Captain Gary Schaefer of Trout Scout Charters reports from the Big Manistee River:

We finally pulled the big boat out of the water on October 25th. Our last charter was on the 22nd and it was a good one with 20 fish. A couple of bucks have been shot while deer hunting and the duck hunting has been steady. The steelhead fishing has been steady. The main push of steelhead has not happened yet so we expect December and January to be on fire. Call 1-877-731-4460

BREAKING NEWS: Christmas is right around the corner, and a great present would be a Steelhead fishing trip on the beautiful Big Manistee river or a gift certificate for Lake Michigan charter on the big boat. Good luck to all those Christmas shoppers and everyone have a wonderful holiday.

Captain Steve Hamilton of First Class Charters reports from Manistee.

Fishing is awesome in Manistee right now, nice catches of Salmon everyday.
Straight out and North, 80 to 120 feet first thing and then move out to 200
ft. or more after the first bite.
Downriggers: 45 to 75
Copper 350 ft
Divers: 125 to 150
Salmon ranging 18 to 25 pounds!
Use plugs first thing then move over to meat and paddles.

Silver Horde Ace Hi: Double Pearl Glow, Green with Black Latter back, Green
Spatter, and glow with black latte back

Meat rigs and big Paddles: UV paddles and white slick/crushed pearl and
black slick. Big Weenie Black Moongoose.
KRW flys and meat rigs: riverside, aqua gold glow, witch doctor uv.
Moonshine: Carbon 14, Raz Carbon and Flounder Pounder.
Anything that glows and has UV on it!!!

Captain Steve Hamilton of First Class Charters reports from Manistee.

Fishing continues to be awesome in Manistee. Some days are better than
others and have had quite bit of wind but still able to go out each day.
Still good both morning and evening, we have just been going straight out
and some days a little to the north of the piers. 200 to 400 feet of water.
Downriggers are 45 to 75 feet and divers 250 to 350 back and meat rigs are
the trick. We have been using KRW meat rigs (Strike Zone and Holo Red) with
the Big Weeenie attractor: Black Moongoose. Anything UV too! DW paddles with
UV tape both white and black paddles.
Silver Horde Ace Hi plugs first thing in the morning: Blue and Green Spatter
and Double white glow and Double glow with a black latter back and Green
glow with a black latter back. Glow, meat and and UV!
Good fishing to you!

Captain Steve Hamilton of First Class Charters reports from Manistee.

Fishing continues to be good, from Manistee straight out and north to
Onekama.
Fishing tournaments all last week, lots of boats in Manistee and lots of
nice fish caught, Kings in the 17 lb. to over 20 lb. plus weight range.
125 to 145 feet of water and later even out to over 400 feet. Everything
working, downriggers, divers, copper and lead core. Fish are up a little
higher now.
Meat rigs and attractors still the ticket and the Ace hi green spatter and
ace hi double white glow with black latter back. We are using the herring
strips in the meat rigs now.
UV seems to be the ticket, the tape on the paddles and the UV tinsel in the
flys. If you have not tried KRW Witch Doctor, you should give it a try!

Captain Steve Hamilton of First Class Charters reports from Manistee.

Fishing in Manistee is great right now. Both evening and day time trips.
Going straight out and then to the 13’s-200 to 300 ft of water first thing
in the morning. Lots of nice catches with big Salmon!
Downriggers 65 to 75 ft down, lead core 10 to 18 colors and copper wire 250
to 300 ft.
Our best baits have been the meat rigs and atractors and the Moonshine lures
Yellow tail and Raz Carbon. Green/black glow spoons and the Silver Horde Ace
HI Green spackle.
Good Fishing!

Captain Bill Winowiecki of Watta Bite Charters reports from Glen Arbor:

The Salmon have arrived at the Mantiou Islands!!!!!!
Good catches of kings are being caught on both North and South Manitou.
The last couple of days it seems that anything you put in the water is
working. Orange crush spoons, glow spoons, and paddle fly
combinations are working well.

For those of you who don’t know, the Manitou Islands are the best kep
secret in Michigan. Very ligh boat trafffic, and a beautiful setting
around the Sleeping Bear National Lake Shore. Glen Arbor is the
closest port, to access South Manitou Island.

July and August are the best fishing months because the big kings are
gorging themselves on alewives to prepare for spawning.

Captain Bill Winowiecki
Watta Bite Charter Fishing
Glen Arbor Michigan
Port Captain Michigan Charter Boat