Bob Down!

Dad and I took advantage of the January thaw for a day on the Big Manistee river with Jon Ray on Saturday. With partly sunny skies, a high near 40, and some rain on the way it looked to be the perfect day of midwinter fishing.

Winter steelheading is a whole different game from Fall and Spring. Lethargic, moody fish may or may not be especially motivated to find the bite. Good thing that wasn't the case this trip! I started out with two nice adults pretty quickly. Then Dad got on the board with two nice fish in a row.

My highlight for the day was a 9-10# fish -- in fact my biggest steel of the past year or so. Had a solid hookset, but then there was that funny Winter steel "stall" where you think they popped off. But then it was game on! I love fighting steelhead. Even the little skipper I got later in the day was a fun little fight.

We fished on Jon's hybrid indicator drift method. This was my third time out on this style and I felt like I was finally getting the hang of it. With an 11' switch rod and this technique you're able to cover so much water without repositioning the boat. But, as a fisherman, there's some definite skills to acquire. The most challenging is the almost-simultaneous line pinch-hookset-strip routine that has to happen PRONTO to get things set-up. You quickly need shift from feeding line, to clamping the line firm, followed quickly by a solid hookset. Then it's off to the races as you strip line by hand to get tension on the fish. Once you've done that, you can catch your breath and settle in to fight the fish. Oh, and somehow find the clarity of mind to spin the line that's in a puddle at your feet up onto the reel...

Great day on the river - many thanks to Jon for his skill and patience. If you want to have a fun experience, I highly recommend a day on the Manistee with Jonny!

-Sean-