A pril on the Manistee will bring warmer air temperatures, high water, and our spring steelhead. This season is the time of the year most steelhead anglers are waiting for. While the peace and serenity of the winter fishing are behind us, we have to get used to the crowds that the spring steelhead run brings. With longer days and the run off from snow melt and rain, we see new fish showing up every day.
April is a month that one can employ many different techniques to catch a steelhead. Float fishing early on with centerpins and fly rods to swinging big streamers with two-handed spey rods, and the most common approach, bottom bouncing with spinning tackle and fly gear. All of these techniques will work to catch a steelhead, but some are better than others depending on water conditions. As the month starts, we are still fishing the holes and runs where the fish are holding as they make their migration to their spawning gravel. For this, I prefer to use centerpins and float rods using trout beads, spawns, and jigs. As the month goes on, and the rivers start to rise, we blow dust off the bottom-bouncing gear and get the pencil lead out. This technique is the most common and easiest way to fish for steelhead. 9-10 feet fly or spinning rods rigged with running lines or 8-10 pound mono main lines to a swivel with a pencil lead weight and a 5-7 foot 6-8 pound leader to your bait of choice.
Yarn flies, beads, and nymphs such as green caddis, hex nymphs, stoneflies, and small minnow patterns all work well. Things are looking good so far this spring with an early snow melt and temperatures staying in the lower 40’s. We might just have a nice constant trickle of fish to help prolong our spring steelhead season. Think about the future of our fishery, use care while releasing your fish and if you don’t need it don’t take it. Have fun, be safe, and enjoy what spring has to offer. Tight lines & high fives!