Fished hard today for early salmon on the lower river. They’re just not here yet, but Mike got into a few nice pike. We got a good shot of rain last week but the lake is still too warm and so we wait. And perhaps this is good. As Steve says, before hand to hand combat with kings you need to prepare, you need to get everything up to snuff, clean and replace lines, clean and oil reels, tie flies, look at pictures from last year, and generally steel yourself for the knuckle busting, tail walking, ass kicking chrome of salmon in August on the Pere Marquette river. Because right now we’re fishing on hope alone. But maybe this weekend or maybe next week when the word starts to trickle down that the fish are in you need to be ready, you need to be ready to fish with guts and hopefully with glory.
Archive for the ‘pike’ Category
Pere Marquette salmon: anticipation
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010Pere Marquette fishing report- August 9th
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010Fishing for trout on the upper and middle river has been a bit slow, but hoppers and streamers brought a few fish to the boat over the past couple days and mousing is still a good option. Though I should say that taking pictures of said fish with water on your lens is not advised. Steve and I floated the lower river on Monday scouting for early salmon. Didn’t find any. But we did find a couple decent pike. Always a nice bonus. And yes, we’re eating well- spinach, walnut, and cranberry salad may sound fancy, but chips and brats only go so far.
Water temps in the lower river are 71 degrees and the lake temperature off Ludington is still quite warm, near 75 degrees. We’re looking for good northerly winds for a few days and a decent rain event to get the big fish pushing upriver. We’re on the water almost every day and will keep you posted.
Pere Marquette fishing report- June 27th
Monday, June 28th, 2010Things have slowed down a bit over the last few days. Pike in the lower river were abundant on Friday, but no big ones. The fly water is still fishing well with small nymphs fished deep in runs and hoppers slapped down on the bank and skittered near wood. The streamer bite in the upper river was so-so today with a few flashes and a few decent fish willing to commit. We got a good rain yesterday and with some color back in the water hopefully the streamer bite will pick up over the next day or two. I need to get out for some mousing soon.
Living Well in West Michigan
Monday, August 30th, 2010We had a good taste of Autumn last week but summer moved back in for a few days this weekend. With warmer weather and southerly winds the salmon run will likely slow down a bit on the Pere Marquette, but the forecast for later in the week looks promising and should get the fish moving again in good numbers.
Founded in 1898, Bortell’s Fisheries is a Great Lakes icon and located just down the coast from us between Ludington and Pentwater. They serve locally caught and imported fish fresh by the pound or fried to take away. You can even order a meal with fries and coleslaw, bring your own favorite beverage, and eat at the picnic tables or right in the grass out front. There’s not a better way to enjoy a late summer day in West Michigan. I’d recommend the Lake Michigan whitefish. It is some tasty stuff.
Bortell’s closes for the season after Labor Day, so get up here now, catch some salmon, let them go, then get yourself a pile of fried whitefish. Nelson’s Frontier Market has a great selection of cold craft beer and is located on the way to Bortell’s just south of Ludington. You can’t beat that. Good living.
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