A Favorite Stream

[FishWhisperer]

Totally in on such a law,,, the PM already has a couple hundred miles of spawning gravel not open to fishing until the last Sat in April... We need such an area for places like the White that get absolutely "Harvested" by the local traffic.

There is nothing wrong with taking a fish for table fair or even a little spawn here and there, it is the guys taking a limit every other day when the fishing is there or the down right violators that string up three and then come back for seconds later that day... THAT IS WRONG!!

FYI... My spring program is more like a fall program in that I fish down river and deep to fish moving up and only come up stream when the fishing down there is lacking... I prefer fishing for the bite as long as I can and cringe as soon as I have to come up for the mouth hockey,, this year I hope to be running trout trips by then and no longer playing the gravel game....

This year I also through in the Salmon towel,,, no more will I take ripping trips outside of little ones and spouses for their first time.... if your old enough to drive, your old enough to learn to fly fish and not snag!! At least in my boat... TPL

[REG]

A fish ladder at Hesperia (or breaching the dam) would probably do absolute wonders by allowing steelhead access to higher quality nursery waters. Also, don't change the regs governing that part of the river.

I hear you on the abject harvesters that do their best to clean out sections of river. Especially since salmon spawn by and large works just fine from fall to spring.

[flysack]

If there is significant documented natural reproduction, the only fair solution is to close those known stream areas to all during the spawn. All other discussions although interesting are for the most part hypocritical.

FS

[fishnaked2206]

The thing that bothers me the most is the abundance of out of state trucks that constantly are ripping line through redds. I just don't understand why the DNR doesn't implement a more harsh punishment for those caught snagging. The way I see it is the first offense give a hefty fine. If caught again their fishing rights in michigan should be revoked for a minimum of 5 years and gear used in the act should be confiscated. It truly doesn't make sense why there aren't more DNR officers on the water throughout spawning periods. If I was a CO I can gurantee I could write a book of tickets in a week during both the salmon and steelhead runs up on the Betsie. IT IS that bad up there. I would like to see something along these lines set in place because it is the only way to send a message.

[fishjunkie]

I see that in all the places snagging in the redds. I think because of the money generated from out of state liscense maybe why they dont issue or have more of a presence.Just my opinion. I live on the root and it makes me sick to see browns and steelies dragged in backwards and put on stringers. I call the Dnr alot and not one time have they made it on time to catch the people snagging.

[fishnaked2206]

My uncle and I fish the Betsie every fall for salmon and every spring for steel and its a daily event of calling the DNR on these scumbags and in the 8 years we have gone up only one time has the DNR ever shown up. I truly don't understand why nothing is done. Say you fine an out of state snagger $500, that would take care of 10 out of state license fees and just 20 in state fees. Another thing I think may work would be to implement some sort of a commission for COs on the tickets they write just as an added incentive to thoroughly patrol the rivers. I'd work a seasonal job solely on comission each spawning season if I could. It would definitely clean up the rivers and scare the h*** out of the snaggers. Just some more food for thought.

[JWA]

Hey TA and all of your buddies....I am so sick and tired of defending myself to all of you. I'm not PUSHING anything other than what the DNR has offered...and that is to open other tribs to new regs which could obviously include artificial only regs. As I've stated in the past...I have no use and would not support fly only regs on "your" trib. It's not for me...it's for the fishery. If I became an insurance agent in Kansas tomorrow I'd still email the DNR with the exact same stance because I know that it will benefit the fishery...in particular the browns. Did you guys ever think that just maybe it might actually improve the fishing!? I for one KNOW it will because I'm there quite a bit and see the damage. It may not be you or your buddies but it's happening.

You guys are all riled up, cornering people in parking lots and tearing into me...I'm really sick of it. You have the opportunity to state your case and maintain current regs or propose lower limits or whatever...NO DIFFERENT THAN THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAVE. You push what you want and I'll push what I want. As I stated on that other site...I've earned my keep on that river. End of story.

I live 10 minutes from the state line. I was a resident of Michigan for 6 years prior to moving just across the state line and then splitting the difference on a commute from where my wife was working...it was in the middle so get over it. I guarantee that I live much closer to that fishery than half the cry babies that always mention it.

[JWA]

I swear Bret Favre is the toughest dude in the history of football. Anyway...I just want to say that with all the fury that seems to be directed at me over this issue, I have yet to speak personally to one single person that has a beef with me. I am very social...approachable, gregarious etc. If I was any nicer on the river I'd have to get on my knees if you get me drift(no pun). Point is this, instead of having this "us vs them" mentality that is divisive...call me, PM me, email me or better yet approach me on the river. Of course I won't be able to devote my attention entirely when I am working but I would be happy to have a respectful discourse with those with opinions that are different than mine. If this requires some parking lot chats or a cold beer in somebody's garage...I'll buy the beer, I'm always game.

Personally I can't stand this sniping. I think some of you would find that in many if not most cases our goals are the same. If you think having a "no guides" rule or a "no boats" rule is the answer and it could be enforced then I HIGHLY encourage you to get that done...get a petition going etc. If you think that out of state anglers shouldn't be allowed to fish and support your terribly feeble economy, then by all means get that hammer out and put the nail in the coffin. I have no more say than anybody else as far as I'm concerned and if that's the deal I'm fine with it. If you close the river from March 15th to May 15th or whatever...I'm fine with it. These are the kind of things I'd be glad to discuss with somebody in a respectful manner face to face.

Seriously, cut the crap and give me a call.

[TA CLICK]

Jay I call BS. You should watch who you send E Mail's to. You are personally attacking me, and my way of fishing. you want to come off like a saint. that you are protecting the fishery. you introduce hundreds of new people to it every year. don't say they don't come back. you are the worst thing for these small trib's.

[JWA]

Hey TA...I assume you are referring to a certain person from that area. Watch what you read into stuff....I don't recall any emails I sent to anyone that would contradict anything I've said. I received threats of slashed tires, smashed windshields, felled trees etc and if I'm not allowed to be a little PO'd about that then I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be PO'd about. The fact is, that individual spent nearly a year telling me in conversation after conversation that "pinners are ruining the Great Lakes steelhead fishery", day after day, email after email, conversation after conversation on the phone, over and over again.

TA...lets take this off the forum.

[JWA]

Incidentally, threads like this and my unfortunate inability to ignore such rhetoric is exactly why this website has faltered in recent years. It starts out with the best intentions and then descends into a bunch of little boys fighting. So sad.

[JWA]

"FYI... My spring program is more like a fall program in that I fish down river and deep to fish moving up and only come up stream when the fishing down there is lacking... I prefer fishing for the bite as long as I can and cringe as soon as I have to come up for the mouth hockey,, this year I hope to be running trout trips by then and no longer playing the gravel game....

This year I also through in the Salmon towel,,, no more will I take ripping trips outside of little ones and spouses for their first time.... if your old enough to drive, your old enough to learn to fly fish and not snag!! At least in my boat... TPL"

Tommy...I've gotten to the point that I anchor and have them watch the incredible spectacle of spawning steelhead like a nature program. I quit targeting salmon a couple of years ago other than tossing plugs and spinners early and working the occasional bull with a big gaudy streamer. I landed less than 2 dozen kings from September through November last fall. In the unlikely event that spring steelhead fishing was outlawed I'd be very relieved that I could concentrate on spring snow geese, turkeys, bass and muskies.

[Ursus]

JWA - keep it up and you just might make this place respectable again.

I too am making different choices about steelhead fishing. Come the 1st week of April I am typically done, and find myself hunkered down watching them more than fishing to them. Lucky for me, this also coincides with work-inspired day dreaming about hendrickson-sipping trout and fat crayfish-munching smallies. Clear sign it is time to prepare the garden plot, switch the fly boxes over and string up the bamboo rod in preparation for the bounty of the warm season. (Actually, the real sign that it is time to leave steelhead waters is when I find myself casting anything that could be mistaken as an adult stonefly to 9 inch trout on 7 wt. floating line. Clearly time to move on.)

[JWA]

You were quoting FishWhisperer not JWA FYI.

[TA CLICK]

You were quoting FishWhisperer not JWA FYI.

Then for that I'm sorry.