Best day steelheading?

[ausable_steelhead]

What was your best day steelhead fishing, numbers wise? I've heard of 20 fish days, but that just seems to hard to swallow, I mean that's alot of steelhead. I'm not going to even mention mine!:D

[Shoeman]

20+ fish days used to be common. That is between 2 fishermen and a boat. The Au Sable used to allow days like that at least a few times a season. Days of "cycled" water and stain would generate a daily run of fish. Saving the banks from erosion through natural flow requires a weather phenomenon to duplicate the daily cycling that took place. I'm sure the BM was the same way

[Mike]

It was on a Saturday, December 2001. Went to the Muskegon with Splitshot, Shoeman, and Gardenfly. Ray and I fished out of my boat. Too much fun. Don't remember how many Ray landed, but it was a lot. Days like that keep you going back for more. :)

Mike

[nymph]

I have two days that come to mind.

The first was a (10) fish day that I had five years ago in the beginning of May. I was fishing alone and basically had the river to myself. It was one of those 50+ degree days with a light rain. Perfect for steelie fishing. Every slot behind a red had fish and most held several. Man, did I hook a TON of fish that day.

The second was an unexpected day in the middle of March four years ago. It was cloudy and snowing lightly. As I recall, the temps were in the low 30's at the peak of the day. I had made the decision to wait until 11am before starting to fish (the temps had made it to the upper teens the previous night) and fish until 2-3pm. Again, I had the river ALL to myself. I fished a short stretch that I frequent when time is limited. As I came to the first run, I hooked and landed a fish. No more action in that run after that, so I moved on. As I reached the second run, I hooked and landed another fish. Then, nothing, so I moved on. It was the exact same scenario in all seven runs that I hit. So at days end, the total read; (7) fish hooked & (7) fish landed. It was a 100% landing percentage on steelie! Now please keep in mind, the water temps were still pretty chili, so I didn't have those circus jumping, flat-out hall ***** runs straight back to the lake. All of the fish were a little lethargic, but hey, I'm not complaining.

Boy, I sure wish I was out fish'n right now!


nymph

[islaysteelies]

Opening day of deer hunting 1994 on the PM (before I was really into hunting). Went 8 for 8 in 3 spots all while breaking my rod on the 5th fish. Went back up to the truck got my back-up and landed 3 more. Funny thing was...My buddy was fishing next to me the whole time using the same thing and never touched a fish...I've hooked more in a day at the Grand but this one stands out in my mind the most...

[flyrod4steelhead]

2 Year's ago fishing the Betsie River. There were fish everywhere. I started out early in the morning, just walking and hitting a few of my favorite spot's (along with everybody and there mother's favorite spot's, lol). One hole I stopped at (I didn't now it at the time) was filled with them. I'm can not recall how many I hooked and lost/landed, but I know one was for sure, I went back for lunch with a very sore arm.

It was fun, and a few time's, I just sat there and marveled at how many fish were sittingin front of me, and nobody around me. Just me, the fish, and mother nature. That is why these fish have us fisherman coming back for more every year.

[jeremy L]

i can think of times, and i say times because we did this more then once, in which me and my dad both limited out on steelies at port austin. this happened in spring and fall.

One day i remember well we had 5 steelies, 1 king, and one browns to show for about 3 hours fishin. this was on a sunny morning in mid march when winds were about 10-20 and temps in the mid 30s and the water gin clear. you could see the river bottom moving with fish, both browns and steelies. all the fish were caught with spawn/marshmellow combo.

Another time, about 4 or 5 years ago, we were fishin the pigeon river in caseville and we were nailing perch, we took home two 5 gallon buckets full of them that day. However, my dad decide to try spawn for some steel and he ended up gettin his limit and losing more, while we sat feet away gettin 10perch. that was a nice day period.

then, there was my first steelhead, which i now just rememberd, It was a spring day maybe 6 or 7 years ago. My dad, me, and one of my friends where fishin the pigeon river near the town of pigeon for suckers. We had caught some suckers and carp, along with a few bass that day if i remember correctly, we were just gonna leave when my friend and i decide to go downriver a bit to a shallow run which was full of gravel, i was usin a crawler and splitshot with my zebco 202 and casted into the run and the worm drifted into a hole where the run washed out. well, i felt a tug so i set the hook. I thought it was a sucker it i seen it then i didn't know what it was. I started to walk towards it and i sunk up to the top of my boots in mud/clay. then, my reel got a birds nest in it and i had to pull it in by hand, good thing it was a smaller fish. i think it was about 20 inches long and i remember it was nice and silver. Now, when i fish that run, its with better tackle, a small spawn bag or mepps spinner, but i still sometimes sink in the mud that is over there.

now, i have to thank AS, for starting this thread, because now i have that itch even worse, thanks alot!!!:mad: :mad: ;) ;) ;) ;)

[ausable_steelhead]

No problem, your welcome!:D

[Gabe Nyblad]

Two days stick out in my mind last year on the muskegon. The first one was probably the first time that I really hooked and caught a bunch of steelies by myself. It was a cold sleeting hailling April day and I walked into a spot that a freind told me about. landed 4, but hooked about 10. Thats when I realized I could hook into the fish and then had to figue out how to land them. The next was about a week after that and I was with my buddy who's a guide, in his boat on the mukegon and we landed 14.

I've been hooked ever since.

[mechanical head]

Numbers wise ! More than 15 landed, in four different rivers...Twice that many hooked...Per Person.

Rivers- Grand, (absolutely unbelievable numbers) Rogue (in its prime, 5+ years ago), Jordan, and the Betsie..

Honerable Mention... Lower Ausable

[northern_outdoorsman]

Well 3 days come to mind for me...

1st day, with Splitshot and SFK...I landed 2 and had more on...The 1st one being my 1st ever Steelhead Landed after 4 years of trying! Dec 29, 2001 12:06:45 PM ....LOL

2nd day was with Kingfisher2 Marc, Feb 2002...Marc landed 3 and I landed 2...Actually that whole 13 day Steelhead Expedition was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

3rd day was a river not too far from home...I had a PIG on for 15 minutes and it spit the hook, Landed a 8lb Hen, and then lost another 3 fish....went back the next day and got a colorful 6lb Male!

Wanna hear all my other days Steelheading???? Cause They ALL are the BEST!!!!!!!!!!:p

[fishctchr]

In the boat on the big pond, 3 or 4 times with 20 plus steelhead in the boat.
On the pier and in the surf, a couple of 10 plus steelhead days.
In the river, one 10 fish day and many 5 to 8 fish days.

[JWF]

Never really had a big fish days, but my favorite was on the PM last April. Skunked in the morning fishing a section with numerous other fisherman. Struck out on my own and found some relatively secluded water. Ended up hoking five and landing three in about 1 1/2 hours.

[knockoff64]

In February of '94, during a stressful divorce, I headed up to Manistee, just wanting to get away. The Lower river had been "locked up" for 3 weeks and very few fish were up high.

When I arrived Friday night the ice was going out and the river was up a little with good color.

Paul Schafley from the Riverside Motel and a buddy of his named Mike and I made plans for the next days fishing over a burger, beer and a wings game.

Saturday morn brought a fresh inch of snow and no tire tracks at the launch just above Manistee lake. We stopped at the first hole upstream, and proceded to hook fish on 5 consecutive casts with spawn. We moved to another hole, put out plugs and were slammed with multiple fish as we slipped into the tail of the run.

We moved again, not wanting to "fishout" any holes. Nearly the same results in several more holes. We didn't see another boat until 10am on the way back downstream.

The total for 3 hours was 15 Steelhead, 1 18in Brown boated and nearly that many lost!

Two years before in November, we hooked 12 and landed 8 from one hole in the lower end.

Ralf, the Manistee was very much the same story when the water was being cycled, the fish would move up in the holes and go on the bite. Rising or falling, but especially rising water meant consistant action.

[Butch]

Interesting stories. Some of my best steelhead fishing was on the same or almost the same days as some of you. I think the most steelheads I landed was 10 in an afternoon in mid-March, 1999(same day as Jeremy?). Another great day for me was in mid-November, 1994 on the PM(like Islaysteelies). I caught several including my biggest ever, despite limited fishing time because of hunting. Lots of good memories from December 2001 too.

Butch

[Whit1]

I'll give two catagories.
Beach/Pier Fishing:
Actually too many to count, especially in the '70's and '80's. I had several 5-8 fish days, mornings really, and lost a few to boot.

River Fishing:
Some 4-5 fish days come to mind, but the best was on the Betsie several years ago. The ice had gone out of the lower river a few days before. followed by a drizzly rain one night. I was fishing the railroad grade at Elberta, alone, and landed 6-7 fish, losing I have no idea how many that made a mad dash under the rr trestle. WoW! What a morning!

[POLARBEAR]

any day out fishing on the river is the best day.:D you have heard that so many times. if you have not had "big" days with lots of fish just keep fishing. move around and fish different rivers and alot of different spots on those rivers. i fish the betsie, bmr, lil man, pm. i have been on many other rivers but these are the ones i am confident on finding fish. i have had very successful days on each. i am very fortunate. :)

[grizzly]

Like Shoeman said, 20 fish days were not uncommon when the ausable had water in it. I believe our best day with 2 guys in a boat was 28 fish on and 23 landed. I would have to check my log book. But all we can do now is hope that the water levels come back up. I remember having to tie spawn in the boat cause we ran out. Man those were the days. I remember multiple times having a steelie chase your spawn bag to the boat and nail it. That will get your blood level rising.

Grizzly.

[fishinlk]

In Michigan my numbers are horrible. ZERO.(although I haven't fished steel up here since I moved).

In Ohio it was 8 hooked and 7 landed in about 3 1/2 hours. I've never had time to to fish a whole day when the fish are in good. 20 fish days are very common if you fish the peak of the runs. My cousin usually manages a handful like that every year.(he's 10 min from the water :( ). Our size isn't quite as high as up there yet(about 26" avg.) but the numbers are fantastic.

[ausable_steelhead]

Yeah, I hear ya, the Au Sable used to be awesome, not that it sucks:D , but I remember my Dad's first trip steelheading in 1992, mid-Febuary, he hooked 7 fish, landing 6 steelhead, and 1 18lb lake trout, off the south pier at the mouth of the Au Sable, his buddy, a local, landed 10, including three males over 15lbs! One of these days, I'll have a day like that!

[Spoon3234]

These are some outstanding days fellas. Hopefully some day I will have a really good one but my most memorable so far was when I caught my first two.
I walked a mile to the river in a sleet storm in early may and started tossing a spoon that I had gotten follows when using in the 5 or so fruitless years before. Just before dark I made another cast and reeled in until the spoon was about 10 feet from me when it got too close to an angry 12 lb. buck who gobbled it up and took off. He rolled a couple times and I finally landed him 15 minutes later.
My black and pink spoon now affectionately known to me as "black betty" (great song too by the way LOL) was so deep in his throat the fish was sure to bleed to death. The fish made a great meal though.
Anyway, I decided to keep fishing and about an hour later, just when I started to reel in after letting the spoon sink, another almost identical fish nailed the spoon. This one took a half an hour to reel in and I thanked him and sent him on his way.
I never thought I could be so happy walking home in the middle of the night in a sleet storm, I'll never forget it.

[ausable_steelhead]

Great story spoon3234! Nice.

[Spoon3234]

Here is the hilarious snapshot of when I got home..

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/530/3672FirstSteelhead-med.jpg

Hopefully that worked..

[Whit1]

Thanks for sharing an excellent photo. Can that grin be any wider?.........LOL!

[mich buckmaster]

It was about 5 years ago we had a very early run of summer run fish in the St. Joe. The fish were there by the hundreds, and the ladder was closed. The fish were just stacked up like no tomorrow. You couldnt cast and not feel a fish. We had TOOO many to count on and landed well over 20.

Now for in a boat, my father and I came up to a small feeder creek and I saw all these weird sticks up in the stream, but they werent sticks, but steelhead. So parked the boat right at the mouth, and where the water was coming out was a huge hole. There had to be 500 fish sitting in this hole and behind getting the fresh cold water.

We sat there and had a ball. Man that was fun. Keep them coming boys.

[toto]

My best day is when I can get out and go. As for numbers, the best I have done is hooked 17 one nite on the Platte. I don't remember how many I landed but just to hook that many was awesome. A friend of mine and I had another nite like that, we honestly can't remember how many we hooked, but it was at least that many a piece, hard to believe but true.

[Fishndude]

.........but 2 friends and I hooked 31 Steelhead and landed about 17 or so last Spring on the Ausable. We even had to wait for someone else to vacate the spot we wanted to fish, and only fished for about 6 hours. They were thick in the hole, and we were all over them.
The next day we couldn't get a bite in that spot.

When you could fish in the coffer at the Ausable, I often had days when I would hook 50 or more in a day. I sometimes went home early because I just was too tired to fight any more fish.

I have had some great days at Tippy dam, and the Pennsylvania tribs give up HUGE numbers of Steelhead.

[fmontie]

Mine was March-1977. 8 people fishing the first hole on the Platte River. Everyone had 5 fish and then fished for fun. What a day!!!!
Somebody was always on fish while the jumps were specatular!!

[Downrod]

Mine was 2 years ago on the big Manistee.
ended up 3 for 5 with my 9 year old son reeling in all the fish.
I also had a screamer on that day that hit the spawn bag and came up out of the water so high it almost landed in a tree.
That fish hit the water and took off downstream, all I could do was watch the line peel off the reel. It finally lost me in some wood. I'd guess it was 15-17 pounds

[Termie33]

We had a couple days with 2 man limits in 2 hours out of saugatuck fishing the scumline, hooking into 20 or more fish in that time period. Total craziness

[huntingfool43]

Best day ever was 2 years ago when the only fish caught was by my 14 year old son, his first ever. It was a 9 pound hen full of eggs,she spit a bunch in the boat when I neted her for him. Have had days in years past of hooking 15 + fish in the Rouge and the Grand.

[Gone Fishing]

I saw this thread earlier and refrained from responding because I figured nobody would believe me but it might give some people a hint on where to go for some good Steelhead action. Erieau Ontario, July 2002........35 Steelhead boated. Talk about an action packed day of fishing! I had my wife and son with me for a day they will never forget. Also had several experienced fisherman along to help keep rods in the water. Unfortunately my son has been spoiled so bad fishing Erieau that less productive spots seem a little boring to him. BTW, any fish that was brought to the rubber net quickly and was not hurt was returned to fight another day.

[DANN09]

John, I was watching this thread waiting for You to mention that Erieau fishing trip that You did'nt take Me on. That had to be some day. I'll be there next summer.

[SteelYarn]

My best day happened to be a two day total. This took place on the betsy around march 2,2002. hooked into 22 landed 7 and released 5 kept a nice loaded 13lb hen and a 5 lb eater. That trip the wind was howling the temp was 20 degrees and the snow was flying... :D

later Wally...

[Gone Fishing]

DANN09, I have a couple friends that keep their boats there during the peak of the season. I'll let you know when the action gets hot! We usually also throw the boards out with snap weights and deep diving crankbaits tag teamed with spoons in hopes of catching some of those hawg Walleyes that roam that area. They aren't plentiful as days gone by but we got quite a few over 9 along with Paul's 11 lber.
I used to have pics of the Steelhead that we kept that day in the picture gallery but I must have deleated them. I did still have a pic there of a couple of Erieau Walleye.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/542/2049pauls_walleye.jpg

[GrungeFish]

I've had a few days where I've hooked quite a few, but I think my favorite day, I only landed one smaller one. Can't remember if it was April or May, but I was fishing streamers on a smaller river with my brother. We had both fished a stretch of water pretty well, and each picked up a few trout. I suggested we move on, and my bro convinced me into one more cast. Drifted it through this run and he came up and slammed it. I still have the image burned in my mind. It was a great fight on my 5wt. I agree with several others in that anytime you get out is the "best" day.

[Matt Schalk]

For numbers - the best day I've ever had on the river was the first Saturday in April in either 1993 or 1994 while fishing a MSSFA Spring River & Surf Tournament on the White River with my partner Rich Maciag. As close as we could figure - we landed between 31 and 35 steelies for the both of us. Won the tourney with 39 pounds 2 ounces (if I remember right) for our three biggest fish (BIG buck males). We were fishing holes with flies behind actively bedding fish in a misty rain with the river rising about a half-inch per hour - PERFECT conditions.

Had another GOOD day fishing a Fall R & S tourney in either '94 or '95. Darrel counted that day - I landed 18, Rich landed 15, and Darrel himself put 9 on the pier. We fished a south pier with a hard north wind and the fish kept coming into it. Can't remember the weight of our biggest 3 off-hand, but we only managed a 2nd place. It may have helped that we were outcasting everyone else on the pier and the silver bullets were finding our fresh salmon sacs first. We put the small ones that we culled on the inside of the pier.

Was also on the ice one day with 2 other guys and we pulled 18 steelies and a brown out of the holes. Had a quintuple header going on the Slammers that was a treat too.

I've had some phenomenal "openers" in the past as well with and other "double-digit" days - they're not common and few and far between, but nowadays I'm just happy to be out there.

[GONE FISHIN(LARRY)]

best day steelheadin thats a tough one,with 35 years fishin for em?like several guys have alreadty mentioned back in the day on the ausable it was common place to have 20 hook ups a day.but i think i have two best days that stick in ny mind.the elk river, fishing the rock jetty to grand traverse bay back in the late 1970's i was up there with my dad and three of his fishing buddies,a c.o. came a pon us while i was playing a fish,as my dad's buddiie netted the fish the c.o asked us how the fishin was? being young and dumb i took the the fish over to were we had the stringers tied up,my fish was #24 as i slide the fish on the stringer,my dad hooked #25 and we were done.the other day was in 1994 fishing the ausable in nov.i was up there with 5 guy from work.we rented two cabins from one of resorts up there.the guys played cards to wee hours of the morning,i was the only one to hit the river early, i cauhgt twin 15#er,s and a 7# before any one else got up.to this day the two biggest i've takan out of a river.