Cheboygan Dam

[bmar444]

Any info on the run up the Cheboygan River?

Appreciate any info... PM me if you prefer.

Thanks!

[Bull Market]

Just a trickle. Historically you're about a week away.

[Steelmon]

I went up in the beginning of October, 2 years ago and there were plenty of Salmon at the dam. Everyone that was tight lining was "catching" fish. I was using spawn and looking for some early Steelies. I knew I was too early, but I just wanted to get out of here for a few days, at the time. My buddy did get a big female King to inhale a spawn bag though, either by choice or by accident.

[trapman]

what is a tight line rig?also what r good lures 2 use and colors thanks 4 any info

[Steelmon]

Tight lining is using a big weight, with a treble hook tied as high above it as the fish are cruising. You put a spawn bag on the hook for the appearance of trying to get fish to hit. You cast out and crank the line nice and tight. Salmon will swim into the treble hook, your rod will bounce and you set the hook on them, usually in some place other than the mouth. Now and then a fish may acutally hit the bag or accidently catch it in their mouth, giving the illusion of a fair hooked fish. I don't do it. I could have caught a mess of fish on my last trip, but I ended up with an empty cooler, except for sharing the big hen my buddy caught. I've seen salmon hoked in the mouth with an empty hook. The inhale so much water that a bare hook swinging in front of them can produce fish. Then there's flossing. You have a long leader with a hook and piece of styrofoam or minature marshmallows attached to it, to make it float off the bottom. The fish swim by and get the line stuck in there mouth, They keep swimming until the line slides through up to the hook or you set the hook, pulling the leader through their mouths until the hook catches. This another method that a purist wouldn't use. Follow your conscience though. If it's legal and feels fine to you, don't let my ideals stop you. You would have to read up on what's legal because, since I don't resort to these methods, I have no idea on what you can get away with. I used the flossing method many years ago, with marshmallows, and hooked a lot of fish in the mouth. I don't think they were eating the marshmallows though.

[Fishndude]

Tightliners in the know lay their rod down, so the line is at a small angle going into the water. Gives a much better chance of having a fish run into the line with their open mouth as they swim. Not real sporting, IMO; although a lot of people do it. Since the weight is at the bottom of the rig, the hook MUST be on a dropper line of some minimum length, off of the mainline. I don't know the regs, because I don't fish this way. It is a passive form of snagging.

[greatlakesanime]

Any updates on the cheboygan dam?

[Fishndude]

I fished in that area with a group of guys, last week. I didn't go to Cheboygan, but some of our group did. They did not see any fish roll, and nobody caught anything. Locals told them there hadn't been many fish, yet. We fished Swan Bay mostly, and caught some dark fish - but not very many, like in years past. A buddy and I got some in Alpena, but not a lot. Fishing wasn't hot anywhere in that area. When we came down, Sunday, there was 1 guy fishing the end of the south pier in Oscoda. Before the baitfish crash @ Huron, there would have been 30 guys on that pier at midday, at this time of year, and another 5-10 on the north pier. Harrisville looked like a ghost town.

[greatlakesanime]

Wow me and my son go every year to the cheboygan dam and we always do good.Sounds like this is a bad year all around or they just arnt in yet.Well were planning on going up this coming weekend hopefully we run into some fish.I will keep checking these reports before we go because we want to go where the fish are on the east side somewhere.

[ausable_steelhead]

I was on the East side recently and to me, it looked 1-2 weeks behind normal. The Au Sable had very few fish spawning, which isn't normal for this time of year. I think the next two weeks will pickup for the sunrise side. I haven't fished Cheboygan alot, but it seems to be a later run. We usually stop there while steelheading elsewhere in November, and see a lot of salmon.

[greatlakesanime]

Will the salmon make there usual run this year on the east side?

[abstract_72]

There hasn't been a "usual run" on the east side in several years... When we would catch lots of fish (a few years back) in the thumb casting spoons, the run was always getting good in mid-October all the way into early November.

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Tightliners in the know lay their rod down, so the line is at a small angle going into the water. Gives a much better chance of having a fish run into the line with their open mouth as they swim. Not real sporting, IMO; although a lot of people do it. Since the weight is at the bottom of the rig, the hook MUST be on a dropper line of some minimum length, off of the mainline. I don't know the regs, because I don't fish this way. It is a passive form of snagging.



Dropper line must be 3" or more.

[jason13176]

was just up there and they were getting them at the damn,lots of fishermen though

[greatlakesanime]

So are the fish starting to come into the cheboygan dam now?

[greatlakesanime]

My wife just called me and said there were alot of cars parked at the cheboygan dam. Has anyone heard anything new about the salmon coming into the dam?Iam primed to make a run up there.Please let me know.Thank you

[Bull Market]

Prime time right now, 'til the end of the month.

[Streamside Custom Rod]

Anybody ever get any big browns out of that river?

[Bull Market]

Years ago (so the oldtimers will say), there was a good fall run of spawners from the big lake. Personally, Kelly, I haven't seen anyone take any big fall browns since I've been watching the past 4 or 5 years. I can't even begin to explain why the change. Then, again, I don't drive by the dam much in November. Maybe I should.

[riflerivertroutchaser]

I got a chance to sneek away from the family vacation this weekend and put some time in at the dam. First of all I must say that you boys up there in Cheboygan have it good with that dam. I had a blast fishin there for the few hours i had. Shortly after I started fishin Fri. morning i watched a spawned out hen swim up to the rocks in front of me real slow and just flop over right in front of me. I kept casting for a while and let her lay there. After about 10 minutes of no movement from the old girl I knelt down to check her out. I grabbed her tail and pulled her back and forth through the water a few times and she she started to move around. I let her go and and started fishing again and before i even reeled in my next cast she was gone. Was really a great trip to northern MI and I really hope that sone of the 30 guys down at the dam that morning hooked and landed that fish I woke up.

[Streamside Custom Rod]

Years ago (so the oldtimers will say), there was a good fall run of spawners from the big lake. Personally, Kelly, I haven't seen anyone take any big fall browns since I've been watching the past 4 or 5 years. I can't even begin to explain why the change. Then, again, I don't drive by the dam much in November. Maybe I should.
That is one place in Lake Huron I have not fished yet. Might have to come up next month and jerk my streamers around - always enjoy fishing new water!

[greatlakesanime]

Well be heading up to the cheboygan dam early tomorrow. Ill post back sunday hopefully with some pictures.

[greatlakesanime]

The salmon are definately in at the cheboygan dam. We did really good.Iam thinking they will be in for a couple more weeks.

[Streamside Custom Rod]

That is good to hear! What size were the salmon? I have heard of some good salmon fishing in the northern portion of lake huron this late summer and early fall.

[Steelmon]

You catch a few different species at the dam, even little Pinks, so the size varies. I've seen 20lb Kings too.

[Bull Market]

The salmon are definately in at the cheboygan dam. We did really good.Iam thinking they will be in for a couple more weeks.

Good for you . . . what was your preferred method? Most people that flock to the dam don't do well. It's kind of curious to watch. Out of 40 people, the same 3 or 4 are the one's hooked up. BTW Action tapers off quickly around the end of the month.

[steelieagw81]

99% of the people are snagging.

[Steelmon]

Yeah, last time i was there, my buddy and I were the only ones using spawn and floats or little split shot. Everbody else was tight lining. I started to cast a Hot"nTot, but decided to change, because I figured a would probably foul hook any fish. The fish are cool to watch though. Since it's just a round basin and not very big, they just circle around in schools. We wore polarized glasses to try to pick out any Steelies that may be following them. We could count the number in each school as it went by, then started recognizing individual fish as they kept passing by.

It'a cool place to watch the fish. and a good Steelhead spot soon.

[Bull Market]

We could count the number in each school as it went by, then started recognizing individual fish as they kept passing by.


Yup, I know what you mean. It's easy to positively ID the same fish several times. especially when they're wearing a red and white daredevel or cleo in their back.