Steel is Real

Spring steelhead is shaping up to be a fun season for me. Through good fortune, I've already got some cool trips lined up, and I'm sure some other options will present themselves.

The first is a mid-March trip on the Manistee with Jon Ray of Hawkins Outfitters. Jon's a good friend whom I've fished with a fair bit and learned a great deal from. But I've never had the pleasure of Spring on the Big Man. We always do well in Fall and Winter, so this will be interesting.

One of the more intriguing is a day chasing chrome on the Lake Superior tributaries with Brad Petzke of Rivers North and my Dad. Have spent very little time chasing steel on the Superior side. The beauty of this area is an attractor, but even better is what I've heard about the fish. Supposed to be lively fighters, even if smaller their Lake Michigan relatives.

And, I get the chance to fish the renowned Steelhead Alley region of Ohio with buddy Mike Schultz who guides down there through Steelhead Alley Outfitters. He invited me to join him for a day exploring some new territory. I've heard some amazing things about this area in terms of sheer numbers. Plus, the scenery looks really cool. Looks like it will be a great spot to bust out my switch rod and drift indicators all day.

This gets a couple of the rivers on my bucket list. The other day I ran into a friend at breakfast and he was telling me about fishing the Carp in the Eastern UP -- another on my list. And finally, there's the Mighty Muskegon. I have some pointers on walk-in spots, so that may go on my spontaneous trips list.

Just as ski season winds down, Spring steel is heating up!