# Au Sable winter steelheading-Report



## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Well, I've been on the river a few times, and the fishing is pretty slow, there are fresh fish around, I caught a very beautiful hen not too long ago, very silver. Most fish are colored, with a few ******* around. Though the water temps are cold, some fish don't act like it, I had a hen that thought it was October still, not to long ago. I was bobbering a slow, woody seam, when down goes the float, I set, and she comes up headshaking big time. Then she goes streaking towards shore, then reverses, and comes flying at me! So I'm reeling like hell, and just as I catch up, she shoots out, rockets out of the water a good 2-3 feet, and spits it! No way, did that just happen!? But there are fish around, patience is required. I've been doing the best on spawn, waxies on a jig have caught a few. I haven't seen a difference between brownie bags, and steelhead bags. I'm still hitting a fish every once in awhile on spoons, but that's very day to day, I did hit an eagle-lake buck on thursday on one, but it's here and there. So fish are to be had, just gotta fish, tight-lines!


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## uptracker (Jul 27, 2004)

It's sucks. End of story. No more posts neeeded. Whatever, blame who you want. Sorry, I'm bitter about the whole Michigan situation.............period....we should all just move.


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## weekendredneck (Feb 16, 2002)

Thanks for the report A_S. I hope it picks up in a couple weeks.


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## stelmon (Sep 21, 2000)

Hey Jon,
I have to agree with the fish being a little confused this year but no complaints here!

Give me a call sometime. It's been to long since we last fished togather.


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## Krull (Mar 29, 2005)

Fished 1-27 for a couple hours in the AM. Beautiful day on the river banks. Only problem was did not get a sniff. There were very few people fishing, 4 or 5 drift boats was all I saw. Any thoughts on what this cold front is going to do? Last thing we need is the ice not melting until MAY again. On a positive note, I guess the ice fishing in the Oscoda area has been off the charts.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

4 - 5 drift boats is actually a pretty busy day on the Ausable at this time of year. 
When the weather gets quite a bit colder in Winter, it usually puts Steelhead off their feed in rivers. After a few days of consistently colder weather, they will usually bite a little better; but at first, they shut right down. 

The Fall run on the Ausable was terrible - I never talked to anyone who had what they considered to be a good day. There just might not be many fish in the system to catch. The fish that are in, are probably stuck in logs and very deep slow holes. That is normal for Wintertime.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Fishndude you are way right on the logs man. My best winter holes are filled with wood, which is why I do alot of bobber fishing in winter. One thing I've noticed on the Au Sable during winter, is I never can get fish drifting bobbers on bright, sunny days, only on cloudy. Also, the fish in this river hold in alot of places people wouldn't think of looking. One of my go to spots is right close to shore, and it holds good amounts of steelhead, well when we have a decent fall run. I think there just isn't a whole lot of steelhead in the Au Sab right now. Last fall we had a great run, and while the fishing slowed in the dead of winter, you could always find a fish or two, especially if you moved around, not this winter, it's quite slow. Also, there are alot more hens than males this winter, then again bucks are alot more finicky and cagey then hens.


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