Friday, October 20, 2017

Fall Steelhead

Hi All

Long time no write..Had a busy summer on Lake Michigan and around the lodge rentals. The big lake was fishing good this Summer with monster King Salmon caught in the 33lb. to 41 lb. range. The fish were eating good and so were the Lake Trout, many of the Lakers we caught were burping up Alewife's. Coho were present as well as Steelhead but harder to keep on, lots of them shake loose with violent head shakes and jumping. All in all a good season and my boat is winterized and tucked away in the barn.

The Fall Salmon run didn't disappoint. The fish were big and plenty were around. The Offspring of the 2013 run had good genetics and plenty of food. The stocking numbers have been light to let the Alewife's bounce back and they seem to be bouncing back in Lake Michigan after the Great lakes rose 4+ feet after 2 bad winters. So we still don't have the numbers of old school Lake Michigan Salmon fishing but it's not bad. I'd give the last 2 seasons a B- for a grade..

We had lots of fish in the river landed in the 20+ range and one stand out that was landed by the young man in the picture below that was over 30 lbs. He could not lift it right that's why half the fish is being supported by water. It filled the net and even I was kinda surprised. We landed a couple nice browns munching eggs while Salmon fishing also. Most of the good pictures are on customers cell phones per usual. So if you don't see your pictures it's because you didn't send me any..LOL..

Here we are current...It's Fall Steelhead season and winter is soon approaching. I went out fun fishing with Greg Dygert a regular customer with his own boat and we did well. We each caught Steelhead and plenty of skipper Steelhead as well..This last big rain that cooled and raised the water brought them up and there is a few to play with..The key is having the right eggs on and stick to the dark water. There are plenty of Kings and Coho around so fresh eggs are still plentiful. Then just make good drifts and wait for a biter.

I have lots of great dates open to guide after I get back from my Missouri Bowhunting trip. I actually prefer Fall Steelhead when it cools down more and there is a chance of snow. It thins the crowds out. Firearm Deer season helps with that as well.

I get back around November 10th.-11th. unless I shoot a big buck sooner than that..So my next report will be pictures of my monster buck or my tag sandwich. I shot a Doe last season and saw lots of smaller bucks. So hopefully everyone else let them walk as well...I lost the (4 point) Antler Point Restrictions in my county I hunt last year, so hopefully it dose not go back to "it's brown it's down hunting". Hopefully they have learned to let them grow up and see there potential greatness. Time will tell..

Lastly my friend Jeff Hubbard is slowly getting back into the saddle. He had a mechanical problem with a new dirt bike Mid August that laid him up for most of Salmon Season. He is getting range of motion back and rowed his raft with me for a scouting mission. He is on the mend and excited to catch Steelhead this Fall and Winter season so keep him busy and call Outfitter North Guide Service if you want to spend a day with Jeff.

Tight Lines and Shoot Strait
Clint













    

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Peak Steelhead Season

Hi All

Have today off and would like to thank all our customers who have come up to fish with me and stay at our lodge..Thank You..

Well as most of you know we had a early start to Steelhead season about 6 weeks ago ,we melted off our snow and started with our Winter run Steelhead. Most of them are on there way back to the lake and new Spring run Steelhead are showing up primed and ready to go. These fish are HOT and the water temps are warming up giving them the need for speed. So let them BITE, set the hook good, then LET THEM RUN !!

Fishing has been slow on the bright sunny days and cloudy and overcast with rain are the best ! Temps have still been frosty in the a.m. like yesterdays 23 deg. a.m. start and I still had my winter gear on and we all pealed like a bananas for the afternoon..Water has a great stain that won't last for long then we will need more rain soon..

I have April 10,11,12,19,20,21,24,25,26 open for guided trips give us a call 231-745-6667

Tight Lines
Clint




The rest of my pictures are on our Facebook page Red Moose Lodge or Clint Anderson..
Thank You For reading...

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Fooled Us Again

Hi All

The weather has been playing tricks and fooling us. Couple days it's nice and just when you think Spring is here we go back into a deep freeze. Crazy stuff...Lucky for me my clients have been hanging tough..Thank You..

The key is buying and showing up with the right gear like Cabelas 5 mil.neoprene 1600mg bootfoots and yes it's heavy not so fashionable stuff but it keeps you warm, dry and alive for 8-9 hours on the water. Wading sweat pants and 1 pair of heavy socks Simms or Cabelas extreme. My Ice Armor gloves with the big wrist cuff, Waterproof Bomber style Crown-cap from Winnipeg Canada, Patagonia Arctic Puff coat with the hood. This is mostly what I wear to survive the really cold ones and fun fish all Winter November --March..The waders cover 75% of you and are a must and the best $225 you ever spent, everything else is personal preference.

On the really really nice days I hear the fish were littering the gravels. On those days I was either in the office or throwing streamers trying to get my big fly stolen by a big fish with friends. Water temps needed to be warmer to get those fish off the bottom and to chase better. We caught fish and moved some but it was never really on fire bite wise, just very enjoyable days to be on the water fun fishing..

My Open Guide days left in March are 19,20,22--26..The Spring Steelhead run is here with a great mix of new chrome fish, winter fish, and dropback hens..Brown and Rainbow Trout too.

Tight Lines
Clint










 

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Early Spring

Hi All

Survived another Winter in Northern Michigan and still have all my fingers and toes. Been doing the usual stuff since my last blog which is snowmobiling, ice fishing, tieing flies, and walk in fly fishing around the upper fly water in the winter months. No big vacations, just plowing, shoveling snow and doing my usual Michigan Winter hobbies. I did a bunch of road trip ice fishing stuff on, PM Lake, Portage Lake, Hamilin Lake and Saginaw Bay, lots of local lakes too.. Froze up a bunch of nice Perch and Blue Gills for fish fry's. Good stuff...

 I did a bunch of grease monkey stuff in the pole barn also this Winter. I fixed my driveshaft bearing in my Polaris 500 carb and a wheel bearing hub on my big lake boat trailer. I had never done either before so it was a slow go getting them tore down and back together. Just lots of time, grease, shop rags, and propane. Also I put in 106 kold kutter ice screws on my Polaris 136" 600 IQ Shift track and new ski runners for running on bare ice and to help improve steering on the trails and lakes. So I put some hours in the ole barn wrenching on stuff..

Lately I have been Trout & Steelhead fishing with friends and clients. On Wednesday Russ Maddin and Jon Stefanciw came down from Traverse City fun fishing and we fished streamers. It was a ok bite we got one to hand and had lots of looks, misses and short strikes, pretty normal stuff. Water temps needed to be another 5 deg. warmer and the chase and bite would have been better but we all enjoyed the 60+ deg. weather and a perfect stain to the water while it lasted...

This weekend I had clients and friend Pete and his vet practice partner Perry here for some early Spring run Steelhead. Perry invited a bunch of his family (total of 8 guys) for Steelhead Camp to learn and enjoy our Pere Marquette river fly fishing. Some had been here before others were new fishermen. Unfortunately mother nature rained like crazy and threw us a cold front curve ball on Friday the rain starting at 12 a.m. and ending around 4 p.m. our 3 boat 2 day float trip caught some fish but it wasn't warm friendly stuff, it was cold ! The water was at it's banks and just barely came out of the banks Saturday night. Today Sunday it was already dropping 4" to 5" and clearing some as well. On Saturday the fishing wasn't to shabby but Sunday the water had cooled off a bunch and it was a little tougher bite.. All and all it was a great long weekend for there group and I just got back from the pizza party over at the cabin.. Great group of guys !!

The Steelhead run is just getting fired up and if you don't want to miss out get your rooms / cabins  and guide trips booked. I have lots of good dates open..call 231-745-6667


Tight Lines
Clint