the one in canton and powerbait, etc work well. i heard little cleo's work well, is that the case or other spinner baits? What about trout eggs, rather than spawn sacs? What about leeches? What about golden shiners, or dead minnows/chartreuse green minnows? Thanks.


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## chuuken

That's a lot of questions!

See FarBeyondDriven's post above for bait suggestions.

This should put the below in context: I hunt the whitefish with a speargun at the bottom of the channel.

I don't know jack about steelhead fishing, but from what I understand, the steelie run dies off before the whites come in. I've never seen any trout or salmon when I've been out for whites. (But then, the vis is rarely better than 6ft, so I only see the whitefish a handful of times per outing anyway...)

If you are planning for whites in Muskegon, plan to go in the last 2 weeks of the month. There's a NOAA webcam on the pier there, and when the fish come in, you can watch the lanterns fill up the pier at night. (If you want to be sure the run has actually started, check the webcam after dark and see if there are a bunch of lights on the pier).

Access: Muskegon is a concrete pier. You walk out on it. It's a good 10ft to the water, and the depth at the wall is around 20ft, so wading is not a good option. Bring a long handled net.

Feeding: From what I've been told, the whites eat during the day, but everyone fishes at night. Why? Snagging is harder to police in the dark. Now, I know that that accusation will ruffle someone's feathers, but some of the rocks and cable under the shadow of the pier look like Christmas trees with all the lead spoons, salmon rigs and snagging rigs, (everything from homemade wire and treble hook dredging rigs to M-60s, or 80s or whatever they're called). In the thick of the run, the bottom always has 2 or 3 dead whites lying there with their sides tore up.
I can tell you that the fish are there during the day, depending on the weather. Whether you can get them to bite or not is up to you. Sometimes they are near the wall, sometimes they are out in the channel. It'd be neat to get a boat and a depth finder and spend a day zigzagging around in the channel, taking notes.

Now, again; I don't know about the steelhead, but Alpena and Tawas are both supposed to be great for whites, but when the conditions are right for whites, they're bad for me, because the water is rather exposed to the weather, and once the wind starts blowing in November, it doesn't seem to stop until December. I was in the bay last Sunday, but the wind turned while I was paddling out and the vis went to hell. The water was 53F, so it's a bit warm for the whites yet anyway.

If I had to put up my fins and park myself on the pier, I would follow Far Beyond Drivens advice exactly as he wrote it.


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## engineer20

thanks
i was at flat rock last night, there were steelhead anglers but nothing was caught, the fishing report for this week didn't mention steelhead for flat rock on the huron river, though it did last week, so that means they aren't out there and i'll only go out there if the report says there's fish

anyways, what about grand haven? since grand haven is between st joe and muskegon. the fishing report said whitefish are starting at muskegon

is there a pier off of grand haven or a city between st joe and muskegon for whitefish or salmon? and as usual, the fishing report says the steelhead and salmon are biting but i heard they bite through the end of november, so i could combine both species in one trip, not this weekend, but the weekend after this weekend (weekend before thanksgiving) correct? and expect muskegon whitefish as well as steelhead ? or do the steelhead go away? i'm guessing no beacsue the steelhead are in rivers/streamas whereas the whitefish are in the lake, so you can go to lake michigan for the whites and then go to the nearby rivers for the steelhead

what about cities in between and is th st joe whitefish run dying down, or is it worth it to go to st joe this weekend for some whitefish and salmon/steelhead, since the previous poster mentioned the salmon go away after the whitefish come in
or shoul di make 2 seperate trips, one fro the steelhead this weekend and one for the whitefish next weekend? thanks.


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## Far Beyond Driven

You can catch steelhead and whitefish sitting in the same spot on the same pier at the same time up until ice locks up the lake. Then again as soon as the ice opens up through April and sometimes into May.

Read my post above. Then use the search function here and do some hard reading. Most of your questions have been asnwered before. People get sick of answering the same questions over and over.

And people get really sick of putting up a post that obviously doesn't get read as questions that are answered in that post are asked two posts later.


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## Far Beyond Driven

The salmon don't chase the white fish away. The salmon run up and spawn, and the whitefish follow to spawn around the piers, later, as they spawn in colder water.

The steelhead can't get into the rivers without swimming between the piers. 

You can be the guy chasing the reports, or you can be the guy writing them.


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## Robert Holmes

Sounds like the engineer is fishing from a cubical. You have to actually get out and fish to catch fish and you may just catch a skunk. As in you should have been here yesterday.... everyone caught all of the fish they could carry home. The weather was great and there was bikini clad women parading up and down the pier.


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## 357Maximum

Robert Holmes said:


> . The weather was great and there was bikini clad women parading up and down the pier.



Ok now I have a question, where is this pier and does it have an entry fee or two drink minimum? Do you have to know a guy to fish it? I have some pretty low friends in some pretty high places, but none of them have ever mentioned THAT PIER.


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## Robert Holmes

357Maximum said:


> Ok now I have a question, where is this pier and does it have an entry fee or two drink minimum? Do you have to know a guy to fish it? I have some pretty low friends in some pretty high places, but none of them have ever mentioned THAT PIER.


That was yesterday.....Today rain, wind,no fish biting, and no women in bikinis. I guess that you missed all of the action.


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## 357Maximum

Robert Holmes said:


> That was yesterday.....Today rain, wind,no fish biting, and no women in bikinis. I guess that you missed all of the action.



Story of my life


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## engineer20

http://www.mlive.com/sports/muskegon/index.ssf/2014/11/fishing_report_white_fish_stee.html

This site says last year, near the end of the month, there were both whitefish and steelhead. this weekend, i'm going to head out to muskegon (won't be going to st joe this year, maybe next year) and it seems to be the perfect time for whitefish, since it's usually november 20s when the whitefishing is great, but it appears there's steelhead in the muskegon river too, so if i head out this weekend, will i be lucky enough to be able to get both species? The whitefish are from the piers, but are there steelhead from the piers as well, or do i go to the river to catch them and is it in town or away from the city? thanks. what about salmon?
this is unrelated, but i heard there were steelhead in the st clair river at port huron, is this rigth? is it at this time of the year, or more so in the early spring? thanks.


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## Far Beyond Driven

As said in many previous posts, there are both white fish and steelhead at the piers. Salmon probably not so much.

Man I hope you comprehend better than this in your profession, just saying, one engineer to another. These questions have been answered by me and others, already, in this thread.

Also, last year we inland lakes freeze up and 19" of snow by the end of November. It was much colder. So the whitefish came in earlier. Your research is correct that 11-20 is a good date for whities, but this has been a mild season.


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## danthebuilder

http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/webcams/anim.php?site=mkg&cam=2&size=full


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## 357Maximum

I was wearing shorts and sandals while I gave the neighbor kid (19) a lesson in how to turn his first buck into tasty venison without paying someone for a little box of mystery steaks today. He did one sides worth while I did the other. For his first time he did pretty darn good.

Mild November................. indeed.


I want to go whitefishing bad too, but a 2 hr drive means I want at least a hint of "their in" first. The calendar don't mean squat. I got everything ready to go as soon as I tie some more leaders up. Finally put myself on the floro leader train. I have always been a dacron and mono man.


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## engineer20

so it's been mild this past weekend and early this week, but i heard later this week and into this weekend, it will be cold, as in our first freezing temperatrues, of course the lakes/water won't freeze up this quickly, but how will this impact whitefishing? will fewer people come out and fish because it's cold, or no, because the fish like the cold and they'll brave the cold to cattch the whitefish? i'd have preferred it remain like this for my weekend trip, but michigan weather is what it is, and is very random in the fall/spring, and is more predictable in the winter and summer, but regardless, even if it's cold, will that impact the bite and the fishing presssure? will that cause there to be fewer or more people fishing out there, and thanks for that webcam, and what are some tips to brave the cold? hand warmers? fishing with gloves? spending some time inside and rotate between fishing outside and staying in a warm place inside, or just fish all day since it is a long weekend trip for me and i'll be driving quite a distance to get there, so i'd hate to stay indoors the whole time and not fish. also, there 's a limit for possession right? is it 11 per day, and how do they enforce it if i'm far from home? say i have 22 total throughout 2 days, i didn't go home to put the 11 back home from the previous day, since i'm not going home overnight, how will the dnr know it's not 22 form the same day? how do they enforce that? i'd hate to be caught with 20 fish over the course of 2 or 3 days and they fine me and say it's because i went over the possission limit, when really, i didn't and was only becasue i'm going to be lodging at a cheap motel and won't be going home overnight to put my fish in the refrigerator at home? and speaking of this can't people abuse the system like this? as in they'll catch their limit for the day, and freeze it up at home, then go back out to the water and fish and when the DNR come, they claim that's all they have, when really, they have more from the same day at home? how do they enforce/know about it, or is it roughly enforced based on how much fish you have on you in your cooler or in your car, so even if it was spread out throughout 2 days, they don't know and will assume it's from the same day, so really, for this whole trip, i can only take 11 home. so should i take the largest fish home, or not necessarily since the smaller fish taste better? thanks.


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## danthebuilder

http://www.eregulations.com/michigan/fishing/pageflip/

Page 16 of the rulebook. How many does it say? I'll give you a hint. Its not 11.


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## glucas

engineer20 said:


> so it's been mild this past weekend and early this week, but i heard later this week and into this weekend, it will be cold, as in our first freezing temperatrues, of course the lakes/water won't freeze up this quickly, but how will this impact whitefishing? will fewer people come out and fish because it's cold, or no, because the fish like the cold and they'll brave the cold to cattch the whitefish? i'd have preferred it remain like this for my weekend trip, but michigan weather is what it is, and is very random in the fall/spring, and is more predictable in the winter and summer, but regardless, even if it's cold, will that impact the bite and the fishing presssure? will that cause there to be fewer or more people fishing out there, and thanks for that webcam, and what are some tips to brave the cold? hand warmers? fishing with gloves? spending some time inside and rotate between fishing outside and staying in a warm place inside, or just fish all day since it is a long weekend trip for me and i'll be driving quite a distance to get there, so i'd hate to stay indoors the whole time and not fish. also, there 's a limit for possession right? is it 11 per day, and how do they enforce it if i'm far from home? say i have 22 total throughout 2 days, i didn't go home to put the 11 back home from the previous day, since i'm not going home overnight, how will the dnr know it's not 22 form the same day? how do they enforce that? i'd hate to be caught with 20 fish over the course of 2 or 3 days and they fine me and say it's because i went over the possission limit, when really, i didn't and was only becasue i'm going to be lodging at a cheap motel and won't be going home overnight to put my fish in the refrigerator at home? and speaking of this can't people abuse the system like this? as in they'll catch their limit for the day, and freeze it up at home, then go back out to the water and fish and when the DNR come, they claim that's all they have, when really, they have more from the same day at home? how do they enforce/know about it, or is it roughly enforced based on how much fish you have on you in your cooler or in your car, so even if it was spread out throughout 2 days, they don't know and will assume it's from the same day, so really, for this whole trip, i can only take 11 home. so should i take the largest fish home, or not necessarily since the smaller fish taste better? thanks.


Your not really an engineer, right?


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## engineer20

glucas said:


> Your not really an engineer, right?


actually, I am, but why should that matter? it has no relevance
i understand my posts make me sound "stupid" but let's put it this way, I think i've explained it before, i'm not that smart, my parents are just immigrants and pushed me to study, so i was able to get through an engineering program because immigrant parents are tough on their kids, so i was actually book smart, but street smart, not so much because of my sheltered childhood and i'm just a y oung adult at this point in my life, so i'm still learning on what i misssed out on on so much of my sheltered childhood, i PMed someone about this and i also included this detail on one of the forums but this is not relevant and please dont' ask for personal details online

but i admit, i am very "street stupid" whereas i've been book smart since like day 1


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## engineer20

i hate when ppl question whether or not i'm an engineer, and engineer20 was just a really convenient username for me, so I just chose it and it's easy to remember, this is about fishing, please don't ask for personal details on a site like this, you can PM me, it ticks me off when ppl question whether or not i'm an engineer, but i'll say i'm still a young fellow so i have plenty of time to learn stuff and get acclimated and become more "street smart"


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## engineer20

danthebuilder said:


> http://www.eregulations.com/michigan/fishing/pageflip/
> 
> Page 16 of the rulebook. How many does it say? I'll give you a hint. Its not 11.


it is 12? on page 18-19? Well 11, wasn't too far off, and it was 12 in combination with other species on that list, but how do they enforce it given the scenarios i listed earlier, like soemone abusing the system and going home with his limit, then going back to the waters to fish
or someone on a vacation who is camping/in a hotel and has 2 days worth of fish in his car? do they just assume what you have in your car/with you is what you have for 1 day?


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## Robert Holmes

Engineer20 I like your enthusiasm. I have been fishing hard for 40+ years and have caught just about every fish species that Michigan has to offer. Many trophy fish as well. Just about every year I catch 5 or more trophy class fish. I will give you a clue it is not about catching a limit or catching big fish. It is about being out there regardless of weather and having a line in the water. Catching fish is 90 percent luck and 10 percent skill. The skill factor you learn by being out there and trying your luck. I learned to fish when internet was not a word yet. You had to learn by asking other fishermen on the water or learn the hard way. Whenever I go fishing I try my luck and I always expect to get a skunk. As I am out there fishing and getting skunked I change my methods of fishing and that involves the skill. Nobody on this or any site is going to give up their honey hole location because they earned the honey hole through years of getting skunked. If you have to drive 100 miles to go to reasonable steelhead waters to invest your 90 percent luck I wish you the best. What you can do and I have done it is to try to hook up with someone on this site that knows a little bit about fishing that will give you some education. I have fished with a number of guys on this site and it is fun to meet them and enjoy what the outdoors has to offer. I happened to have caught a 31 inch brown trout this year while fishing with a member of this site, that I met a couple of hours earlier. I also landed two monster pike this year fishing with another member of this site. Put up a post that you would like to go fishing with someone who can show you how to fish for steelhead offer to drive and to buy lunch you may be surprised what happens.


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## engineer20

thanks @Robert
I've been fishing since I was young, but it wasn't for specific stuff, it was mostly panfishing and fishing with a worm, so no experience with "specialzied" fish with "seasons" and "runs" like whitefish, steelhead, etc.

I did enjoy catching crappie though, which is why i'm always interested in finding good crappie waters as i haven't caught crappie from shore in a long time, and in the last few years, I've fished the huron and belleville/ford lakes and i'd occasionally land a walleye with many smallmouth, but have no experience with steelhead which i only recently gained an interest in, as well as in whitefish and other types of fish

i asked about the limit because I don't want to go over the limit. Since I'm driving so far and whitefish are good eating, I do intend on keeping them, but I just was curious in how they'd police it since I might have 2 days supply on me in my car.

and thanks for the advice on fishing with other ppl. maybe i will PM a few members in the future to see if they'll fish with me and give me some tips. thanks.


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## Far Beyond Driven

You have to catch a limit first for that to be an issue. To keep more than one day's limit the fish must be processed as in canned, smoked, or frozen. Obviously not the easiest thing to do while staying in a hotel. I would bring a separate cooler to keep your first day's catch. The odds of getting checked are pretty low, but if you have more than a day's limit of unprocessed fish in your possession that would be a hard one to explain to the DNR.

As for the engineering remarks, the process of information gathering you have established in your post is very non-engineering in its methods, hence te questioning. I too am an engineer, 20+ years experience (coming from a family of teachers it was a bit of a stretch) and the stuff I make, well, if it fails, stuff crashes and it makes the news.

The colder weather will bring out the fisherman. My best days jigging whitefish it was painfully cold. It's a long walk back to the car where I fish, so plenty of warm clothes and hand warmers. Also, a long handled net, some form of lighting, and be mindful of where the pier is. Pretty easy to lose track of the edge in the dark, especially with waves coming over the pier.

You won't catch too many whitefish too small to clean, and they all eat about the same. We fish until we have our 12 and then quit, if they are in that heavy.


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## Robert Holmes

2 day limit buy a vacuum packer fillet the fish seal them and write the date caught on the packages and you will be good to go. As for steelhead fishing it would be a long drive for you. I am in Saint Ignace in the UP I would be willing to take you. I live to fish for steelhead and have some good fishing waters near where I live. Actually within 50 miles I have lots of prime choices of good steelhead waters. Like I somewhat mentioned I do get a fair share of skunks. On the good side I do get limits and I do get big fish.


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## danthebuilder

If you limit on day #1. Start a new thread on here called "Muskegon Whitefish Cordwood." Post pictures. You'll have proof that you caught them the day before.


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## engineer20

I see. Thanks. That works, or the other option was take a picture and gut and fillet them the day you catch them and put them in your cooler, and then don't fillet the new fish you catch on the second day, but my question is, isn't this system subject to abuse and hard to enforce? As I mentioned, the possession limit for bass/pike/walleye/ and some other species was 5 in combination, but a few weeks ago, they changed it to 5 each, so 5 bass, 5 pike, 5 walleye a day. My question is, what if someone catches their 5 fish, and takes that home, and goes back out to the lake on the SAME day and catch another 5, so they technically caught 10 fish but only have 5 on them at the time of inspection? How will they know for sure, and isnt this system subject to abuse? I dont' do this, but when I was fishing, one guy told me he did it one time last Fall because they walleye were biting like crazy on Ford lake, so I was curious, woudl people like him get caught? He mentioned he went home to store his walleye, then came back and caught 5, so my quesetion is, how do they prevent people from abusing the systsem and doing stuff like going back home and coming out to the lake again on the same day? Thanks. Or is it really an honor system with most people honoring it or expected to honor it? I always honor it, and I measure my fish before I keep them esp if they're in question, as in a 14 inch bass, etc, but I have never caught that many fish to exceed the limit except for panfish or white baass when they run on the detroit river, but I've taken 25 max white bass and threw the rest back, but on a given day, I'd probably catch around 100 bluegill and I wouldn't keep any of them, I'd throw them all back, so I never had to worry about limits, but I was curious about whitefish since it's lower than the 25 white bass, and I know when fish run, a LOT of them are out there, just like when the white bass run, you'll probably catch your limit really quickly, but the white bass run is in my part of the state so i go home afterwards, so i never had to worry about having 2 days worth of fish on me at once. but thanks anyways for the responses.


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## chuuken

Taking more than 1 limit a day is illegal and will be prosecuted if the DNR can catch them. So if you see or hear it happening, you call the RAP line and report it. The DNR publishes bi-weekly reports on their activities and they fairly regularly run into that exact situation. Enforcement action is taken.


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## engineer20

chuuken said:


> Taking more than 1 limit a day is illegal and will be prosecuted if the DNR can catch them. So if you see or hear it happening, you call the RAP line and report it. The DNR publishes bi-weekly reports on their activities and they fairly regularly run into that exact situation. Enforcement action is taken.


Alright, will do. I have never personally caught anybody keeping more than their limit, just hearsy from that person who said one time he took them home and went back to catch more. But if I do see someone catch 5, or their limit, go home, and come back on the same day and catch more, I'll call and report them. 

And just to be clear, that's a posession limit, right? So if I catch 25 white/silver bass, I don't have to go home, I just can't keep any more, so I could catch 100 fish for fun and release them during the silver bass run, correct? And the panfish/bluegills? They are so easy to catch in so many small lakes throughout the state, I never keep them unless they're large and I'd only keep like 5, but I can catch more than that limit, but I just can't posess more than the limit.


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## engineer20

could we get back to the main topic? how have the whitefish/steelhead fishing been, and what do you guys think about how it will be this weekend? the coldest days next week are this weekend, so should i move it to next week to fish after thanksgiving, or is this week the best week, and i'd be missing out if I didn't go, so i should brave the cold and go this weeK?


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## Robert Holmes

Don't worry about catching your limit until you are one fish away from catching your limit. I never do and even then sometimes that one more fish never bites.


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## danthebuilder

You ever see a tv show or cartoon where the devil is on one shoulder and an angel is on the other. This is what is like to fish at muskegon during the whitefish run. The fact is the DNR is NOT going to show up this early in the season. They're too busy with firearm deer season. You might stand between a guy who is literally 3 feet to your left who snags 2 limits and walks them to his car in his backpack and you might have a guy 3 feet to your right who fishes for 10 hours and catches 3 fish legally and only keeps 3. The choice is YOURS and YOURS ONLY. The truth is the decision you've probably already made whether you're going to be a sportsman or not. No excuses. Also, please quit crying about spending so much on gas. Its under $2 where i live.


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## Far Beyond Driven

I know a camp on the Pere Marquette that brought a propane stove and canned fish as they caught them. Met the law as they were preserved but knowing how many fish were caught was a trick.


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## engineer20

danthebuilder said:


> You ever see a tv show or cartoon where the devil is on one shoulder and an angel is on the other. This is what is like to fish at muskegon during the whitefish run. The fact is the DNR is NOT going to show up this early in the season. They're too busy with firearm deer season. You might stand between a guy who is literally 3 feet to your left who snags 2 limits and walks them to his car in his backpack and you might have a guy 3 feet to your right who fishes for 10 hours and catches 3 fish legally and only keeps 3. The choice is YOURS and YOURS ONLY. The truth is the decision you've probably already made whether you're going to be a sportsman or not. No excuses. Also, please quit crying about spending so much on gas. Its under $2 where i live.


I know what you mean by that devil and angel on the shoulder kind of thing.
I honestly don't understand what you're trying to imply, as I've never caught over the limit, except during white bass season, but I never took home more than 25. Any more I caught, I'd throw back, so I don't violate the law, but I've heard of people breaking/abusing the law, and if whitefish are as easy to catch as silver/white bass in the detroit river, than I figure, 11 is a piece of cake, but I guess they're not as easy as white bass.

Anyways, I'm not complaining about gas. Gas is cheap now, and it's around 2 even where I'm at, and the price has been decreasing, BUT I am thrifty and I rarely take long trips and I'm pretty much in Metro Detroit all day every day, I travel extensively within metro detroit, often driving about an hour sometimes from one end to the other of the metro area, but since I rarely take "long trips" and I have a high mileage car, taking a long trip will take its toll on my car, so I want to know if the wear and tear, and spending a whole weekend on the other side of the state is worth it or not, as I always make decisions carefully about whether or not it's worth it or not. 

If I could catch both whitefish and salmon in the same trip, that'd be more than worth it. If I coudl only catch whitefish but 11, that's worth it too, but if I can't catch any, I just put more miles/wear and tear on my car, and therefore decreased its resale value, and I spent a whole tank of gas. Gas isn't the whole thing, it's the bigger financial picture of it all and of the increase in mileage of my car as I plan how many miles I drive very carefully and plan how many miles maximum I can drive in a year or a month.


----------



## B.Jarvinen

It's gonna be a great weekend:










I wanted to stay out well past dark and catch a few more (this one right @ dusk), but the wind was coming up so high I literally didn't want to stand on the edge of the pier. 3 others caught on the pier today (Manistee).

This blow will get better when the winds finally go west, with a flush of rainwater on it's way out into the lake.

This time of year, catch a limit on the Steelhead, maybe add a late-run Coho (some seen still crossing the bar in Benzie just last Friday), then switch to Whitefish and limit on them. Lots of steelheaders fishing spawn in the shallows, plenty of room at the deep end. The Steelhead just love Green/Glo KO-Wobblers out there...


----------



## engineer20

is artificial spawn sac good for salmon? those "river run" gear for 1.99 they sell on those baskets down below at meijer for the differnt types of fish, it's quite a bargain, but do those baits work? those and the little cleos/imitators, and the imitation plastic spawn sacs? thanks.


----------



## B.Jarvinen

dunno anything about artificial spawn bags. I caught stream Trout when I was a kid on single eggs from a jar from the store but haven't fished with 'em since. If you haven't fished with spawn for Steelhead before, you might want to just cast for a day and watch how it all works. And then you can probably get a bag or two to get started from the generally friendly Steelheaders. 

Green/Glow Cleo, or KO Wobbler, is my go-to lure this year, even in the daytime. I'm sure the knock-off brands work just fine too, but a solid paint on one side seems far better to me now than the partial chrome finish I used to use in the days before Mussels. Even caught a Pike on one this morning.


----------



## danthebuilder

engineer20 said:


> so I want to know if the wear and tear, and spending a whole weekend on the other side of the state is worth it or not, as I always make decisions carefully about whether or not it's worth it or not.


Why are you coming to muskegon then? Go to tawas city.


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## engineer20

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

The fishing report, which usually comes out on Thursdays, is late and just came out. It didnt' mention anything about muskegon whitefish but st. joe has whitefish. The two aren't that far away, right, so if I fail at muskegon, I could go to st joe? just an i-96 vs i-94 difference, but I have to make my decision after I get off work soon, and it will be snowing, so is fishing in the snow a good idea? does st joe still have lots of whitefish and steelhead, or should I put this trip off to next weekend the weekend after Thanksgiving and only go to Muskegon? Thanks.


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## engineer20

danthebuilder said:


> Why are you coming to muskegon then? Go to tawas city.


I just googled it, Tawas is only closer by 10 miles, so not that big of a difference.
From my home, all 3 are in the upper 100 mile range (not quite 200 miles) with muskegon being slightly further, but Tawas is negligibly closer.


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## fishman210

engineer20 said:


> http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html
> 
> The fishing report, which usually comes out on Thursdays, is late and just came out. It didnt' mention anything about muskegon whitefish but st. joe has whitefish. The two aren't that far away, right, so if I fail at muskegon, I could go to st joe? just an i-96 vs i-94 difference, but I have to make my decision after I get off work soon, and it will be snowing, so is fishing in the snow a good idea? does st joe still have lots of whitefish and steelhead, or should I put this trip off to next weekend the weekend after Thanksgiving and only go to Muskegon? Thanks.


WILL YOU JUST GO FISH ALREADY!!!! ANY CHANCE YOU GET TO FISH, IS WORTH IT. TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM YOUR THOUSAND QUESTIONS AND HIT SOME WATER.


----------



## Southsider1

This guy is just trolling. If you keep on replying, he will just keep on asking questions. It's like a bad SNL skit. How about someone start another thread on the impending doom of the fishery!


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## Jeepfisherman

This post was a lot to take in. I stuck through it, though. Engineer, the beauty of fishing is also it's curse. It gets you out in the fresh air, and in (more often than not) good company. But without a lot of practice or a bit of luck, sometimes that's all you get. You have to be good with that possibility. Nobody can answer your question of whether it's worth it or not to drive across the state. That's completely up to you. If your goal is a freezer of whitefish as cheap as possible, you can get that at Meijer a lot cheaper than muskegon. To fish both species in a day, different methods, you'd have to fish pretty hard. Last year I made the trek twice in a week from brighton for the whitefish. The first day left at noon and got back home at midnight. Caught a couple dozen between my dad and I, kept only the 6 that were fair hooked. The second day I had to take my neighbor to show him how crazy good the fishing was, and we hooked just 3 between the both of us in the same time. No guarantee, just like I'm sure your silver bass fishing can be some days. The second day was sideways wind, sleet, and I couldn't feel my nose after a while, but the pier was still shoulder to shoulder. My 2 cents- Pick one species or the other. Whitefish is a no brainer, fun fishing when they are in. You just have to go. If you want to fish steelhead this is completely counterintuitive to frugal (I struggled myself) but invest a weekend and a few bucks and get a guide on the PM. You will learn more in a day on the water than weeks in a forum and you can directly translate that to your next self-guided trip. In any case whatever you choose, good luck out there!


----------



## engineer20

Thanks. I wanted to leave today, but it's snowing and I only made it to brighton on i96 and decided to turn back.

I'll go next weekend after Thanksgiving. I see because it was warmer this year, next weekend might be better at muskegon and because it's been warm, there are still fish at st joe but I won't be able to make it today, because i need at least 2 days to fish, and tomorrow I wouldn't have enough time.


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## engineer20

danthebuilder said:


> http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/webcams/anim.php?site=mkg&cam=2&size=full


Thanks. Any webcam for port huron or for st joeseph? Based on what I can gather, it's not worth it to go to muskegon this week for whitefish, maybe next weekend or the weekend after next weekend, but st joe still is producing lots of whitefish, (later this year) and port huron is beginning to have steelhead, but even in early decemberr, I can go to port huron for steelhead, right? Thanks.


----------



## Jeepfisherman

I wouldn't count muskegon totally out this week. Last night the pier cam had lanterns past midnight. The DNR report is cut Wednesday for Thursday release. A lot can happen in a few days especially with this weather immediate shift. Watch the cam tonight, if there are people there late there's a reason they're putting up with the blizzard to fish. Hopefully someone chimes in the other thread firsthand. St joe - no help for whitefish pier fishing but has a neat underwater cam for steelhead at the berrien springs fish ladder.


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## engineer20

checked out the webcam, saw some activity earlier but as of 10:44 pm on 11/21, I don't see much activity


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## engineer20

what about this past weekend? anybody make it out this week? I decided I'll probably go this weekend after black friday, though that means less time with the family, and I'm having extended family over, but they know I how much I enjoy fishing. What about the weekend after this upcoming weekend or 2 weekends from now? Will the fishing decline by then or possibly be better? Thanks.


----------



## B.Jarvinen

the fishing will suck as always. the best catch will be at the small "John Cross" dock in Charlevoix, guaranteed.


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## Robert Holmes

Satisfy my curiosity engineer 20 did you ever go fishing yet? If so did you catch any fish? I am just about ready to put away the poles and get out the tip ups. Most days we catch 40+ pike but you can only keep two. Come on and make me some ice.


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## engineer20

No, remember, last weekend I didn't go. I can only go on the weekends. Don't know if I'd like to go, saw grand haven had whitefish according to the fishing report, but not at muskegon, but steelhead were everywhere since we had a late run this year, so does that mean the whitefishing will be better next week, the week after thanksgiving weekend or no? Thanks.


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## vanj85

It'll always be better yesterday...


----------



## o_mykiss

Just go fishing... the guys who catch the most fish on the pier are the ones who go frequently. If you wait to hear good reports, there's a good chance you already missed the bite. The only way to catch a hot bite is to be there when its happening

The water temps are going to be good for the next few weeks. Get out there when you can, and enjoy being out.


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## naterpM-37

I've caught whitefish off the pier in January and February on warm years. Just because the run is over doesn't mean it isn't still good fishing. I actually like fishing later in the year because the fish are bigger! Hope to go this weekend!


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## 357Maximum

CrappieSlayer said:


> The only reason I even bother checking this thread is to see if anyone is still feeding the troll lol


Might just as well make this thread educational.

What is the difference between a Pier Rat and Pier Toad. Is there a difference? Honest question from a guy in the middle of the state.


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## Waif

A pier rat piers on pier.
Pier toad piers on hand when you pick it up.
Toad has different meaning in slang but not presentable hear.
Yesterday greatest fishing and all were scooping finely.
Maybe last week would be too .


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## Jeepfisherman

Cancel the trip, my father in law just bought all the torque wrenches at the muskegon harbor freight. Twice. Needed to fix all his reels quick for the big crappie run.


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## Fishndude

engineer20 said:


> Steelhead OFF the pier, or no? Is there a harbor freight in muskegon? I need to visit H freight twice to pick up torque wrenches.
> no, i'm not a theoretical physicist, I know the whitefish are off the piers, but are the steelhead in the river, or in grand rapids? I might go right after work then, given this situation! (compute r just crashed, some of what I typed got removed, I forgot what I had typed)
> 
> This isn't a joke is it? There seriously are both species of fish?


Who knows? I can tell you who knows. The guys who actually go fishing. For some people fishing is a pasttime. For others is it a passion. There are plenty of reports of Steelhead, and Whitefish fishing on here, for anyone who wants to know. Have fun at Harbor Freight. Dun, and done.


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## jumbojake

Got a feeling dis is Perc,getting revenge dare lol:0,please don't go ice fashin engineeer20,without some one who knows what dare doing or has experience eh.it is as dangerous as fashing gets out dare at times


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## GRUNDY

Well this thread sure broke up the monotony of waiting for my 3 year old to barf again...

I was kinda hoping he'd barf again so I could stop reading.

I can't believe I'm responding.

This is the worst case of analysis paralysis I've ever experienced.

I hope someone learned something by reading all this. I know I did... I'm going fishing as soon as I can.

Regards,

B


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## engineer20

anybody catch anything this week out in muskegon or in any city along lake michigan?
also, we had a warm fall, and usually, at this time of year, we'd enter 'winter weather' mode even though it's technically "autumn" but we'd had a warm season so far. Does anybody think there will even be an ice fishing seaason this winter, as they predict a warm winter too? If not, I'd like to try out my new auger, so I'll maybe drive up north to fish somewhere, what are some good ice fishing lakes in the northern lower peninsular, or parts in the upper peninsula closest to the LP (in other words, eastern UP, as western is too far and that'd be a crazy drive, say, to Houghton) that are good for ice fishing, or do you think the northern part of the state won't have a good ice fishing season either?


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## BigJoe90

If you're going to switch this to ice fishing, take all this ******** to the ice fishing thread


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## marbleye

so i was thinking about going fishing this weekend but wasnt sure if there are still stealhead near the piers in manistee or up the beach. is the north or south pier better? i live by the south pier so i would rather fish that one, and save gas by not driving up to the north pier. Or would it be better fishing to scoot my way up lakeshore rd and go to bar lake? do they travel that way? how many floaters should i tie in my spawn sac? does little steelhead spawn work well? thanks...oh and i hear you get wifi at the north pier from the coast guard? do the fish prefer that pier as well so they can search the web while cruising the shore? would sunday be better because its NFL day and maybe there will be less people out? therefore more fish for me? thanks


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## naterpM-37

20 I'm sorry but either go fishing or stop posting. Ended with 7 whites this past weekend so there are still fish, and yes there will be ice..... its Michigan.


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## Fishndude

engineer20 said:


> anybody catch anything this week out in muskegon or in any city along lake michigan?
> also, we had a warm fall, and usually, at this time of year, we'd enter 'winter weather' mode even though it's technically "autumn" but we'd had a warm season so far. Does anybody think there will even be an ice fishing seaason this winter, as they predict a warm winter too? If not, I'd like to try out my new auger, so I'll maybe drive up north to fish somewhere, what are some good ice fishing lakes in the northern lower peninsular, or parts in the upper peninsula closest to the LP (in other words, eastern UP, as western is too far and that'd be a crazy drive, say, to Houghton) that are good for ice fishing, or do you think the northern part of the state won't have a good ice fishing season either?


If you decide to bring value to this site, it will take years for your reputation to change. This website seems perfect for you, though.

http://www.fishinggames.us/

Here is another great website.

www.weather.com


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## Robert Holmes

20 here is what I will do. I live in the UP just across the Mackinac Bridge. If you drive that far I will take you ice fishing just so that I can see you actually fish. You will catch fish and lots of them so that will satisfy you I hope. I will give you the keeper fish that I catch to take home with you along with your keeper fish. PM me when you want to make the drive. Please will someone else on this site offer to take 20 fishing with them so that he can catch fish. From all that I read of his posts he is a total beginner at fishing and there is no problem with that. He just needs someone to take him out for a learning experience. After a few trips he should be able to catch a few on his own.


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## CAPYTAIN_aa

Real question I am headed up this weekend, up until now I've been to busy hunting ducks to fish. Just wondering if anyone has any input as far as weather I should fish a pier or further up river for a steelhead? Have means to do either.


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## Robert Holmes

CAPYTAIN_aa said:


> Real question I am headed up this weekend, up until now I've been to busy hunting ducks to fish. Just wondering if anyone has any input as far as weather I should fish a pier or further up river for a steelhead? Have means to do either.


The more that I keep reading the more that I need to see a shrink. Now I don't know where to fish or what to use for bait. Should I stay home and watch the Lions or should I fish?


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## CAPYTAIN_aa

So Robert lets say you didn't stay home and watch the lions and you decided you were going to drive up north to try for some steelhead. Would you drop your boat in and hit the river or go fish off the pier, or maybe drop your boat in and troll inside the pier head?


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## Robert Holmes

Fill out your profile knowing where you are from helps when you are asking for help. If you plan to drive across the bridge send me a pm. This time of year if you put a boat in you should stay near the pier head and use the electric motor to troll rapalas off from planer boards. Believe me I will be fishing and not watching the Lions.


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## CAPYTAIN_aa

I'm driving 4 hours I'll be staying at my friends house and Manistee Betsie Plat and Boardman are within reasonable distance to fish. I'm not asking what river I should go to I'll figure that out when I get there just wondering if anyone is doing better pier or river fishing it's not my first time just haven't been up since trying to troll the big lake for salmon


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## troy mcelreath

haha robert do not stay home and watch the lions. i would rather freeze on the pier and not catch fish than stay home and watch them.


----------



## Robert Holmes

If you have the right rod holders and the waves are down I would strongly consider surf fishing.


----------



## Justo

Robert Holmes said:


> 20 here is what I will do. I live in the UP just across the Mackinac Bridge. If you drive that far I will take you ice fishing just so that I can see you actually fish. You will catch fish and lots of them so that will satisfy you I hope. I will give you the keeper fish that I catch to take home with you along with your keeper fish. PM me when you want to make the drive. Please will someone else on this site offer to take 20 fishing with them so that he can catch fish. From all that I read of his posts he is a total beginner at fishing and there is no problem with that. He just needs someone to take him out for a learning experience. After a few trips he should be able to catch a few on his own.


I'll pony up and take Mr. 20 out on my boat this spring for eyes and SB on the D - river. PM me 20.. Also you only allowed to ask one question every 1/2 hr on my boat.


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## Robert Holmes

20 if the guys are offering to take you fishing you should jump on it. I have caught some really nice fish while fishing with guys on this site. You just send a pm that you would like to go and arrange a time and place to meet.


----------



## Fishndude

CAPYTAIN_aa said:


> I'm driving 4 hours I'll be staying at my friends house and Manistee Betsie Plat and Boardman are within reasonable distance to fish. I'm not asking what river I should go to I'll figure that out when I get there just wondering if anyone is doing better pier or river fishing it's not my first time just haven't been up since trying to troll the big lake for salmon


I would probably hit the lower river - Big Man, in a boat. If you fish the pier, or beach, it will be hit-or-miss. The fish move in sometimes, and other times it is barren. Once they hit the river, they mostly stay there, although they will move around some. Every fish that migrates to Tippy Dam passes every spot downstream on their way. Quite a few don't make it to the dam. It's a concept.


----------



## CAPYTAIN_aa

That settle that, if anyone is around the saw dust hole i'll be the guy in the green hat on a boat drinking beer probably snagging every stump in the river


----------



## glucas

CAPYTAIN_aa said:


> That settle that, if anyone is around the saw dust hole i'll be the guy in the green hat on a boat drinking beer probably snagging every stump in the river


Am I ??? Or is capyain_AA Eng 20 the same?


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## GRUNDY

I'd tend to agree...


----------



## CAPYTAIN_aa

http://cdn.imageserver.c-m-g.us/michigan-sportsman_com/14/551397/100621-1449897617.
/IMG]


----------



## CAPYTAIN_aa




----------



## Far Beyond Driven

9/10 this morning right off the piers. Oddly four smaller kings and five Lakers, not the browns and steel we were expecting. Three Lakers over 10# one pushing 16. We threw the boat out of gear to fight the Lakers, which pulled like trains.


----------



## CAPYTAIN_aa

Far beyond were you fishing spawn or minnows?


----------



## Far Beyond Driven

Trolling spoons and plugs. Small spoons and sticks were the key. The larger ones and the plugs didn't do much.


----------



## engineer20

anything biting this past week in muskegon? it seems there's still some salmon left but that the bulk of the run is over, what about whitefish?


----------



## Far Beyond Driven

I don't think the 16" mint chrome kings I was catching were part of any "run". However, the lakers were plenty beat up, not sure if that was from spawning or rooting bait off the bottom.


----------



## B.Jarvinen

I've always wondered what it would be like to be a King Salmon watching a bunch of bling flashers and green J-Plugs wiggling past all the time. Now I know. Good job on not taking a bite, everyone.


----------



## Far Beyond Driven

I'm chumming.


----------



## AdamBradley

B.Jarvinen said:


> I've always wondered what it would be like to be a King Salmon watching a bunch of bling flashers and green J-Plugs wiggling past all the time. Now I know. Good job on not taking a bite, everyone.


----------



## CAPYTAIN_aa

AdamBradley said:


>


 MAN I HAVENT SEEN AN ELEPHANT PLUG IN QUITE SOME TIME


----------



## cmark

I'm fixing to make the drive north so's I can try me one of them there elephant lures on the pier January 1. I hope to see yall there, especially 20.


----------



## engineer20

i'm thinking about going out there soon. But if not, I will this spring in March to catch the salmon run, isn't the salmon in november and march and anytime in between, you can catch them but not as plentiful as in march, just after ice out? So I might have to reconsider, but from the fishing report, I see the whitefish have moved onto the northern lower peninsula area, north of muskegon, do they come back in March like the salmon, or no, not until next november when they are plentiful again? thanks.


----------



## Robert Holmes

Tight lines there engineer20


----------



## naterpM-37

2nd Mr. Holmes on this one... Done answering your questions for the 5th time. Whitefish can be caught year round.


----------



## danthebuilder

naterpM-37 said:


> 2nd Mr. Holmes on this one... Done answering your questions for the 5th time. Whitefish can be caught year round.


He only knows how to snag.


----------



## Far Beyond Driven

That big east wind surely messed up the ficticious northern whitefish migration. 

And I'm not sure how I missed a spring salmon run in the last 36 years on the lake. But i've got all winter to research it, ask questions, ignore answers, and formulate silly ideas.

In the mean time I think I wi call the neighbor kid up and see if he wants to go catch another limit of steel, like we did last week.


----------



## flowie

Spring salmon runs are where its at


----------



## Far Beyond Driven

2/2 just off the piers before it got too rough for my 14' today. Hell it was too rough the whole time but got crazy for a while trying to turn around to ride them back into port. 7# steel and an 8# pike. Now i have to study the Lake Michigan pike migration...


----------



## 357Maximum

Far Beyond Driven said:


> 2/2 just off the piers before it got too rough for my 14' today. Hell it was too rough the whole time but got crazy for a while trying to turn around to ride them back into port. 7# steel and an 8# pike. Now i have to study the Lake Michigan pike migration...



Don't "coaster pikies" follow the confused whitefish that cannot pick a port up and down the shoreline? :lol:

Some of my largest pike have been taken out of flowing water that is Lk. Mi "lake adjacent" on non traditional pike tactics.....IE....I had the blacklights on and was plunking for something else.


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## Robert Holmes

Engineer 20 have you ever got a line wet yet? Come on up to the UP I will take you ice fishing just so I can post a picture of you fishing and holding a fish.


----------



## CAPYTAIN_aa

Robert I don't think 20 holds fish, or bait a rapala for that matter...


----------



## glucas

CAPYTAIN_aa said:


> Robert I don't think 20 holds fish, or bait a rapala for that matter...


You guys are cracking me up! But seriously, when do the bluegills start to run, and what rivers? Do they follow the perch run? And is it only on the west side or do they run the east side also, and do they spawn or just follow the whitefish so they can eat their eggs?


----------



## danthebuilder

The bluegills run into the channels of the small inland lakes. You want to get there as soon as there is barely enough ice to stand on. So... any day now.


----------



## Far Beyond Driven

Bump. This thread is too awesome to wait until ice out.


----------



## Fishndude

I can't wait to get after the spring Salmon.


----------



## Robert Holmes

Fishndude said:


> I can't wait to get after the spring Salmon.


What are you waiting for try to get a few under the ice.


----------



## Fishndude

Robert Holmes said:


> What are you waiting for try to get a few under the ice.


Have you been venturing out on the ice, lately, Bob? I can launch a boat in this area.


----------



## Robert Holmes

I have been out four times twice there was no ice and twice I was out on 2 inches of ice. Once I got skunked but had to leave early because a pressure crack opened up. Then it warmed up and I managed to find some ice on Jan 9 but not much and I fished on what little was there with waders on. It made ice for almost a week now so I am going to hit pike heaven on Saturday and go to my steelhead spot on Sunday. It is looking good now for the rest of the winter. It is hard to believe that there was no ice in January in the UP.


----------



## engineer20

how's the steelhead fishing been recently? What about the whitefish fishing? any luck out there or no? what about in grand rapids?


----------



## engineer20

and have the salmon/steelhead been biting on the port huron at the st clair river recently or no? Thanks. is there ice, or what about walleye at port huron on the st clair river?


----------



## Far Beyond Driven

Too much ice for the most part around the piers. Rivers have steel in them, but high flows and ice have been issues. Should be setting up for a good spring - not a ton of snow pack to flood and shock the rivers.


----------



## engineer20

so spring there will be a steelhead run again? at which spots? and the trout stocking in southeast michigan, anybody know about spring mill pond or the clinton river at auburn hills/riverside park or proud lake? Thanks.


----------



## BigJoe90

And we all thought youd never come back......


----------



## Jeepfisherman

BigJoe90 said:


> And we all thought youd never come back......


And so it begins...lol


----------



## AdamBradley

No way!


----------



## engineer20

fishing report came out, the spring steelhead run is beginning. when does it end? early april? 1 week later from when it begins? I heard it was short, and it'sall over, west side or st joe river, grand river at grand rapids, and even lansing, as well as the kalamazoo river and the huron river in SE MI at flat rock.

Anyways, when does this steelhead run end? If I were to take a trip out west or up north or even to flat rock, do I do it now or a week from now? Also, nhow much should spawn sac be? The only shop I went to nearby sells spawn sacs for 4.69 for 12, in the fridge with the worms, and it's fresh, and they have atlas, spawn sacs in jars, 6 for 3.99, so the "fresh" ones are a better value, though i thought those would be more expoensive. Do they like atlas spawn sacs, the ones inthe jar, or the ones in that waxworm plastic contiainer and are those prices on the high side or are they fair? In addition, are spawn sacs considered live bait as they aren't really live, but it's not artificial either and they sell artificial spawn sacs.

Reason i'm asking is I heard spring mill pond stocks trout at theend of this month andopen fishing on april 1 and it's catch and release only, then at the end of april, like the 25th or sometime near then, they open it to all baits and you can take a few fish home (it was like 3 or 5 of a certain length), but in the catch and release part, you can only use artificual lures, so are spawn sacs, artiricial or no and will they work on brown trout, as I heard they're only for steelhead.


----------



## Justo

engineer20 said:


> fishing report came out, the spring steelhead run is beginning. when does it end? early april? 1 week later from when it begins? I heard it was short, and it'sall over, west side or st joe river, grand river at grand rapids, and even lansing, as well as the kalamazoo river and the huron river in SE MI at flat rock.
> 
> Anyways, when does this steelhead run end? If I were to take a trip out west or up north or even to flat rock, do I do it now or a week from now? Also, nhow much should spawn sac be? The only shop I went to nearby sells spawn sacs for 4.69 for 12, in the fridge with the worms, and it's fresh, and they have atlas, spawn sacs in jars, 6 for 3.99, so the "fresh" ones are a better value, though i thought those would be more expoensive. Do they like atlas spawn sacs, the ones inthe jar, or the ones in that waxworm plastic contiainer and are those prices on the high side or are they fair? In addition, are spawn sacs considered live bait as they aren't really live, but it's not artificial either and they sell artificial spawn sacs.
> 
> Reason i'm asking is I heard spring mill pond stocks trout at theend of this month andopen fishing on april 1 and it's catch and release only, then at the end of april, like the 25th or sometime near then, they open it to all baits and you can take a few fish home (it was like 3 or 5 of a certain length), but in the catch and release part, you can only use artificual lures, so are spawn sacs, artiricial or no and will they work on brown trout, as I heard they're only for steelhead.


Hopefully no one with any common sense will answer those questions. Mr. 20 you have some issues. I'm not a realigious individual, but if I was, I would pray that you are not a structural engineer, nor in the field for that matter... I'm not one to attack people on public forums, so I apologize for my poor choice of dialogue. I would be more than happy to take you fishing on the Detroit River, as I have offered before. You have not responded to my offer. I will extend you another offer, of a differnt sort. I personally believe you are not one who fishes, but one who is looking for some free / cheap method of procuring fish ( food ) for you're self or you're entire blood line. If every you are looking for a handout or are in desperate need of food, PM me and I would be happy to tell you where i launch at and would be most generous on dropping off a five gallon bucket of silver bass for you... We would not even have to meet. Just look for the orange Home Depot five gallon bucket full of SB. Hopefully this is legal. good day sir and best of luck.


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## engineer20

@Justo, thanks for the offer, but i'll decline at the moment, though I might go fishing with you in the future. NO, I do not fish just for the food. I do keep some fish, but I don't keep a lot. The fish goes BAD after a while, and you shouldnt' eat that much wild fish, as there's chemicals and stuff.

But I LOVE the feeling of catching tons of fish, and I respect posession limits laws, and NO, I do NOT need a bucket of fish from you or free food, I'm not in desperate need of food like that, but thanks for your offer.

While I do like taking some fish and eating some fish, I don't keep that many, as I've explained before, even if you freeze them, they go bad/not as fresh and only fresh fish tastes the best, after about a month in the freezer, they get crappier (haha, the crappie pun, I like crappie, catching and eating them), but the reason why I ask if the fish are biting is because of the distance I have to drive. I'm busy with work and stuff, and if I"m going to use an entire weekend to fish, and drive to the other side of the state, I need some justification for it.

If I'm just going there, catching nothing, and wasting a whole weekend, it's not worth the time wasted to drive that far, but if it's going to be an exhilarating experience where I can catch a few nice trophy fish, then, my drive was worth it, or even catching a ton of "easy fish" like schooling crappie or schooling white bass, would be worth a drive too, and when I catch tons of fish like that, I tend to either give them away to nearby people or throw them back, but catching the mess is extremely fun, and it's the process. I could just buy a lot of fish from the supermarket, but I hardly ever eat supermarket fish because that's no fun. Like catfish is only 3.99 a pound, one of the cheaper fish, but it's way more fun catching a catfish in clean waters, like the time I caught this channel catfish on the huron between belleville and ford lakes last summer in august. Man, that experience was one i'll remember forever, and that fight, whereas supermarket catfish is no fun.

I like the feeling of catching fish, and while I do enjoy eating fish, it's not only for eating, and I throw a lot back/give them away to ppl nearby, if the ppl nearby are needy and are begging me for the fish, I'll give it to them, but if nobody's begging me for the fish, I"ll throw it back if I have some fish already. 

But man, it's a combination. ON the dinner table, fresh fish, like this walleye I caught last year, this 20 incher, it was good, but that process was amazing, its' the combination of the process as well as the table fare that make me enjoy fishing, but don't get me wrong, it's not just for the food.


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## Far Beyond Driven

Some of my best trips I've never landed a fish. One of my worst trips we put 170# of kings in the cooler and I wanted to push a couple of my guests over the stern half way through the trip.


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## engineer20

and don't forget the pictures and the memories those create. Really? How did you enjoy a trip without catching anything? i've had those, and the end result is I feel like I've wasted time.
Do dead minnows work for steelhead or for crappie, and are spawn sacs considered artificial or live bait (because of trout stretm/waters regulations?)
What are some good artificial baits? Little cleos or those little spinners, but I heard even bright colored spoons work. I heard yarn works? Just any old yarn? Orange in color would work on steelhead? Are waxworms good or no, and what's better, waxworms, spikes, mousies, maggots, etc?


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## Robert Holmes

Far Beyond Driven said:


> Some of my best trips I've never landed a fish. One of my worst trips we put 170# of kings in the cooler and I wanted to push a couple of my guests over the stern half way through the trip.


My best trip ice fishing this winter was last Sunday I never caught a fish but I was out solo and saw a couple of deer, 3 otters, an eagle and a couple of snowshoe hares. My best ice fishing trip I put 5 steelhead on the ice released 2 and my fishing partner caught 2 steelhead. I caught all five of my steelhead in the first 45 minutes of daylight.


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## Far Beyond Driven

Because after catching 1000's of fish I don't have to prove anything to anyone, myself included. Maybe my daughter and I got to get away and see a new spot. Maybe my 81 year old dad in law was able to get out one last time. Maybe the restaurant we ate at had awesome burgers, maybe the sunset was stunning, maybe the waitress was a hot red head. Maybe I was out of cell phone reach and got a break from the 60 soul less hours a week I put in at my jobs.

Or maybe I got on the internet, did a lot of reading and searching then *asked a couple questions, listened to the answers*, drove to Milwaukee in a blizzard, notched out a limit of browns in the harbor, posted a report, and thanked those that helped me.

Seriously, **** or get off the toilet. In the amount of time you've spent jacking off to the internet, you could have caught some fish yourself.


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## Robert Holmes

20 read the forums on steelhead you will learn how to catch them. If all else fails get a dozen night crawlers and go out with them. You would be surprised at how many steelhead, brown, brook trout and salmon that I have caught on night crawlers. Two of the 5 fish that I have mounted on my office wall were caught on night crawlers.


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## engineer20

so steelies are a morning fish? or do they like daytime? or are they a nighttime fish liek crappie? morning is best for steelhead, trout, and salmon?


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## Corey K

Got to be the longest Marathon trolling pass ever made!


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## Fishndude

Please Do Not Feed The Troll


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## engineer20

what kind of minnows are better? the shiners, the silver thin ones, or the fatheads, the ones that are duller and smaller? the fatheads are HARDY and they will survive and dont' die, the silver ones, the shinesr are shiny but they DIE really quickly, and with fatheads, you can take them home and they don't die, whereas the shiners are guarenteed to all die by the next morning if you bring them home to use for your next trip, so you have to buy fresh shiners, every time, wheraes one round of fatheads can last a long time. but which one is better, or does it depend on the species? Thanks.


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## marbleye

engineer20 said:


> what kind of minnows are better? the shiners, the silver thin ones, or the fatheads, the ones that are duller and smaller? the fatheads are HARDY and they will survive and dont' die, the silver ones, the shinesr are shiny but they DIE really quickly, and with fatheads, you can take them home and they don't die, whereas the shiners are guarenteed to all die by the next morning if you bring them home to use for your next trip, so you have to buy fresh shiners, every time, wheraes one round of fatheads can last a long time. but which one is better, or does it depend on the species? Thanks.


dude enough already for christ sake


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## Far Beyond Driven

Caught a laker this morning at 9:37. Really surprised me as they're moře of a sunrise +2 hours hours fish.


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## aroflinger

Far Beyond Driven said:


> Caught a laker this morning at 9:37. Really surprised me as they're moře of a sunrise +2 hours hours fish.


What port were you out of?


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## Far Beyond Driven

Port Sheldon. 19 rigs at the launch at 8 am. Like the bad old days of brown trout fishing.


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## naterpM-37

After reading this... I'm left speechless! Not.

I do keep some fish, but I don't keep a lot. The fish goes BAD after a while, and you shouldnt' eat that much wild fish, as there's chemicals and stuff.

FYI there 20... I could eat fish everyday of the week and would have less chemicals in my body than the pop tarts you buy at Meijer. Easy fish is what you are looking for. Same thing said for whitefish this fall. 









Maybe this will turn this around a bit. Fished from 6:30-2 with one hen steel coming around 12. Have had some luck this week!














. 

Tight lines!


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## Far Beyond Driven

No, those store bought fish are much healthier. Seeing as the white fish come from Lake Michigan, the walleye from the Canadian side of Erie, the atlantic salmon says right on the container "dye added", and the shrimp and tilapia from God only knows what chemically laden former mangrove swamp in east Asia, probably tended by kids and convicts....


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## Robert Holmes

I always take my chances with whatever I catch. Believe it or not suckers are one of the least contaminated fish in the great lakes. I usually can up about 2 dozen jars of suckers every spring.


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