# Spring Steelhead On The Au Sable River



## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

Last couple days been some good steelhead fishing on the Au Sable River. Small nymphs have been top producers of late - Little black stones and little shrimp patterns have been out fishing everything else in my boat. Water temps are very cold now and the deep sand holes are holding almost all the fish in the river now. Last couple days been hooking 6-10 a day and landing about half of them. Yesterday rise in water sure made for a much harder bite! A few pics from the last couple days:


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## GrizzlyAdams237 (Jan 29, 2010)

Good job on fish!! Thanks for report


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## buck11pt24 (Mar 11, 2007)

Your right. Yesterday was rough fishing for sure. Only know of 2 caught and we fished hard.


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## RobW (Dec 6, 2012)

Are you guys putting in at Rhea? Who does your car spotting?


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## Tail-Chaser (Feb 7, 2014)

Do you guys run bobbers when floating? If so what is your aprox depth you set them at to keep out of snags?


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Bobbers work well on the Au Sable, nothing different from anywhere else. Some holes are better worked drift fishing, but out of a boat, you can float fish most of it. Depths vary greatly from hole to hole. There are a fair amount of runs over 15'. The deepest go 21'-31' down, and are bottomless looking.

There are a few spots that I'll almost only fish with a bobber. When you hit the right run, with the correctly balanced bobber rig, you'll bust'em good most of the time. Get that stem straight up and down, just above water and free-running downstream :coolgleam...this was a bobber fish from the Au Sable last week:


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

Tough conditions this morning on the Au Sable - right around zero degrees and water flows were cut big time. Heavy slush in the river but it starting going away around noon and the bite picked up. Guys in my boat went 3 for 6 in the afternoon and some nice fish. Been a really good nymph bite over the past weekend but this afternoon it was all micro egg patterns. Hopefully more water for tomorrow and warmer temps!


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

Tail-Chaser said:


> Do you guys run bobbers when floating? If so what is your aprox depth you set them at to keep out of snags?


Love floats in runs and hole with lots of logs - depth depends on hole but we fish them around 12' in many places. In open sand holes I bottom bouncing mostly.


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

RobW said:


> Are you guys putting in at Rhea? Who does your car spotting?


Rea rd is a great place to put in now and for car spot call Lynn at the Au Sable River Store.


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## RobW (Dec 6, 2012)

MichiganStreamside said:


> Rea rd is a great place to put in now and for car spot call Lynn at the Au Sable River Store.


Thank you!


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

Weather warmed up a bit today and the bite was on! Took Andy and Tom again today it sure much better than yesterday. They put 12 in the net and lost some others. Small black stones, hex nymphs and micro egg patterns all produced.


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## fishagain (Jan 2, 2014)

Beauty fish


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## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

In those water depths. Are you guys runnin those bobbers fixed or slip?


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

BillBuster said:


> In those water depths. Are you guys runnin those bobbers fixed or slip?


I like the floats where the line is threaded thru them and then you use a bobber stop. This way you can move stop on line to change depth quickly and it works in the depth we need to fish. There are a lot of good floats on the market now and the ones I use are the Cleardrift 20g or the Sheffield balsa wood.


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

Yes the good steelhead fishing continues on the Au Sable and a great bite the last couple days. Fish are sure running much bigger this year!


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## smokey79 (Mar 24, 2014)

Good job!!


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