# Au sable ?'s



## DetroitFishin (Feb 21, 2012)

Hey all. I'm planning on headin up to au sable this weekend and I wana get into some fish! Preferably Salmon. No boat but I got waders. Also have fly gear and spinning gear. Wondering what the fishing has been like on the river more specifically the mouth area. I'm only 24 been bass and walleye fishing my entire life and growing tired of it. So I'm pretty much a rookie salmon and steelhead fishing. Spent a lot of time in the river last year with limited success! Any info on what tackle and gear to bring as well as what to do would be amazing! I'm most likely going to try the pier/mouth area unless I get a lead some place else. Thanks in advance and PMs would also be great!


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Pier might be slower, as the bulk of the fish should be working up the Au Sab. If you do try it, run some skein out there. We used to just smoke salmon off the north pier on skein or choker bags. I mean really, really hit them good. A lot less salmon now, but this time of year, that's what I'd run. Also, fish the deep holes in town.


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## Slodrift (Oct 28, 2006)

They poisened off Van Etten a few weeks ago to kill the weeds and it looks like Pea Soup right now which has the lower AuSable looking the same. I would imagine you would need to bounce your offering off their nose's before they would see it.

Sent you a Pm DF....


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## Oaky (Aug 13, 2012)

DetroitFishin said:


> Hey all. I'm planning on headin up to au sable this weekend and I wana get into some fish! Preferably Salmon. No boat but I got waders. Also have fly gear and spinning gear. Wondering what the fishing has been like on the river more specifically the mouth area. I'm only 24 been bass and walleye fishing my entire life and growing tired of it. So I'm pretty much a rookie salmon and steelhead fishing. Spent a lot of time in the river last year with limited success! Any info on what tackle and gear to bring as well as what to do would be amazing! I'm most likely going to try the pier/mouth area unless I get a lead some place else. Thanks in advance and PMs would also be great!


 
so I'm curious about that area as well as I may stop while headed to do some archery this weekend and next. Next week I'll be spending a river day myself - staying in Tawas for a day or two.

As far as technique, I'm relatively new to salmon fishing in the rivers (2nd season) but I'll gladly share what I have learned:
it seems that when the water temp drops in the 50 degrees, the fish move up. as they move up they find nesting spots - generally in gravel beds. Otherwise they hunker down in deeper spots (there can be ton there trying to get some colder water.)

the two techniques that work for me fishing wise are:
* males will come to a female. the female will pan on the gravel or against logs. try to leave the hen and instead target the males (this helps the fish reproduce and if you have a hen other males WILL show up. just a matter of time.). so find a good spot and target the males. you will see them chase off other males. you have to see the fish for this to work
* find a hole and cast ahead of it. the goal is to be able to create a rig to feel the bottom and pass right in their way. if the mood strikes them they may squish the eggs or strike at the lure. often you have to get in their way, but if you spook em game over.

as far as rigs. get a long rod - 9' is ideal. 10 guides and medium light is what i use. these fish WILL break a 20 pd test if given the chance. so a long rod and lots of guides allow you to fight the fish with rod.

I use a fluo leader. you can go as low as 8 but 12-14 pd is great. I generally hold the line in my hand. I don't really cast even though I use a spinning rig. It's a lot like fly fishing I use three set ups:
1) a bleeding hook - very sharp with an Atlas large egg (looks like an oversized plastic egg.) I then attach a small weight on a line about 4 foot up. this is a classic steelhead rig. you end up feeling the bottom and bites are very subtle.
2) a trebble with skein. either buy skein or eggs premade or catch your own.. once you do a mix of borax, sugar food die or other options work great.
3) same idea as either but use a bobber.

big picture the bites are very subtle - look at videos and you will notice that they squish the eggs. and they spit it out if they feel a hook. so when the line spots in a weird way you may actually have a bite..

Wading the river is a great way to fish technique 1. technique 2 is good for holes and pier fishing.. adding a bobber is helpful when you can feel the bottom (that to me is critical in river fishing.)

Hope that helps.. it may take a while to get a good hook into one.. but what a ride!

Lastly - do your part - when you can bring a piece or trash, or line from rivers. If every fisherman did that we'd probably all enjoy fishing that much more! If you're a native reproducing river, be conscious of taking too many hens - without their eggs, no fish 4 years from now. If the fish is too green no point in taking it anyway if she hasn't dropped her eggs.


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

Slodrift said:


> They poisened off Van Etten a few weeks ago to kill the weeds and it looks like Pea Soup right now which has the lower AuSable looking the same. I would imagine you would need to bounce your offering off their nose's before they would see it.
> 
> Sent you a Pm DF....



oh sure lets muckle up the salmon/steel fishing even more this year..... DONT tell me that there isnt a better time to do this.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Truthfully, Van Ettan dumps in far downstream, so it really only affects the lowest part of the river. At our cabin, which is over by Hale, they found some sort of nuisance aquatic weed this year (Eurasian Millfoil), and started treatment this fall I believe. If you don't treat this stuff, it will literally take over a lake. And once it is established, it is almost impossible to get rid of it. The stuff they use to poison the weeds isn't supposed to affect fish and crustaceans.


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