# Tippy dam



## Lubbs

My neighbor wants to come salmon fishing with me this year and wants to bring his kids, which are about 10 yrs old. I usually head out there the end of September when It gets thick . My question is when do the fish start to come in , I would like to take them out there when there aren't a lot of people in case they cross lines. I have seen some pretty wild things out there but I want to make this a memorable trip. 


Side not does anyone remember the name of the bait store that is close to the side that doesn't have the never ending stairs. I believe there was a boat launch there . ( I lost my GPS that had the spot marked )


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## Mr Burgundy

There are 2 bait stores there. Pappys and fishermans Hq. Both are great, phone #s are 231 848 4242 and 231 848 4142. As for when, there are fish there already. Not great #s yet but still fish there. As for when to take them thats not a zoo.... NEVER. Tippy imo is not the place to take kids to introduce them to salmon fishing. The rip and grip method is praticed alot down there (im not on my high horse and i did it as a kid before i was taught the correct way so dont start bitching)There are alot better places to take them on that river were you can still hook fish and have fun and not worrie about crossing lines and things of that nature. Once again its just my 2cents. Have fun and tight lines

Burgundy


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## JimP

Mr Burgundy said:


> There are 2 bait stores there. Pappys and fishermans Hq. Both are great, phone #s are 231 848 4242 and 231 848 4142. As for when, there are fish there already. Not great #s yet but still fish there. As for when to take them thats not a zoo.... NEVER. Tippy imo is not the place to take kids to introduce them to salmon fishing. The rip and grip method is praticed alot down there (im not on my high horse and i did it as a kid before i was taught the correct way so dont start bitching)There are alot better places to take them on that river were you can still hook fish and have fun and not worrie about crossing lines and things of that nature. Once again its just my 2cents. Have fun and tight lines
> 
> Burgundy


These two bait stores are on M55 in Wellston, south of the river...the stair side.

"Andy's" 231-477-5737 is on Coates Rd in Brethren, the north side of the river, leading to Dillings Rd and Tippy boat ramp.

Right now, High Bridge Rd between Wellston and Brethren is closed for another week or two.
To get north of the river to Tippy, Rainbow Bend or Bear Creek from the south, you'll need to cross the river at Red Bridge west off M37 or through Manistee on 31 to Coates then east to Brethren. PITA right now.
Should be open come September.


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## stickbow shooter

Andys is on the brethren side of the river(north side),and that's the side with the boat ramp at tippy.There are fish in the river right now , not very thick with them but they are there. I would rather go early than wait when its a mad house down there . Like Burgundy said ALOT of ripping goes on down there. That place seems to bring out the worst kind of people. They rip fish ,throw garbage everywhere, its like one big circus down at tippy. So come early.


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## swaprat

there is another on coates hwy near dilling road it in a guys front yard. cant remember the name for the life of me. it is a white building with signs they are still open last i remember the signs said bear camp or some thing like it. last i remember they had more tackle then andys in breathen.. this is on the non stair side with the boat ramp. i think i stopped in their last year and got oslo glo spinners any ways best of luck....


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## BIG DAVE

swaprat said:


> there is another on coates hwy near dilling road it in a guys front yard. cant remember the name for the life of me. it is a white building with signs they are still open last i remember the signs said bear camp or some thing like it. last i remember they had more tackle then andys in breathen.. this is on the non stair side with the boat ramp. i think i stopped in their last year and got oslo glo spinners any ways best of luck....


hanks and son's bait and tackle!!! way better than andy's, or pappy's 
for the price... hanks has the same fly's as pappy's and headquarters, for an $ 1:00 less each fly... on the south side of coats, east of highbridge...


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## swaprat

BIG DAVE said:


> hanks and son's bait and tackle!!! way better than andy's, or pappy's
> for the price... hanks has the same fly's as pappy's and headquarters, for an $ 1:00 less each fly... on the south side of coats, east of highbridge...


that mite be the place if it is he down in a gully. you almost pass right by it every time. headed to dilling road. all i seen was the bait sign and it was off the beaten path a bit looked like some one house. and i been up there about 15-30 or so times and never stopped in great prices thought and service... any ways best of luck...


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## Benz

Fished it this weekend. Trout were being caught, but salmon were there as well. Just not biting.


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## swaprat

Benz said:


> Fished it this weekend. Trout were being caught, but salmon were there as well. Just not biting.



good to know thank for the report! they do get that lock jaw this time of year.


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## friZZleFry419

Me, if i was taking kids would stick to the boat launch side of tippy , stairs are cool too look at and thats about it. Plus, its just easier to navigate around on foot for that area if not familiar with the other side of the river imo.I Highly recommend Hank and Sons! lodged a few times there in one of the cabins too. Art the fellow who runs it along with his wife are very good people and very knowledgeable of current river condition and bites.


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## wdf73

Benz said:


> Fished it this weekend. Trout were being caught, but salmon were there as well. Just not biting.


They werent biting? Didnt know that ever stopped the "dammers" from taking home a limit or two!:lol:


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## Benz

Wasn't thick enough yet. Saw some nice browns caught and tossed directly onto the stringer though. Seemed odd to me to see just about every legal brown caught kept.


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## Tron322

I have been there a few times during late September and it was like international waters.

1.) I almost got into a fight, had to have fisherman get between me and another guy cussing me out(turned out the guy had been standing in the river around 30 hours straight with not a bite, he was going even crazier because I am a big guy)

2.) (same night) North side began casting lead snagging hooks into the group I was standing in on south side, we retaliated by adding sinkers and casting into them, five minutes it calmed back down after a lot of "don't make us come over there threats"

3.) every time, around dusk begin standing around if you lose you spot to take a leak or something, now have to stand and wait for room to open up somewhere.

and of course I can go on, those were just the highlights, always drinking going on, occasionally some drug use I see under the tarp villiages. I bring my Fiancé there occasionally, just never in September and October. I would personally peek at a map or call a guide if some little ones wanted to fish, fishing there is not that great compared to spots just 15 minutes away. It is usually OK now to about labor day but the salmon are gonna have lockjaw, that first run always does, I found they really only bite at night, and some nights the salmon still don't.


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## swaprat

Tron322 said:


> I have been there a few times during late September and it was like international waters.
> 
> 1.) I almost got into a fight, had to have fisherman get between me and another guy cussing me out(turned out the guy had been standing in the river around 30 hours straight with not a bite, he was going even crazier because I am a big guy)
> 
> 2.) (same night) North side began casting lead snagging hooks into the group I was standing in on south side, we retaliated by adding sinkers and casting into them, five minutes it calmed back down after a lot of "don't make us come over there threats"
> 
> 3.) every time, around dusk begin standing around if you lose you spot to take a leak or something, now have to stand and wait for room to open up somewhere.
> 
> and of course I can go on, those were just the highlights, always drinking going on, occasionally some drug use I see under the tarp villiages. I bring my Fiancé there occasionally, just never in September and October. I would personally peek at a map or call a guide if some little ones wanted to fish, fishing there is not that great compared to spots just 15 minutes away. It is usually OK now to about labor day but the salmon are gonna have lockjaw, that first run always does, I found they really only bite at night, and some nights the salmon still don't.



exactly!


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## Fishndude

I normally think kids wearing helmets is silly, other than when they are riding bikes. But it might not be a bad idea at Tippy dam, at the end of September.


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## lostontheice

Fishndude said:


> I normally think kids wearing helmets is silly, other than when they are riding bikes. But it might not be a bad idea at Tippy dam, at the end of September.


More like riot gear,and ear plugs


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## swaprat

lostontheice said:


> More like riot gear,and ear plugs


i just glad the laws not shoot first ask questions later with the local constables. how many time they had problems with guys up there. it is like a rerun's of sons of anarchy down there or even breaking bad. just imagine the worst when you head down there.


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## diztortion

Ear plugs make good wobble glows.


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## BIG DAVE

diztortion said:


> Ear plugs make good wobble glows.


and with a drop of anise oil!!!! your good to go....:lol:


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## stickbow shooter

A few years ago I moved back to the area and my oldest son wanted to go fishing (he had never hooked a salmon before) so we went down to the tunk hole .I had been away for several years and forgot what it was like down there. When we pulled in we started to see tents and campers every were. At the bottom of the hill it looked like a dam shanty town .It looked like we stepped back in time. AH the smell of dead fish, stale beer ,wood smoke and human feces. Then it all came back to me, I remembered why I quit fishing anywhere the Dam during that time of the year. All that kept going threw my mind was the Ned Beatty scene in the movie Deliverance .Told the boy time to go and aint been back since.


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## Lubbs

Wow thank you for all the replys , being stuck at work the whole weekend I would have never thought it would have 1400 views and 19 replys. After going through the posts I will have to find a different place to take my neighbors kids. I'll take my chances at boat launch side. 

For the people having luck with the trout what are people using ? I usually just head up there with a bunch of different colored spoons. 

As for the store I think someone named it , I remember leaving the boat launch road and turning left it was a white building and it was a husband and wife, and they were very nice. 

I plan on heading out hopefully in 2 or 3 weeks, time to catch up on some reading and checking out some other areas to hit while up there.


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## stickbow shooter

For browns I float either spawn or minnows .Spawn would be probably better since there waiting below the kings and gobbling up there eggs.


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## Lubbs

Thank you for the heads up


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## Fishndude

Once good numbers of Salmon are up in the rivers, the piers tend to be very un-crowded. That might be a great place to take a group of kids. They can cast whatever lures they want to, wherever they feel like it, as long as they aren't infringing on someone else. Shore casting around drowned river mouths (Manistee, Ludington, Frankfort) might be a good option, too.


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## irishmanusa

lostontheice said:


> More like riot gear,and ear plugs


I really don't see the problem?:yikes:


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## BIG DAVE

never did the salmon run in the fall at tippy!!! but ben fishing 
it in the spring sence 1973. not one time can i say that
i've seen or heard any altercations in the spring for steelhead 
fishing... going up to try for the first time labor day weekend
and try for salmon....IS TAHT BAD?? as you say???...
not what you have heard!!! only what you experienced....dave


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## limpinglogan

I love that picture

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Waz_51

Where was that picture taken?

Sent from my HTCEVODesign4G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## irishmanusa

Waz_51 said:


> Where was that picture taken?


That was actually a Pennsylvania Steelhead stream. It always reminds me of TippyKangFest....


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## rcurrie

The DNR stopped the camping down at the tunk hole this year. Its posted everywhere.


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## stickbow shooter

rcurrie said:


> The DNR stopped the camping down at the tunk hole this year. Its posted everywhere.


 I wonder why ?


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## Chad Smith

Tippy rules. I have a snagging lead hook combo my grampa found and gave me when I was fishing, "what the hell kinda bait is this Chad?", he said. I dont know what it is, just feels good at Tippy. Unless you're from the north then it prolly sucks, dealing with garbage all the time and what not.


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## wdf73

I took the family up yesterday afternoon for an outing. There are a few fish up above the coffer. Looked too crowded for me, so we went downstream and had fun with the trout and small mouth


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## GVDocHoliday

rcurrie said:


> The DNR stopped the camping down at the tunk hole this year. Its posted everywhere.


The FEDS stopped the camping at the Tunk Hole. NOT the DNR. The DNR has nothing to do with Tunk Hole recreation management.


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## GVDocHoliday

wdf73 said:


> I took the family up yesterday afternoon for an outing. There are a few fish up above the coffer. Looked too crowded for me, so we went downstream and had fun with the trout and small mouth


No Kings up this far yet. A small group ran up with a big push of skamania a few weeks ago but have since moved back out. The skamania are still pounding though. Yesterday was a good day as far as fisherman numbers this time of year...but still slow compared to spring...and a dead crawl compared to what it'll be in three weeks. 

The Little River and the PM have some high number of active kings. Still chrome and actuall biting. There's a seasonal local who camps over here by Tippy and he brought in a Little River King yesterday afternoon that absolutely swallowed his spawn bag and single number 10 hook. Weighed 26lbs. Said he had several other hits but he's rigged up for last years size and the kept snapping the leader. BIG kings entering the river so far this year. 

They're just not up to Tippy yet. Probably around the second week...14th or so of September will the kings make a push.


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## JimP

GVDocHoliday said:


> The FEDS stopped the camping at the Tunk Hole. NOT the DNR. The DNR has nothing to do with Tunk Hole recreation management.


3 years ago when we cleaned up Tunk hole after the Salmon were done, we had busted coolers, a TV, cut up waders, a basket ball size pile of line,
1/2 a trailer full of paper and plastic utensils, beer/pop/wine/liquor bottles and other packaging.
The place stunk to high heaven from the fish scrap piles thrown all over the forest. 
That year the USFS closed Rainbow Bend to camping for the same reason.

Just like irresponsible ATV use, a few bad apples spoil opportunities for others.


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## ausable_steelhead

GVDocHoliday said:


> No Kings up this far yet. A small group ran up with a big push of skamania a few weeks ago but have since moved back out. The skamania are still pounding though. Yesterday was a good day as far as fisherman numbers this time of year...but still slow compared to spring...and a dead crawl compared to what it'll be in three weeks.
> 
> The Little River and the PM have some high number of active kings. Still chrome and actuall biting. There's a seasonal local who camps over here by Tippy and he brought in a Little River King yesterday afternoon that absolutely swallowed his spawn bag and single number 10 hook. Weighed 26lbs. Said he had several other hits but he's rigged up for last years size and the kept snapping the leader. BIG kings entering the river so far this year.
> 
> They're just not up to Tippy yet. Probably around the second week...14th or so of September will the kings make a push.


I was at Tippy last week, and saw kings jumping above the coffer fairly regularly. Only 6 fish landed while I was there; 5 skams and 1 chin. Half the salmon were dark as **** and the others were tinted. One guy limited on summers fishing the wire(a given) and another was tossing hardware in black and banged two fish in 5 casts on the north side. The king was hooked somewhere near the face; didn't pay much attention to that one...


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## rcurrie

GVDocHoliday said:


> The FEDS stopped the camping at the Tunk Hole. NOT the DNR. The DNR has nothing to do with Tunk Hole recreation management.




oh my bad I have only been there one time. It was this past winter and I remember seeing signs all over the place.


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## calebbrwr

Fished tippy from 930 to 8 this morning three of us ended with five kings one male four females one skamania one walleye and caught and let go three small browns hot color was pink tipped with a wax worm


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## smitty1975

I grew up on the banks of tippy dam and seen everything you can possibly imagine. I literally could write a book. My Dad was a lite line warrior. People like him "the old Frenchmen", "Dick Swan", and "Dr. Dunn" were proving that salmon could be caught and didn't have to be snagged. During snagging season they would go down to the river with noodle rods and 4lb test and catch fish like crazy. We weren't the most popular people in town. It used to be a mad house, however about 15 yrs ago when my wife and I were first married I took her up to tippy in September to see all the people. I was blown away their was a pile of fish remains in the high side parking lot as big as a truck. The river looked like a garbage truck tipped over in it, and everyone was keeping foul hooked fish, I mean dragging them in backwards foul hooked. They said it was slamin salmon weekend. I haven't been back in September since. Very sad, I always thought the snaggers in the 70's and 80's were bad. I have two girls now and keep them away. Take the kids to the pier in Manistee at least if the salmon fishing sucks they can catch gobies and feed them to the gulls.


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