Well it looks like winter has finally made an appearance over the last few weeks here in West Michigan. Frigid temps and some bouts of both lake effect and system snow, we knew it was only a matter of time after being spoiled in January with some with some pretty nice weather. Obviously, area rivers are not in good shape with shelf ice, slush flows and areas of the rivers basically froze over. All this will come come to pass though as we are on the heels of spring. Once we can get back on the water, we anticipate some good fishing as there were a decent amount of steelhead in most systems already. Get in touch with me if your interested in getting on the water for the spring steelhead run. I have March and April dates available. We are also booking summer warm-water species charters and fall king salmon trips. Trips and prices can be found on my website. If you feel like chatting I can be reached at 616 813-5989 or email steel-header@live.com

Winter steelhead fishing has been good for us the last few weeks. At this time, the Grand River is at a good winter level and the color is just about perfect. We have been catching a fair amount of bright, fresh fish along with some darker fish that have been in the river awhile. Patience and covering water to hunt them down will usually result in success. We have mainly been float-fishing with beads or bait. The Muskegon River is at a decent winter level and generally clear to gin clear. It has been fishing a little tougher than the Grand for us, but has had its good days. Again, a good mix of fresh and dark fish are in the system. We have been backbouncing and float-fishing, with everyday being different as to what works best. Most don’t consider January as prime-time steelheading, but when you can get out on the water it has just as much potential as any other time of the year to have a good day. The scenery this time of year is awesome, especially after a fresh snowfall, and the fishing pressure is low. Get in touch with me to experience a winter day on the river. I have openings throughout the remainder of the month and beyond. 616 813-5989 steel-header@live.com

Steelhead fishing has been good for us this late fall season. At this time, the Grand River has a nice stain to it and is at a good level. We are catching a mix of chrome and darker fish, and some nice sized ones as well. Last weekend we received about 1.5 inches of rain, which bumped up river levels and moved fish around. Since then, river levels have dropped nicely and the fish have settled in. We have mainly been float-fishing on the Grand with beads and spawn bags. The rain south was mainly snow to the north. The Muskegon River level bumped up slightly, but is now at a normal level and gin clear. Stealthy tactics have been putting fish in the boat. We have been doing some back bouncing, but have had our best success float-fishing with small spawn bags. We are now entering the winter fishing season and offer 4 or 6 hr trips. Typically, depending on conditions, we start our trips later in the morning and fish through the afternoon when temperatures are warmest. River traffic is usually low. Combine that with awesome scenery and trophy steelhead, its something that anyone who likes to fish should experience.