8:39 AM
Matthew Supinski's Gray Drake/Selectivity/Nexus Blog
(last week's steelhead before the 'perfect storm')
After a "head scratching "fall, the tide will quickly change IMHO.
Plagued by brutally low waters, extremely warm weather, the 'chrome carpet ride' was very poor- roughing it out to get a fish here and there. Sunny days in the 60/70's F in November kept steelhead and browns mostly confined to the lake and lower estuaries, extremely skittish and hiding near cover and the low flows making swinging flies in traditional lies next to impossible. As much as guides hate to admit it, but it has been tough- pulling out a fish on the swing in a day was a huge accomplishment. I'm sure there are better guides and steelheaders than me laughing at this post, but that was my experience and one that many honest fisherman will agree .Bobber/spawn/Centerpin and other 'tossing' methods were and always be more effective if you choose to fish that way- your gig !
BUT!!!...we couldn't of had a more 'perfect storm' this weekend at just the right time- the next month of December should be amazing in my opinion- here is why!
*Only several times in a decade , do you get a perfect alignment of conditions that nature can coincide for 'perfect' migratory steelhead, lake-run browns and Coho/ Atlantic salmon- a.k.a "magic carpet ride"
All of these wonderful critical factors are fusing together as we speak:
* El Nino winter- this system is firmly in place and will continue to give the Great Lakes /Midwest above average temperatures and mild weather thru December, so critical to strong migration
*Rain event- we just had 1 to 2 inches in some spots of rain ( but all rivers got a major soaking) and had a major rise in river flows ( Muskegon hit 5,000 cfs -low flood stage- PERFECT!!!!!.- all rivers have a nice'green/brown cloaking stain ideal for all day migration up river. Remember last year we already had several feet of snow and temperatures in the single digit Fahrenheit
* Lake/River temp alignment-Lake temps as we speak - 48 F....River temps 46F...couldnt be more perfect- plus off color of estuaries move bait upriver/steelhead/browns on their heels. Low water seals up migrations and concentrates fish in larger pools where they can be 'hammered' ruthlessly- not so with low flood stage waters.
* Here is a big one-Full Moon!- the alignment of the current full moon with all these conditions couldn't be better!- all day and night migration occurs due to the lack of melatonin build up
SO....all I can say is December will be an epic steelhead month!...get ready
P.S.- the rain couldn't have come better for our newly stocked Sturgeon River strain brown fingerlings planted last week- float stocking at its finest!
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