# Berrien Springs



## AnglerJake (Sep 10, 2002)

Coming up Wednesday. How has steelhead fishing been. Thanks!


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## Still Wait'n (Nov 25, 2005)

Suks!


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## adjusted3 (Feb 3, 2003)

I agree, sucks on the top half, fish the lower. We took one female on top over 9 hours of fishing and one other bite between 3 of us. Sat I fished the lower by myself and took 2 with 5 other bites inside of 5 1/2 hours. Now that could turn around any day......

Mark


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## AnglerJake (Sep 10, 2002)

Thanks. Going out with Gary on Goldeneye; hopefully he can find a few for us.


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## Razzo (Feb 17, 2005)

Steelhead fishing on the Joe has been very good this year. Going out on Thursday, will report. Was out on the 5th and went 5/8.

Slidding flatfish has been the way to go.

Russ


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## csootsman (Feb 6, 2008)

Razzo said:


> Steelhead fishing on the Joe has been very good this year. Going out on Thursday, will report. Was out on the 5th and went 5/8.
> 
> Slidding flatfish has been the way to go.
> 
> Russ


 
If the weather holds I'll be out on thursday also, most likely the lower half. Will be in a covered 18ft Sylvan. 

Clair


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## the specialist (Dec 1, 2008)

0 for 0 on the 12th. Walked spawn and had gold tots and wiggle warts on the side. We put in at Jasper Dairy.


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## Still Wait'n (Nov 25, 2005)

Razzo said:


> Steelhead fishing on the Joe has been very good this year. Going out on Thursday, will report. Was out on the 5th and went 5/8.
> 
> Slidding flatfish has been the way to go.
> 
> Russ


This was in Berrien Springs?


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## koz bow (Nov 18, 2006)

I would not say that fishing on the Joe has been that great. I do not fish at Berrien Springs though.

Went out from 10:30 AM until 4:45 PM on the 12th last Friday and took 3 fish with 3 bites. None came in the same run, and we covered a lot of water. 

Comparing this to the days from the past, I would say the fishing on the Joe has been slow. 

With this cold weather, (although it was only 20 on Friday and 30 mph winds), I would think that the bite will be better on spawn but we caught our on lures. Tried the lower section and had nothing, moved up stream a ways (way below Berrien Springs though) and finally found a couple of active fish.


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

Nice lookin batch of fish for a long day of fishin!

I know where that pic is taken, but I won't tell.


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## Razzo (Feb 17, 2005)

Still Wait'n said:


> This was in Berrien Springs?


Nope, we don't fish BS unless the river starts freezing. We fish closer to the lake. We were slidding flatfish (no spawn - I hate spawn  ).

When I fish the St. Joe, I fish it with a friend who is a guide. He has had an extremely good year with close to a nine fish average (in the boat) through November and the first week of December. I don't know how the last two weeks have been with the cold & rain. I'll find out tomorrow 

Good luck guys!


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## Razzo (Feb 17, 2005)

the specialist said:


> 0 for 0 on the 12th. Walked spawn and had gold tots and wiggle warts on the side. We put in at Jasper Dairy.


Do you slide?


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## TheUrbanMustache (Sep 23, 2008)

slid about 8-10 miles of the river saturday down around there and touched nothing in gale force winds. talked to 3 other boats that had the same fate. sunday got one way low talked to 2 other boats again and they hadn't touched anything on plugs all day either. there were some folks trolling down low didn't talk to those guys though. id say slow but im sure somebody found them over the weekend. with the water temps fluntuanting from day to day i think the fish are put in shock. they're there just put down.


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## the specialist (Dec 1, 2008)

Does slide = backtroll?


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## TheUrbanMustache (Sep 23, 2008)

yes indeed


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## koz bow (Nov 18, 2006)

Spanky said:


> Nice lookin batch of fish for a long day of fishin!
> 
> I know where that pic is taken, but I won't tell.


Spanky - don't be lickin you chops too much. We tried most of your holes and had no success. It was amazing not to see your boat on the river, as this is a change for me. I have only fished 3 times this year though. The first tourney where you whomped us, the next one where we whomped you and then this day. This picture was taken at days end in a spot that yielded no results! My brother just was not willing to get his hands wet until we were ready to head back to the landing.

He came home from China earlier that week and just wanted to get out. I thought he was going to carve out a piece of the fish and eat it raw on the boat. That is what he is used to now!:lol:

That was my first launching at 94 ,and boy is that ramp much nicer than the ones down stream!

Have a happy holiday! The Lund is officially in winter storage, and unless we get a big break in the weather, it is going to stay there. Water looks really high driving over it yesterday. Koz


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

I have been working down your way in Sodus(yesterday was the last day) and the jobsite is right along pipestone creek, and it looked high and brown yesterday and monday.

I couldn't fish this past weekend, I had to do this:












and this :










I am done with the river till after the holidays now. Too many folks want me to stand out in the cold and drive this:










Someone has to do it!


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## koz bow (Nov 18, 2006)

Spanky, where were you working in Sodus along Pipestone Creek? I have about 2 miles of Pipestone that runs through my property in Sodus.

I am curious.

I am thinking you need to wheel that thing over to my property for a while and I will invite all my friends!

I was down by the creek this evening and the level was down to almost normal. Things were looking much cleaner, although the cold temps are a killer.


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

Naomi rd.,  hard to see the house from the road, dudes got some mean dogs. I hafta wait till he comes to grab his dogs b-4 I get outta the truck.


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## koz bow (Nov 18, 2006)

Bell's place up on the hill?

I am off Dohm Rd, back to the west, off Naiomi

Small world!

Steve Arends is just South a couple of miles.

Like I said, the water was definitely clearer yesterday and the river today, as of an hour ago was higher than it has been but the clarity looks real good. I just crossed it coming from downtown BH and there is a lot of slush ice in the turning basin by the Paw Paw.

Hopefully we will get a thaw and get back into the fishing again.

Happy Holidays!

Koz


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## Kory (Oct 7, 2007)

Overnight last night Lake Chapin iced over the rest of the way. Haven't even looked at the river below the dam lately, but looking out the window here there is about 9 million geese down there. I guess you wouldn't have to go home empty handed...


Spanky,

Please stop posting pics of that food. It's torture man!


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## TheUrbanMustache (Sep 23, 2008)

and kory has a HUGE appetite.:lol:


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

I was hoping to meet Kory at the SW challenge tourney.Probably wouldn't have recognized me without the spawn bibs on.


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## Kory (Oct 7, 2007)

Poor planning led to neither one of us being signed up in time.

We did fish from 11AM to dark. Just backtrolled plugs around Shamrock and never touched a thing...

Ended up with a boat full of snow and that was about it...


It's raining here in Berrien and has been since last night. Most the ice on Lake Chapin broke up during the night. Going to be a flood in a couple days...


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

I am afraid you may just be right.

I am sure we'll meet some day at an outing or tourney.We have a spring challenge in March sponsored by the BC chapter, maybe you can make that one!


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## Kory (Oct 7, 2007)

Yeah I will have to make it. They sound like a lot of fun. Chances are you fire up that grill anywhere near here I may just show up!


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## koz bow (Nov 18, 2006)

Spanky - Once the river quits rising, the bite should be back on. The water is not too muddy, just super high. Pipestone Creek reached the 150 year flood plain level last evening about 9 PM, the Joe will probably crest by Tuesday, but down by Clementines today during lunch, the water was not overly stained, just very high. Good news is that all that ice is gone.

My guess is that by next weekend, things will be shaped up, and if you can find some slack water areas the bite should start up again and the ramps are in good shape now that the ice has melted off.

Good luck if you get out. Send me a PM if you are looking for a water clarity report. It is easy for me to get you an accurate one as I am passing by the river daily.

Koz


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## koz bow (Nov 18, 2006)

Oh, by the way, for now, I have been doing a little ice fishing. Can't beat fresh gills.


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

Thank yee kindly sir. Did the pipestone creek get over its banks down there by where i was workin where it crosses Naomi? The homeowner lives just off the road in that white walkout ranch there next to the creek.


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## Kory (Oct 7, 2007)

5 gates open at Berrien. If it was about 8" higher it would be flowing through the parking lot on the east side below the dam...


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## koz bow (Nov 18, 2006)

Spanky said:


> Thank yee kindly sir. Did the pipestone creek get over its banks down there by where i was workin where it crosses Naomi? The homeowner lives just off the road in that white walkout ranch there next to the creek.


Yes sir. Just not for very long. About an hour or two. It did not make it to the basement though, but even after it went down on Sunday, that barn/shed thing he has back there was in water.

Pretty amazing what mother nature can do!


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## Kory (Oct 7, 2007)

5 gates still goin today. Water is mud and never climbed above 33 degrees...


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