Tag Archives: steelhead

The Case for Fishing Beads

Posted on by Captain Ben Wolfe

The Background

Beads, the colored orbs of the fishing world meant to resemble fish eggs, should be a clear choice for anglers targeting river systems for salmon, steelhead, and trout. Beads have been around for years, but are gaining popularity every year. New bead companies are now pushing the boundaries, offering new color choices and sizes. Increasing options like this gives anglers even more options to match bead colors with river conditions, and egg colors that can vary by species and location.

Beads by themselves are simple. Made of plastic, in sizes ranging from 4mm to 12mm, with seemingly endless colors. Some beads are hard plastic, and some are soft plastic like rubber bass worms. Hard beads are slow to sink, making them perfect in river current-bouncing along the bottom and swirling, just as real natural eggs do. In contrast, the soft plastic beads float in the water. This makes them a great option to bounce along the bottom, resisting snags. The soft texture of these beads feel natural to a fish when they pick up the bead, causing them to hold on longer and giving anglers more opportunity to set the hook.

The beauty of beads is their versatility. They can be fished by fly anglers or traditional gear anglers alike. They can be bounced along the bottom in a bottom-bouncing or side drifting technique, they can be used on a chuck and duck presentation, or they can be fished under a float. Meant to resemble a single egg, beads are typically pegged onto the line a couple of inches above a hook. Presented in this manner, beads can be fished by themselves or, more commonly, on a double tandem rig with two beads, or a bead and fly combo.

The Controversy

Despite the proven effective fish-catching power of beads, there are those that don’t care for them. Some believe that fishing beads is not as effective as fishing bait-meaning cured or raw salmon eggs. Others believe that fishing beads is unethical, as the bead is traditionally pegged above the hook. Legally speaking, there are no restrictions on fishing beads-they are perfectly legal to fish, even when pegged onto the line above the hook. The main argument against the use of pegged beads above a hook seems to be that the bead is not attached to the hook, making it a snagging technique. Again, there is no legal restriction against this rigging presentation, and I would argue that there are other commonly used techniques that are just as, if not more, prone to snagging fish as the use of a pegged bead. Most of the bead fishing done by Sport Fish Michigan and Wolfe Outfitters guides uses beads fished under a float. I believe that it is difficult to snag a fish when fished under a float.

They Flat Out Work

In fishing, there is a time and a place for every presentation. Bait has a time and a place, and so do beads. There have been countless times that beads have out-fished bait. And the simplicity of beads means anglers don’t have to mess with getting and curing salmon eggs and tying them into spawn sacks. When fish are keying-in on single eggs, beads are incredibly tough to beat. Additionally, strikes can be enticed by applying different scents to beads. Alternately, when salmon or steelhead are keying in on larger presentations, spawn sacks or chunks of skein can be more effective.

Beads offer versatility in rigging. Color and sizes give anglers a presentation that can appeal to a variety of species all at the same time. Salmon, steelhead, rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout, and brook trout all eat beads incredibly well. In addition, we have caught walleyes, bass, bluegills, and even hooked up with sturgeon on bead presentations.

In Conclusion

Despite the limited controversy over bead fishing, their use continues to grow in popularity and effectiveness. I, for one, will continue to use beads, as they have proven themselves over and over on guide trips here in northern Michigan. Chasing trout, steelhead, and salmon, beads have a place in my guide box. There are many great bead companies, and the three that I use most are Trout Beads, Great Lakes Bead Company, and Steelhead Beads from the west coast. All offer something different, and all beads are not created equal. A bead isn’t just a bead, and it pays to experiment with color combinations and color differences. The way light illuminates a bead color can vary drastically from river to river, and fish may prefer one color or size to another in different systems. If beads aren’t in your bag of tricks, give them a try. You may be surprised by their simple effectiveness, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me and my Sport Fish Michigan and Wolfe Outfitter guides that beads may very well become a favorite go-to when chasing salmon, steelhead, and trout.

Steelhead Fishing on a Rare Day Off

Posted on by Captain Ben Wolfe

A couple of days ago, I had a rare opportunity when one of our Wolfe Outfitters trips was cancelled at the last minute, and I had a free day. My Wolfe Outfitters guide, Matt, and I went fishing. We took Janice with us – the Recreation Manager at Crystal Mountain Resort, and the woman with whom I worked to create Wolfe Outfitters’ partnership with Crystal Mountain Resort.

A slight warming trend made for a nice day out on the water. Add in that we didn’t get to the ramp until after 10am, and we were relaxed and ready to go! Why not be more informal and relaxed when it comes to fun fishing? Janice even made our lunches the previous evening to be heated on Matt’s on-board grill.

 November steelhead tend to relate to a few different patterns. Cured salmon eggs tied in spawn sacks and round-bodied crank baits dominate for gear anglers. Fly anglers have options such as beads, nymphs and streamers. Depending on water temperatures, the king salmon that run the rivers have likely ended their spawn, and the steelhead that gorge on the eggs in the river now have to find another food source to sustain them throughout the remainder of fall and winter.

 The single egg pattern holds up well throughout winter, but it isn’t as effective as other techniques, as the salmon eggs are no longer prevalent in the river. However, spawn sacks offer tempting scent and life-like softness that even picky steelhead oftentimes just cannot pass up.

 During the mid-fall period when the salmon have finished spawning, and the steelhead are still active with warmer water temperatures, throwing round-bodied crank baits can be an absolute blast. Similar to throwing longer bodied crank baits for king salmon, the technique is the same. Casts are made downstream, close to the bank and to cover (holding water). A medium retrieve, allowing the deep diving baits to work their magic as they are pulled through seams and creases induce violent strikes that anglers thoroughly enjoy. Medium weight rods are used to cushion these aggressive takes, yet have enough backbone to turn large steelhead away from logjams and snarly cover. For big steelhead on the Big Manistee River, I use 20 pound braided line, and either 14-pound fluorocarbon leaders or 12 pound, if the conditions are really clear and the flow is low. Fluorocarbon has the same refractive index as water, and is nearly invisible to fish. Steelhead often strike out of a feeding response, and looking as natural as possible is a huge advantage for my guide customers and me.

I’m glad that we were able to get out, even if it was for only 3 hours of fishing. We had a number of bites, and were able to land some beautiful Manistee River steelhead. And cooperatively mild weather made it all that much sweeter! It was nice to fish with good people, and experience the fun of fishing for oneself for a few hours. Does casting crank baits using spinning gear or casting flies for steelhead sound like fun? I can guarantee you that it is. And with one of the world’s premier steelhead fisheries at our doorstep, Wolfe Outfitters is ready to get you out on the water for your own adventure. Happily, I just had mine!

 

Making a Case for Winter Steelhead Fishing

Posted on by Captain Ben Wolfe

During the cold winter months, it’s down right cold, and the motivation to head out of a warm house to go fishing is difficult to say the least. Two of my guide services are still in operation during these cold winter months—Manistee River Salmon Guide Service and Wolfe Outfitters, and we’re happy to brave the cold with our customers. Sure, motivation for us to leave the comfort of our homes and trucks is tough too, but usually once we’re out on the water casting, enjoying the day with our customers, things don’t feel as cold.

Despite the chilly temperatures, the Big Manistee River doesn’t usually freeze over due to its big flow, and there is often fishable water for the beautiful steelhead all winter long. And one of the most enjoyable things about winter steelhead fishing is the relative lack of fishing pressure. It’s not uncommon to go all day without seeing another angler. The quiet solitude of winter fishing is a true joy, and most customers are thrilled to see the river without much other fishing pressure. And the fishing can be absolutely hot, even if the temperatures are cold.

Many a snowy day have we experienced tremendous fishing for steelhead on the Manistee River and other area rivers. Not only does the sight of a chrome steelhead warm the blood, battling these acrobatic fish also gets the body moving, and the adrenaline up. During the dead of winter, steelhead don’t maybe jump as frequently as during the fall, but they still jump and run, thrilling anglers of all ages.

Manistee River Salmon Guide Service is suited with a custom jet sled that can utilize much of the river, searching for active fish. And with my USCG Captain’s license, I can legally fish my customers in the lowest stretches of the river, where some fish tend to hold in the deep, slow pools.

A plus for the Wolfe Outfitters guide service is that it is based out of Crystal Mountain Resort. This makes for a comfortable retreat after a cold winter’s day of fishing. Spa services, a heated pool and a couple of nice restaurants are just some of the more pampering amenities offered by Crystal Mountain Resort. Not to mention that it’s a fantastic ski resort as well! There are lots of ski runs catering to both downhill skiers and groomed runs for cross-country skiers. What a great way to combine either a fishing and skiing trip with the guys, or pile the family into the comfortable rooms for a winter get-away! Crystal Mountain Resort has just about everything on-site, and is done in a first class and stunning fashion. We are proud to have partnered Wolfe Outfitters with a resort like Crystal Mountain Resort.

Just because the weather has turned chilly doesn’t mean that the fishing has cooled down. Come and experience the hot steelhead action that’s available in northern Michigan!

Aaron with a beautiful steelhead hen that we caught while wading.

Winter steelhead action can be downright hot!

October Steelhead on Lake Michigan

Posted on by Captain Ben Wolfe

Just because you can’t go doesn’t mean that I’m not going to go. This scenario happened several days ago when one of my Sport Fish Michigan Captains, Andy Odette and I went out for a few hours of fun fishing after a 3 boat trip cancelled.

With extremely rough seas predicted for the actual scheduled day, I tried to see if the party of 17 was able to switch days to a day earlier in order to take advantage of the calm Indian Summer afternoon that we were experiencing here in northern Michigan. Here for a corporate retreat, the party of 17 initially seemed interested in switching afternoons to take advantage of the calm weather, but ultimately were unable to do so.

Disappointed in not being able to showcase the awesome late October bite that the Frankfort area provides to our 17 person party, Captain Andy and I decided to not waste the afternoon by not heading out for a couple of hours just for fun. Joined by another one of the Captains that would have been a part of the 3-boat trip, we headed out onto the near-pancake flat waters of Lake Michigan.

Using a variety of presentations, trying to take advantage of the upper water-column feeding that steelhead are notorious for, we put out multiple options in the top 15 feet. Steelhead are partial to orange, and our spreads included a lot of oranges, oranges and blacks, oranges and chrome and oranges and greens. Although we missed our first steelhead bite on a planer board, we knew we were onto something, having only had a line in the water for 10 minutes or so.

Despite the variety of presentations that we were using, only 2 seemed to be getting the bulk of the attention. Sure, we got a nice steelhead on a downrigger, set 12 feet down, and got a couple of bites on a few other spoons, but interestingly, it was 2 of the more unexpected presentations that seemed to catch the most fish. One was a plain chrome spoon that had all of the paint knocked off, and the other was a tiny little casting spoon in a perch pattern. The go-to spoons yielded nothing. All this goes to show is how effective trolling a large variety spread can be when trying to refine a pattern, and also how unpredictable fish can be. What we thought would work didn’t. What we as anglers were indifferent about, turned out to be the key, with the fish responding very well.

In all, we landed our limit of steelhead in short order, and adjusted our presentations to target 3-year-old king salmon, which we were seeing on our electronics. It was a true pleasure to be able to get out for a couple of hours to just “fun fish”. It was a shame that our 3 boat trip had to cancel, and couldn’t take advantage of the wonderfully pleasant conditions, but such is the case. Just because they couldn’t go didn’t mean that we couldn’t! A couple of productive hours out on the water catching fall steelhead certainly beats sitting at the dock dreaming!

Paying Attention to Cues and Conditions

Posted on by Captain Ben Wolfe

Some days, we cast and hook up on seemingly every cast. Other days, it’s like we’re casting in a dessert, expecting to hook into a camel. Fishing. Why do we do it—well, I think we have to be optimists to get ourselves out the door. Sure, fishing in a dessert is part of the game, but we, as anglers all hope for those days of “stupid fishing”, when no matter what we do, or how we do it, we get bites. Those are the fun days, no doubt about it! And they’re also the days that our arms get tired from catching, and not just fishing. That being said, however, these are also the days to not only enjoy to the fullest, but to learn.

It’s during a hot bite that I experiment with off-the-wall ideas to see whatever else works. Not only does this eliminate dud ideas, but can help hone techniques and bait presentations, giving us confidence in these techniques when we encounter the dreaded tough bite days.

Such was the case the past several days. Most of July and August, we here in northern Michigan, experienced very little rain, leading to extremely clear, low water conditions. The past 2 weeks has had a lot of rain. In fact, the past week has had well over 6 inches of rain, leading to very high, muddy flood-stage water levels on all of the area’s rivers. The Big Manistee River was no exception.

Higher water levels on the rivers in the fall lead to fish such as salmon and steelhead to enter the rivers to spawn. Low clear water, by contrast, makes fish wary, and makes the spawning runs meager and not as predictable. High muddy water makes fish a little more predictable, but not necessarily any easier to catch.

The past few guide trips on the Manistee River has been like trying to fish in hot chocolate. Muddy, lots of leaves and debris floating down river, and fish on the move up to Tippy Dam. Under normal conditions, the steelhead that come into the river in October stage in various holes and runs as they meander their way up to the dam, where they spawn. High, muddy water forces fish out of their typical routine, keeping them on the move. As anglers, high muddy water must force us out of our typical routines as well, making us fish water that we might not typically, looking for the shallower runs that fish use as they move up river.

The bite was extremely tough during the highest water. Most tactics didn’t get a lot of bites, but we did manage a few. By putting the right presentations in front of inactive fish, we were able to get a few to react positively. Whether it was out of hunger, curiosity or aggression—at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter—we got some bites. But paying attention to cues that the conditions give us can help trigger some of these bites.

 

Rich and David with early morning late-season king salmon. We have no idea if the early bird got the worm, but these anglers got the fish!

Curing Salmon Eggs

Posted on by Captain Ben Wolfe

Part of being a prepared guide, fishing with customers for salmon and steelhead, is having the right equipment and bait. My favorite trips when fishing with my Manistee River Salmon Guide Service, are the ones where I have a strong crank bait bite where we can cast deep diving crank baits like the Storm Thunderstick Jr. for truly ferocious strikes.

Salmon in the rivers don’t really feed on the forage that they fed on when they were in the lakes and oceans. It has been scientifically proven that some salmon will eat 10-12 eggs a day to try to maintain body weight, and fat conditioning while fighting the current. 10-12 salmon eggs a day is like me eating 10-12 kernels of popcorn. Then again, I’m not fighting current, trying to spawn.

What salmon do, however, is become terrifically territorial, and a slowly moving crank bait invading their space is met with a killing instinct that we as anglers absolutely cannot get enough of. They don’t nibble, they don’t half-heartedly bump; they simply try to kill. Talk about a fun bite! Bent hooks; shaking knees; stuttered speech; 4-letter words and big smiles are all indicative proof of a salmon trying to kill a crankbait that was cast by one of my customers. It’s truly unbelievable. People can’t believe the power and the sudden ferocity of these strikes. Oh, and it’s purely addictive.

Despite the addictive nature of getting bites casting crank baits, one other thing that I use as a guide are the use of cured salmon eggs. Depending on how many eggs need to be cured, I may spend 2-4hours daily curing eggs for the week’s trips. This is a messy and lengthy process by which I carefully bleed out the egg skeins, trying to drain as much blood as possible. Cures are able to handle the curing of the eggs, but not the blood, which will taint the final product. Properly cured eggs, that are free of blood are absolutely essential to getting the number of bites that customers rely on me for. Although it takes a lot of time after guide trips, being able to put my customers on additional fish that bite these cured eggs is priceless. Whether it’s fishing big chunks in skein form, or tied into small spawn sacks with only a few eggs in them, it’s all part of being the best guide that I can be. We as guides always have to be able to say to a customer after the end of a guide trip that we tried and did everything that we could to maximize our bites and opportunities.

Curing Salmon Eggs

Curing 10 pounds of salmon eggs. This started with perfectly bled out females, egg skeins that were carefully cut out of the hens, then the skeins were bled out and drained, and butterflied all prior to adding the secret curing ingredients.

 

“We’re gonna need a bigger cooler!”

Posted on by Captain Ben Wolfe

A few days after fishing with Traverse City Bass Guide Service out of Traverse City, Gabe Sopocy connected with Capt. Andy Odette, another Sport Fish Michigan associated Captain out of Frankfort for an evening of salmon and steelhead fishing.  They needed a bigger cooler for all of the salmon and this huge steelhead they caught!

Talking steelhead with John Simms

Posted on by Captain Ben Wolfe

On my recent trip to Montana to attend the Simms Ice Out Guide Event, I had the great pleasures of speaking a couple of times with John Simms, the founder of Simms Fishing Products. The first was over a relaxed drink in the sun with John and his wife at the Gallatin River Lodge. Although John is no longer the owner (he sold the company to KC Walsh), it was a real treat to talk with him about his life, hear some of his many stories, and share with him my own thoughts and stories. Continue reading →

Introducing My Friends Part 3: Captain Andy Odette

Posted on by Captain Ben Wolfe

Captain Andy owns Intimidator Sportfishing Charters, and is a top charter captain out of the port of Frankfort, just south of Traverse City. Andy specializes in trolling Lake Michigan for huge limits of king salmon, lake trout, and steelhead. Big brown trout are also quite common early in the season. Continue reading →