# Ausable 3-27-04



## IAIM4GREENHEADS (Apr 10, 2003)

Fished the Ausable yesterday from 5:00 am till dark - Water was really high. Tried waxies under a float for most of the morning had 2 hits but was unable to connect. Switched to bottom bouncing the remainder of the day with waxies,spawn, corkies you name it we tried it - Not a single strike. I know they have to be in there but we just couldn't buy a strike. Tried several known holes. Not too many people yet other than the pier. Didn't try there( wasn't prepared for the cold and wind) Thought it was suppose to reach 60 - ha. Any how I hope someone has some suggestions as to what we might be doing wrong or if it was due to the high water. Thanks


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## unregistered1 (Jul 23, 2003)

I think the answer to your problem was the North East wind we had Saturday. That cold wind shut em down. I fished the Tawas pier with no luck, there were probably 20+ fishermen on the pier and not a single strike. Also, I think the fish haven't exactly run the river yet. I say in two weeks. Good luck.


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## Krankem (Jan 7, 2003)

Yeah, Saturday was a let down. I went up Friday evening with high expectations, but it turned out VERY slow. Fished the end of the Pier from 3:30 am Sat. morning until around 2:30 or so. The river side was blown out with all the rotting debris puking out from the open dam upriver. Everyone pretty much stuck to the lake side - I fished the SE end trying to keep my baits in the clear side of the mudline. 

Despite the slow day, I did manage to catch two Steelies. The first one was a dark male around 8lbs or so that I hooked up with casting a spoon off the corner (love to get them that way). The other was a nice treat that hit an anchored sac. This one decided not to spawn this year, but made the mistake of coming a little too close to the river mouth to look for a snack. After making a Loooong toss straight off the end, this 5lb steelie hit my bait not 3 seconds after I set the rod in the holder. As soon as I picked up the rod, the fish went airborne, and pretty much went nuts for about 5 minutes, with 3 or 4 nice, screaming "shark fin" runs across the top of the water. I thought it was a hen at first until I noticed a solid, lean belly on it. Not sure whether it was a hen or a male, since it wasn't a spawner (which explains the extra energy...out-fought the first fish by about 3 to 1, despite the smaller size). Check out the nice color on its fillet...










Only four steelies, including my two had been caught on the pier all morning when I left 2:30pm. A very slow day compared to the previous, from the people I spoke with.

-Mark


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY) (Dec 28, 2002)

nice catch,Krankem


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## tommy-n (Jan 9, 2004)

once the fish are in the river there not effected by the wind, the current takes over. probally not many fish were you were fishing, better luck next time


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Some good advice when the river's way high and cranking? Stay home! When the Au Sable's high, there is so much debris coming down it's hard to fish. Wait till the water starts to drop, the fishing will pick up big time! I have a week of vacation coming up, I'll be on the Au Sable all week, cannot WAIT!!!!!!!!!!


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## Krankem (Jan 7, 2003)

When you're driving from Ann Arbor, you learn to just make do with whatever the river gives you  

-Mark


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Most of the debris that comes down the Ausable with high water dumps in from Van Ettan Creek, which is right in town. Above Van Ettan, there usually is pretty clean water, even when it is high. I long for the days when we had nice green water, but fear it will never happen on the Ausable again. It has been a very long time since I saw green water there. Whacked 'em when we had it. Imagine the Blockhouse where you can't see the bottom of the run. Killer.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY) (Dec 28, 2002)

fishndude,your ageing yourself,those days are long gone! this young guys only know the river as it is to day gin clear.With plenty of snow a top my head I remember those days well.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I used to live for the days when you could just barely see bottom in 2-3 ft of water. There were always a LOT of fish, and they bit like crazy. If the lakes ever come up again, the river level will also rise, and more clay will wash in during high water, and we might, JUST MIGHT, have green water again.

Heck, it was only about 7 years ago that they ran both floodgates at Foote dam and the water was up to the bottom of the railing in Spring. I missed the fishing, but heard it was awesome. The entire river was about 7 feet above the average level for a few weeks.

I used to run a full pencil weight all of the time, and sometimes had to put 2 on at a time. Now I clip off all but a tiny little piece most of the time.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Fishndude, I hear ya on the whole pencil, I buy 3/8, then clip off 3/4 of it. That's most guys problem on this river, they use way to much weight. I remember in December and January when the river was low, most every guy would come walking down with a full sized pencil, they hung-up alot. I've unfortunanetly, never seen the green water on the Au Sable, and I've only seen it stained once, below Foote during the second week of April, probably around 93-94, and they killed'em that day, the fish were bigger too, most males were 12-14lbs.


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