Shop Hours 8am – 5pm Daily
Not much new to report…the river is LOW & CLEAR throughout the entire Pere Marquette River system. Challenging conditions for sure; but proper presentation is getting rewarded! What little bit of rain we received last week did not do much, if anything, to the water level! It did provide a couple cloudy days which helped the action. The fish are incredibly hot right now and fishing lighter leader is not helping our landing ratio, but we have been putting some in the net most days. The fish were really on the move durning those couple over-cast days. Fun to watch the parade of steelhead, but tougher to catch for sure.
What’s not to love…awesome fish that you need to work for!!! Some of the fish we battled and lost were discussed more than a few battles we won! Once again, that is why Wild PM Steelhead are so special…they are not easy to catch! Tight quarters and limited “run-ways” for landing them…big fish in a little river!
The tougher conditions are getting “cut-throat” with some anglers/guides “low holing” and staying out ahead of everyone all day.…well, I have news for them; you don’t catch them all!!! Proper presentation, guiding and patience will fool the fish even if “X” amount of boats have fished through that water. The right time & place with quality drifts is generating strikes.
We have been throwing the “kitchen sink” at them…fly fishing, bead fishing and tossing plugs/spinners. Beads in natural colors (pale oranges, peaches and yellows in 8-10 mm) have been getting the most attention. I really enjoyed fly fishing everyday last week and several other days this fall, but we do it all! Lighter leaders and stealthy approaches are helping for sure!!! Make your first few casts count. Have all your line stripped off the reel if you are indicator fishing; the mid-drift strip will spook the fish in these conditions. Make sure to work the runs/pools from the inside out and keep working them to the very tail-out…the fish have been hanging down there a lot recently (or we are pushing them and then they finally bite in the tail-out?).
Despite the conditions we have had this fall, there are plenty of steelhead throughout the entire system. I can’t believe how well the river fished on some sunny days during these challenging conditions. The deck has been shuffled a couple times in the lower and middle river, but they keep cycling up stream. The extended forecast is calling for cooler weather and some cold nights. That will drop the water temps and slow the fish down a little bit (settle down their fights).
I have caught several in “no-man’s land”. Sight fishing is a real thing at this time of year and in these conditions! Hunting the river and looking while I am floating down the river has paid off with one cast “here and there”! With that being said and given the conditions (please tuck your boat close and have a seat while floating past other anglers and boats)…when fishing steelhead in gin clear water a big profile does not help!!
We are very busy until after this weekend and then we have available dates for guide trips…keep an eye on the weather and give us a call to book a full or half day guide trip…231-745-3529. Between Steve, John Robinson, Donnie Richards and myself; we can find a boat or two thru December. My current open dates are November 17, 18, 24, 25, 27 – 30. Plus, we have lodging available for fisherman and hunters. The season is no where near over…we have some greatest fishing opportunities before winter sets in…give us a call!
Just a friendly reminder…beads are NOT legal in the “Flies-Only” section (even if pegged above a fly). Plus, it’s a 1 fish (Steelhead) limit from Gleason’s Landing to Lake Michigan year round…1 fish per person per day.
This is one of my favorite times of the year! I always look forward to June and November each year and think fondly of all the great experiences/memories built during those two months in Michigan. I am 100% converted to steelhead fishing/guiding, but can switch to streamers for browns and steelhead at a moments notice. Fall streamer fishing can be extremely productive when the conditions are right (and they are NOT right at the moment…keep your fingers crossed!). I love stripping streamers for aggressive fall fish! The visual strike is the addictive ingredient; it is a lot of work with fewer bites….but, the encounters you will never forget.
Very thankful to be so busy at this time of year….THANK YOU!!! Super excited about the next 4 weeks and the fish we are going to catch and even lose…sometimes, the heart-broken battle is a better story/memory then the grip-n-grin. The steelhead have been HOT and extremely hard to handle with lighter leaders…we have lost many more than we have landed. They are a humbling fish, but that is what makes them so special…you have to earn them!!!
Good luck out there!
John Karakashian
