This week was a change of seasons for myself and my guide service. I spend the past 6 weeks guiding for Kings in NW Michigan on the Betsie River. Now its back home to NE Michigan chasing Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout on the Au Sable River! Steelhead will be added in the next couple weeks if not soon with current cool wet fall weather. Have floated lower river 3 times of late and hooking Atlantics every trip. They are sure not in river in big numbers currently but they are also not to hard to find either. Atlantics are currently in pre-spawning mode and some are nice and bright. Look to log piles and not the super deep ones to be holding fish. These Atlantics are often on edges of river with lots of stucture.
Water temps are dropping fast on the lower Au Sable now with some cool wet weather of late. Not much rain in volume and river a pretty normal low for early October. Many year this section can still be in the upper 60 but this year is in the low 60’s. Really helps for more aggressive Atlantics to have it cold. Haven’t caught a steelhead yet but have seen couple nice adult fish. Should have some around in next couple weeks.
This time of year lots of small streamer – sculpins, goby, shad, baitfish and leeches. A simple one has been most productive for me of late – purple egg sucking leech.
I start with guide trips this week and still have October 21, 23, 25 open. November and December have more open dates and ideal for those want better chance at Steelhead along with Atlantic. For ultimate trip we can also put in some stripping streamers for Big Browns!