# St Joe



## WorkHardFishHard (Sep 22, 2010)

Going to the joe for the first time. How is the fishing? Ill Be wadding.


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

Cold and slow. Not been much activity, save yourself the trouble and hit some ice for other fish.


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

Haven't been myself, but a couple of my friends went on weds and did pretty well in the middle stretches. 3 guys and 6 fish, lost 3 others, all on spawn. They had a boat though. If you had a boat, it would definitely be worth the trip. The river is awesome this time of year.

Good luck if you go.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

The Joe will always be special to me. I grew up wading and fishing the headwaters in Hillsdale, hooked my first salmon at Berrien and cut my teeth steelhead fishing there. Even lived in St. Joseph for two years and was on that river almost every single day at some point. Hell, I keep my canoe down at my parents house and still make the 'ol Hillsdale to Jonesville river trip from time to time in the summer. 

Right now probably isn't the right time to hit it if you're wading, but wait a few weeks and you should have an absolute blast. If the steelhead aren't biting all that well, you'll still be able to catch something be it a walleye or sucker. 

Having the Grand and Muskegon within 20 minutes of me, I don't get the chance to get down to the Joe much anymore, but when I do go there it's almost like I have a feeling of "going home." Great river with a lot of great memories from my younger days!


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

Hey Hutch, you may be lil young....remember Ray?...


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## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

METTLEFISH said:


> Hey Hutch, you may be lil young....remember Ray?...


Ray as in the guy who basically lives on the pier 3 seasons and down in the "run" during the Winter? Well, maybe not so much anymore, I have not fished there much the last few years...


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## bowonly (Oct 31, 2006)

METTLEFISH said:


> Hey Hutch, you may be lil young....remember Ray?...


 
Is ray still around its been at least 4 plus years since I talked to him! That guy put in some hrs! Even gave up some new spots to try once in awhile! Dont wade the joe much anymore and pier fishin is gotten to crazy for me!


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## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

bowonly said:


> Is ray still around its been at least 4 plus years since I talked to him! That guy put in some hrs! Even gave up some new spots to try once in awhile! Dont wade the joe much anymore and pier fishin is gotten to crazy for me!


Yeah, I seen him on the piers last Summer, he's still alive and kickin...


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

He starts fishing the piers in March almost everyday but Sundays. Does not fish the river anymore as far as I know.


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

That ol boy could put the hurt on some fish, I saw him take fish first drift @ 4:00 A.M. sooooo many times. Glad to hear he's been seen around lately he must be near 80 or so now.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

I'd remember faces, but not so much names. I started fishing at Berrien in...I wanna say, '85. That'd be about right since I was 14 when I hooked my first salmon and still remember every detail of how I was just frozen in awe as that fish went ape s*** and eventually spooled me. LOL!!! 

I do remember one old timer named, "Barb" -- always sitting on a five gallon bucket, always putting a hurt on the fish.


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

I fished the Joe hard then (mid 80's) we most likely fished near or with at some point there, though I do not recognize you from your pics (especailly the Chaz pic.) I remember in 88 after the drought that the chute was just creek bed.... full of Skams, I'd camp down on the shore... great times! Sally the redhead comes to mind too, she had the touch for sure...


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

METTLEFISH said:


> I fished the Joe hard then (mid 80's) we most likely fished near or with at some point there, though I do not recognize you from your pics (especailly the Chaz pic.) I remember in 88 after the drought that the chute was just creek bed.... full of Skams, I'd camp down on the shore... great times! Sally the redhead comes to mind too, she had the touch for sure...


Summer of '92--ladder closed all summer due to renovations, cool rainy weather all the time...absolute once-in-a-lifetime skam slaughter fest. Wow...that's all I can say about that summer!


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## bombcast (Sep 16, 2003)

thousandcasts said:


> Summer of '92--ladder closed all summer due to renovations, cool rainy weather all the time...absolute once-in-a-lifetime skam slaughter fest. Wow...that's all I can say about that summer!


No kidding. No joke, I probably landed 300 fish there that summer. It was the best research laboratory I ever had - caught them drifting wobble glows corkies and twister tails, bobber fishing with woolly buggers, then tried swinging flies and succeeded big time, caught them casting spinners and spoons, caught them plugging, caught them casting pearl bomber long A shallow divers like crazy, caught one jigging a hopkins spoon (facial!) out by the cans in slack water. 

It ruined me for a couple years. 

Hutch, started there about the same time. 1st fish there was on a 1/4 oz cleo in the chute, low water in early March. Absolutely 100% chased it and ate it - saw the wake behind the spoon. 

Took SO much grief from the locals - my first drift rod purchase happened the next day. :lol:


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

bombcast said:


> No kidding. No joke, I probably landed 300 fish there that summer. It was the best research laboratory I ever had - caught them drifting wobble glows corkies and twister tails, bobber fishing with woolly buggers, then tried swinging flies and succeeded big time, caught them casting spinners and spoons, caught them plugging, caught them casting pearl bomber long A shallow divers like crazy, caught one jigging a hopkins spoon (facial!) out by the cans in slack water.
> 
> It ruined me for a couple years.
> 
> ...


It was sick--I had this old chevy extended van and three of us would pile in, make the two hour drive and then have our limits in less time than it took to drive there! LOL!!! I saw a guy catch one on a slug. He turned a rock over, put a slimy slug on his hook and first cast--bang. 

When I first started fishing at Berrien, I always fished on the death wall where the flood gates are. Hook fish, make walk down narrow wall, don't look down. :lol:


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

I never fished that side til I got my drift boat, I was there the day that ol gent fishing the wall had a heart attack and fell into the river when it was roaring, they at first thought he'd fell into - then drowned/died, but an autopsy showed he died before he hit the water, he died happy!

My first drift presentation Steelhead came on a black wooly bugger that I pulled off a snag on a Devle Dog (Epppingers version of a Lil Cleo), tied it on ... pinched on some shot... VOUXLA!.... that Steelhead was not the only thing hooked form that scenario.....


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## bowonly (Oct 31, 2006)

METTLEFISH said:


> I fished the Joe hard then (mid 80's) we most likely fished near or with at some point there, though I do not recognize you from your pics (especailly the Chaz pic.) I remember in 88 after the drought that the chute was just creek bed.... full of Skams, I'd camp down on the shore... great times! Sally the redhead comes to mind too, she had the touch for sure...


I remember "red" she had a following! She could step in and fish anywhere she wanted. Always had some big bearded dude chasin her up and down the river! Thats bacck when fishin the Joe was hot!


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

thousandcasts said:


> I'd remember faces, but not so much names. I started fishing at Berrien in...I wanna say, '85. That'd be about right since I was 14 when I hooked my first salmon and still remember every detail of how I was just frozen in awe as that fish went ape s*** and eventually spooled me. LOL!!!
> 
> I do remember one old timer named, "Barb" -- always sitting on a five gallon bucket, always putting a hurt on the fish.


 I hear my dad talk about the guy on the bucket. He passed away I believe a couple of years back.


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## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

bowonly said:


> I remember "red" she had a following! She could step in and fish anywhere she wanted. Always had some big bearded dude chasin her up and down the river! Thats bacck when fishin the Joe was hot!


Big bearded guy may have been "Beastie", did he sell flies?


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

Boozer said:


> Big bearded guy may have been "Beastie", did he sell flies?


 Ha ha I thought the same thing but wasnt sure.


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