Indigo Guide Service

Michigan Fishing Report for August 29th, 2010

Click here for a good looking single page pdf version of this west Michigan guide report… perfect for a counter top or bulletin board.

For more regular updates, please visit our blog Third Coast Fly.

Pere Marquette-  average

We finally received a good push of salmon last week and the fishing has been good. We’re hooking fish every day in the lower river and landing a few as well. These fish are hot and hooking them is usually easier than landing them. The weather turned back to the summer pattern yesterday, southerly winds and warmer. Fish should continue to trickle in over the next couple days, but the forecast for later this week, a cold front and rain moving through, looks good for a big push of fish. Matt Dunn

USGS Real-Time Data for the Pere Marquette River at Scottville, Michigan

Manistee-  average

Smallmouth fishing below Tippy Dam has been good and trout fishing above the dam has been good. There were decent numbers of salmon in the Little Manistee last week but by Friday we couldn’t seem to find them. Mark Knee

USGS Real-Time Data for the Manistee River near Wellston, Michigan

Muskegon- below average

The river is very low. Smallmouth fishing has been good and there are some trout feeding sporadically in the morning on midges below Croton dam. Phil Cusey

USGS Real-Time Data for the Muskegon River near Croton, Michigan

Guided trip on the Pere Marquette River, August 25-26, 2010 with Indigo guide Kevin Morlock

"We'd like these two days each year until you see a copy of my obituary."

Jerry

Michigan Fishing Report for August 15th, 2010

Click here for a good looking single page pdf version of this west Michigan guide report… perfect for a counter top or bulletin board.

For more regular updates, please visit our blog Third Coast Fly.

Pere Marquette-  above average, falling

Lake Michigan off Ludington has been warm all summer. We received a good shot of rain last week but no salmon yet. The nice thing about fishing the lower river for early salmon is that if you’re not catching salmon you can usually get into some decent pike. With some wind out of the north and some cooler weather the salmon should start their run. Streamer fishing for trout was improved in the higher water, but mousing will be slow until the water clears a bit more. Matt Dunn

USGS Real-Time Data for the Pere Marquette River at Scottville, Michigan

Manistee-  above average, falling

Day fishing has been slow with the warm weather. Smallmouth and mousing after dark are your best options.

USGS Real-Time Data for the Manistee River near Wellston, Michigan

Muskegon- above average, steady

Water Conditions – above average, steady Again, with warm temperatures the trout fishing is slow Smallmouth fishing has been good. Phil Cusey

USGS Real-Time Data for the Muskegon River near Croton, Michigan

NorthernIslander, Spring Trout Fishing on Beaver Island by Steve West.  June 2010.

Spring trout fishing on Beaver Island?

I recently had an opportunity to go trout fishing with my son Gavin on the Muskegon River. Our guide was Kevin Morlock of Indigo Guide Service. Trout fishing on select Michigan’s rivers thrives in part because the state stocks small rainbow and brown trout each year.  Some of these fish migrate out into Lake Michigan and then return a few years later weighing 6-10 pounds or more.

The state of Wisconsin has had success with releasing some rainbow and brown trout directly into harbors where they return in the spring a few years later.  Based on the Wisconsin success it appears that Beaver Island’s Paradise Bay has the potential for a similar program.  If cold water fish like trout, acclimated in net pens to the bay, were released this could create a cold, shallow water, spiring and fall shoulder season shoreline, surf and harbor fishing opportunity that doesn’t currently exist. This scenario is one of the goals of the Beaver Island Conservation Club and could prove to be a plus for the visitor based economy.

Kevin Morlock, owner of Indigo Guide Service, had such a successful season guiding visitors for carp and smallmouth bass fishing last year he has brought and additional guide to the Island. Steve Martinez has joined Kevin here for June and July.  They offer catch and release flats type fishing with fly or spinning tackle using a stalking technique similar to that used for bonefish in salt water.

Photo Captions:

BEFORE: The author “shows off” one of many rainbow trout he caught. This is what they look like when recently stocked.

AFTER: Gavin West carefully releases a large lake run rainbow trout called a steelhead. With the right stocking and management plan the potential exists to wade into Paradise Bay in the spring and catch a fish like this.

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