It has sounded like it has been a slow fall and early winter so far. I know a few decent steelhead guys and they are not hitting fish like they usually do.

I fished it from a boat for the first time last week and we got skunked. We talked with a few other boats and it sounded slow for them too. At least we picked some good holes as they mentioned they wanted to fish them but we were there first. Hoping to try again Sunday.

 

Fish the lower river.

 

Thanks guys for the advice. Been fishing and still no luck on anything over a pound and a half but still trying. Goiing to venture out from tippy and check some other areas out to see if i can acquire a hen for surf fishing. Been wanting to hit the surf but need some brown or steel spawn first

 

Fished the lower river today. Tried the centerpin with no bobs down, so switched up to plugs. We had one good rip on the rod and he was gone before I was to it. Having never fished the big river from a boat at all before this and the last trip it has been a bit more of scouting/learning trips for us. Talked to another boat that caught 2 and a shore angler that had no luck.

 

If you can get some cured coho spawn that will work good. I believe that there are cohos still in the little M right now. Might be able to get a hold of some through a baitshop up there. As long as air temps are 26 or warmer fishing the surf and pier can be done.

 

I live a block away from the lower big manistee on the stretch of river between m55 and instalaunch. I've got the skunk every time I've went out and only hooked up with a handful of fish.

 

Yeah uh send the guy to a closed river. Little manistee closed december 31.

 

I think you need to re-read that, he said the Lower Big Manistee, BTW where he said is a pretty good place to fish.

 

If you can get some cured coho spawn that will work good. I believe that there are cohos still in the little M right now. Might be able to get a hold of some through a baitshop up there. As long as air temps are 26 or warmer fishing the surf and pier can be done.

I think he was referring to this.

 

Yeah probably

 

I heard from a few people that Steelhead were caught pretty well from some NW piers a couple/few weeks ago. It sounded like good fishing. Maybe the fish just aren't entering the rivers this fall/winter?

 

sorry about that. Maybe come next season it might be a good one to try.

 

Little manistee above the weir is still
Open I believe. They pass coho and steelhead over the weir all fall.

 

Never mind read that again. It's closed.

 

Thanks guys for all the replys. Any updates on the lower big man river and any results? Id like to keep this thread going for news and reports. I know the fishing is below terrible so i understand if people want to keep hush hush on their methods and results. Trying to hook i to some more chrome as ive been skunked on every other nw river so far since the start of november.

I feel guys with boats are producing much better as they can put in and travel to mid to getting close to man lake. Seems like chromers dont want to come up to rainbow bend to the dam except for a fish here and there. If they were there id see way more catches but ive seen 3 fish taken since november 1st up near tippy one being a hen i caught not to long ago. Simple jig and double waxie combo.

 

Also, i have coho spawn and have tried it on the surf without any luck. Should have kept the hen i caught a week ago as id be in business down on the surf.

 

J.W. ,
When your cold I bet you stay out of the wind dont you! Also as is in all Nature, it is about survival, and Caloric expenditure is a no - no, particularly in cold weather scenarios, save that energy. Being Ectothermic fish will seek out ereas that are warmer, even if by only a half Degree, perhaps less. Lower river areas tend to be dark bottomed which holds more warmth, also, I believe there is a lot of ground water reaching the river in the lower reaches, ground water is on average about 40*

 

Very good point mettlefish! I will definitely keep that in mind! Went to tippy today, terrible outcome. Weather got bad only caught a couple small browns this time. If roads are half clear, i might hit up tippy again or venture down river near rainbow bend or something.

Water is way down compared to last week so maybe fishing down river might be more adequate. I just think plain and simple the fish are not coming up river this year thus far and staying out in the big pond. Will post updates tomorrow on my catch if anything.

Tried plunking today for the first time there without any luck. Set up a peach to orange spin and glo with 2 beads and number 8 octo hook tipped with a perch minnow. Figured id least hit a small brown but didnt get a scratch. Trying to reach out and try all avenues as the little amount of fish that are in the system near the dam have seen the same spawn bags/ jigs and waxies probably a million times already.

Is there any odd techniques anyone uses when fish a worked over a lot that produce fair to good results. Example being mister twister jigging off the bottom, bass spinners, inline spinners with spawn or minnows, etc...?

 

Very good point mettlefish! I will definitely keep that in mind! Went to tippy today, terrible outcome. Weather got bad only caught a couple small browns this time. If roads are half clear, i might hit up tippy again or venture down river near rainbow bend or something.

Water is way down compared to last week so maybe fishing down river might be more adequate. I just think plain and simple the fish are not coming up river this year thus far and staying out in the big pond. Will post updates tomorrow on my catch if anything.

Tried plunking today for the first time there without any luck. Set up a peach to orange spin and glo with 2 beads and number 8 octo hook tipped with a perch minnow. Figured id least hit a small brown but didnt get a scratch. Trying to reach out and try all avenues as the little amount of fish that are in the system near the dam have seen the same spawn bags/ jigs and waxies probably a million times already.

Is there any odd techniques anyone uses when fish a worked over a lot that produce fair to good results. Example being mister twister jigging off the bottom, bass spinners, inline spinners with spawn or minnows, etc...?

Using scent can trigger pressured fish to go. Home maid is best I've found, though there are some commercial products that work good too!

 

When the weather is really cold, mid and lower sections of rivers often freeze up, or get so much shelf ice that fishing isn't really possible. But right below power-generating dams usually stays clear enough of ice to fish. Below Tippy, Croton, and Foote dams can be productive when you can't fish anywhere else. There may be a few smaller such dams scattered around the State, too. :evilsmile

I've had a few winter days that were really good fishing, over many years. But for the most part, you usually get into a handful of fish, or fewer per day. Often I go 1/1 on very cold winter days, and am perfectly happy with that.

 

When it's really cold... ya put on your snowshoes... venture out on the lower river, pop a few holes... lower that Flatfish or Mag Lip into the hole... run it back ... back... back...back... BANG... FISH!... I have had days specifically on the Joe at the Damn when it's a fish per cast.... below zero, snowflakes the size of baseballs, for inches on the brim of your hat. For whatever reason, that river (turbid water?) really shines in the cold. (at times)

 

Whawhat kind of homemade scents are you referring to kind sir. I have heard of using things like mikes lunker lotion which didnt work worth of **** for me during salmon trolling season, smelly jelly, etc... But i am afraid to buy any of it as i feel like i am buying a lot of unecessary things for steelie fishing.

Is anyone been fishing up at tippy or the lower man lately? I am going tomorrow for the last day before going out of state for work for a month. If i can get 1 more decent sized fish i will be so stoked. Id head down to rainbow bend area again but seems like i couldnt even hook a small brown down that way.

In my opinion, either there just aren't fish there and for the first time in my life fishing tippy i have been down there once or twice now where i literally was the only one there, or i just plain and simple suck at life and can't fish.

 

Anise oil is one scent that comes to mind.

 

Something you could try, never tried it myself but. Try just using vaseline. There used to be a couple of guys up near Honor that did this and swore by it. Hey it's worth a shot.

 

I start with Mineral oil, and yes one component is Anise (sometimes) There is a lot of information online. P.S. I do not think it is your fishing. This months B.A.S.S. magazine has a note about the temperature of the Great Lakes being the coldest on record, and far below the long term Avg.. River Temps. I would assume are corelatively cold as well. There is most likely some warm pockets of water in the lakes that are holding them there. It takes a lot longer to turn that much water.