Crankbait Kings

Got out for a short day with Ed on a river a bit closer to home this morning and found a few aggressive kings willing to chase down the thundersticks and pose for the camera.

9/19/2011  Fishing crankbaits for kings produces some great strikes!

9/19/2011  Ed with a plump hen on a thunderstick.

Michigan Kings

Well I have put in a full week of guiding Kings every day since returning home from Alaska and what a week it's been!!  There are lots of fish in the Pere Marquette River and they are big, we have landed more fish over 20 lbs in a week than in the last 5 years combined.  There are still good numbers of King Salmon working their way up the PM to add to the already impressive numbers of fish in the system.  The Muskegon River is getting a few fish but is usually a few weeks behind the Pere Marquette due to warmer water temps coming from croton pond.  Fall Steelhead will be here before you know it!!  I still have some dates available to chase these chrome bullets so call or e-mail to reserve your days soon. 

9/11/2011  Fritz with a healthy PM buck.

9/15/2011  Myself and Jim with a heavy Salmon.

9/15/2011 

9/11/2011  Ed with a Pere Marquette King.

Silvers have taken over

After all the talk about all these silvers we have been catching up here I thought I would actually show some proof. 

Ron and Carol with one of many doubles on the Goodnews River.

Double header on the Goodnews.

Another double on the Goodnews.

Myself and Carol with a nice silver on the Goodnews River.

Carol with a colored up buck silver.




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Alaska Trout Fishing

Trout fishing is still going strong in Southwest Alaska, while rivers with spawning Chum and King Salmon being the Rainbow's meal ticket are in the later stages of the egg drop other rivers that support all spawning Sockeye Salmon are in their prime.  Also as the spawning Salmon die off carcasses are caught in snags and in soft water where the rainbows feed on their flesh, this is the time of year some of the biggest, healthiest Rainbows are caught!!  We are right smack in the thick of the Silver or Coho Salmon run right now as well, these fish are very aggressive making fly fishing very productive with sometimes 30 or more hookups per rod in a day,  we also get these fish to come up to the surface and eat poppers, that's good fun!!

2 weeks of guiding left for my 2011 Alaska season, looking forward to fall in Michigan!!



Myself and Jack with a 28" Rainbow



A 27" upper Togiak River Trout.



Trout are gorging on eggs and flesh right now.



A nice Rainbow from the Goodnews River.



A 2 Footer from the Togiak River.



Alaska week 9 report

My wife Natalie came up to visit for a week here at Mission Lodge and got into some good trout fishing, she landed her biggest Rainbow to date at 29"!!  Trout fishing has been great on most of the rivers we fish and the Coho Salmon run is in full swing as well.  With week 9 coming to a close I am down to 3 weeks to go for my 9th season in Alaska and looking forward to guiding all of you who are booked with me or going to book back in Michigan this fall.  Also a note to those who have left voicemails about fishing trips, please be patient when waiting for a return call or better yet, try e-mail because with the 4 hour time difference between Michigan and Alaska you are likely in bed by the time I am back to the lodge from our daily flyout.  Once again I am looking forward to another great Salmon and Steelhead season this fall back in Michigan, see you all soon.





Natalie with a nice Arctic Char.

Natalie with a great Rainbow.

Natalie and myself with a 29" Rainbow.

Releasing a Rainbow after an epic battle.

Natalie with another great Arctic Char.

Trout fishing at Mission Lodge

Trout fishing is very good on some of the streams right now with good numbers of Sockeye, Chum and even a few King Salmon spawning making for the annual 2 month long egg hatch!!!  Nothing compares to sight fishing for Rainbows up to and even over 30" in water clear enough you can watch them take a 6mm bead, all while dodging bears and breaking off accidentally hooked sockeye or even a rainbow when one decides his lunch is attached to your line, I love this stuff.  Silvers or Coho Salmon are showing up as well, we have been catching good numbers of them on the Nushagak and rivers like the Togiak should get good soon.
 1 month to go, looking forward to another great fall Salmon and Steelhead season in Michigan with all of you who are joining me.

 I did have a cancellation for October 7 and 8 if anyone is interested as these are the only dates I have available until late October.  

8/7/2011  Craig with a healthy Trout from the Funnel.

8/7/2011  Gary with one from the Morraine. 
Looking forward to fishing with you guys back in Michigan. 

8/7/2011  The fishing on Funnel and Morraine is unbelievable right now.

8/4/2011  Goodnews River Trout.

8/4/2011  Devon with a great fish from the Goodnews.

8/7/2011  Gary with a Funnel Creek Rainbow.

AK update

Finally another update on the 2011 Alaska season, the waterproof part of my camera seemed to quit working a few weeks ago but we are back on track with a new one now.  We had a great King season on the Nushagak River losing count of fish landed most days!!  The sockeye run was great and they are starting to spawn in a few smaller systems around here, the chum spawn is in full swing on my favorite river the Goodnews and Trout fishing is crazy good, other rivers are soon to follow.  There are a few cohos showing up as well so here comes the gravy train, beads for trout and huge number hookup days on silvers!!!  The last half of the Alaska season is definately my favorite, 6 weeks to go.

They will even try diving on the sockeye for a meal.

That seagull may have a surprise coming.

Secret River Trout.

Swinging leeches for Rainbows is fun!!

A dandy Rainbow that crushed a "green headed monster".

Goodnews River Trout.

Centerpinning the Goodnews braids for Trout.