Big Manistee River

In the late summer and early fall, the Big Manistee river becomes the destination for many fisherman seeking the Chinook (King) Salmon.  The salmon run usually starts in August and continues into October, depending on the weather conditions.  Triggered by the cooler water temperatures and shorter days, these fish begin their  journey from Lake Michigan into the Manistee River, via Manistee Lake.  They continue up the river as far as Tippy Dam, in the quest to spawn somewhere along the way.

For us it is a wild guess to pick a week, a year in advance, that will be good fishing.  Depending on the weather conditions, we might hit a good run or just have some time on the water.  We always stay at the Matson's Big Manistee River Campground, a friendly and well maintained facility owned by Scott and Cheryl Matson.

This year, Taylor and I arrived before the rest of the group so we decided to camp for a couple of nights.  We got to the campground later than we wanted due to a couple of flat tires.  We quickly setup our tent, made a quick dinner and then headed out for some evening fishing.  It was great to be on the river again fishing with my best buddy.

No luck the first night, but we went back to camp confident that we would be successful in the morning.  We climbed into our small tent so that we could get some sleep and get back on the river by 7:00am.  It was not long before it was clear that several of the campers around us were not on the same plan.  This is usually a very quite campground, so we expected that the others would soon retire to their tents.  One group was just getting started with their party and continued to raise their volume until 3 or 4 a.m.  We had some "words" along the way which seem to help for a while, but did not last long.  We got up a little later than planned, due to the almost sleepless night.
After a quick breakfast, we headed back down river toward one of our favorite spots.  We found the spot already taken so we opted for an alternate.  This turned out to be a good spot, because Taylor had two fish in the boat before 8:30.

Since we were tied up to some logs, I thought about moving the boat to the other side of the river to keep the fish out of the wood. The first fish seemed to be staying in the main stream, so we decided to hold tight.  Taylor's skill kept the fish out of trouble and soon we had the first fish in the boat.  The net was still dripping when he had the second fish hit.  We again decided to keep our spot and not move the boat and soon the second fish was also on the stringer.

This year it seemed that the large pearl flatfish with the redhead and black eyes, was the best running lure. It worked well for these two fish and three more later in the week.  This was a great start to our day and gave us confidence that we might have a good run started.
After the morning outing, we returned to camp to clean Taylor's fish and make some lunch.  We took some time to report the events of the previous night to the camp office and found we were the fourth to do so.  The problem campers were quickly asked to leave, which resulted in a sigh of relief from the rest of the camp.   This is normally a very quiet camp and in almost 18 years, the Matson's have only had to eject three campers.

M2 Flatfish

On Saturday, we were joined by my good friend Chris and his son Seth.  Although Chris and I have fished the Manistee many times, it was the first trip for Seth.  We were all hopeful that he would connect with a few kings and have a good Manistee river adventure.

The afternoon did not result in any more salmon for our boat, but we did see our first sighting of bald eagles.  Seth was a bit luckier, landing a nice Northern Pike as his first fish of the trip.  Our evening was much better than the previous, as everyone was quiet, probably trying to catch up on sleep missed from the night before.  Chris had a nice fire started and we roasted some marshmallows before turning in.  It was difficult to leave the warm fire, but we were ready for a quiet night to catch up on our sleep.

Hot-n-Tot

Sunday was a short day for Taylor, since he had to head back to college.  We hit it hard, hoping to get him another fished before his trip ended.  In the last spot we tried, Taylor connected with a nice fish casting a chartreuse Hot-n-Tot .  It was a short battle.  This fish was a fresh run and did not want to cooperate. Running toward the boat and rolling like a gator, was just the trick to avoid our capture.  Even though we did not get him in the boat, it was a nice way to end Tay's trip with some action.

As Taylor headed back to school, we were joined by my dad, Frank, and Chris' dad, Phil.  We all moved into the cabin above the campground, had a quick dinner and headed out for some evening fishing.  I took dad down to Taylor's lucky spot and we tied up to a log for some evening fishing.  It was not very long before he had a fish on, using the same rod and lure that Taylor used to catch his fish.  This was a smaller fish that put on a nice fight that ended in our net.  We did not stay out very long, as it began to get cold and dad was pretty tired from the trip up.

Monday, Seth went fishing with his grandfather.  It was on this day he became a real Manistee River salmon fisherman, landing his first two Kings.
Dad and I fished all the way down to below the beaver creek, without any success.  We did get a chance to see a couple of mature bald eagles watching us, watching them.  I think they also look forward to the salmon run each year, taking advantage of the easy meals when the expired fish float back down the river.

Tuesday evening I fished with Chris and his son in one of their favorite spots.  This particular "hole" was first fished by Chris' grandfather, so it has some serious family history and holds a special sentimental value for Chris.  On this evening, it proved itself again.  I had two serious hits, but failed to get a hook set in either one.  In both cases by the time I stood up to begin the fight, it was over.  These were the first hits of the trip for me, so I had an infusion of excitement even without any results. Having fished this river for over 35 years, I know that "hits" are much more common than fish in the net.  If we land 50% of the fish that actually hit our lures, we are doing well for river fishing.

Chris pulled our batting average up by landing the next two fish that he encountered.  Although one of the fish was seeking some wood to make his attempt at escape, Chris knew this tactic well and countered the maneuver with some pressure that brought the fish back around.  It was not long before we had him safely in the boat. It was a great way to end this day with a couple of nice fish and Chris now removed from the "skunked" board.

On Wednesday, dad and I jumped in with Chris and we went back to the same spot to see if we could repeat our success from the previous evening.  It seemed like some fish were moving up the river, so this should be as good a spot as any.  We decided to again run some plugs rather than cast, since it would be easier with three people in the boat.  It is always a nice way to start the fishing day watching the steam lift from the river as the sun begins to climb and enjoying a hot cup of tea.  We typically wear our rain suites in the morning, even on a clear day, because dew from the cold air has everything wet.  As the sun dries out the boat and warms the air, we shed layers as needed.

This morning I finally got on the scoreboard.  Using Tay's lucky flatfish, I connected with a salmon that was spunky to say the least.  Another fresh run with silver sides, it gave a nice fight yet was fairly well behaved.  Taking an initial run downstream toward some known logs had me worried, but we soon had the situation under control and gained some line back on the reel.  I felt a sigh of relief when the fish was safely in the boat.  There were many years that I went back home fishless, but this would not be one of them.

Dad had the same experience that I had the previous evening - two good hits, but no hook ups.  We were running monofilament on these running rods, rather than braid.  Although the mono provides some advantages in cushioning the tackle while fighting a fish, it also provide a bit of stretch that might have contributed to the issues with not getting a good hook set.  The decision to use mono might have cost us several fish.

Wednesday evening, I had the opportunity to guide Seth in my boat.  Although we did run some lures in several spots, we primarily casted down river.  Since there were only two of us in the boat, it was our opportunity to see if we could get some of these fish out of the log jams.  I use a technique of running the engine in reverse, while standing on one leg and steering with the other one using my foot on the tiller.  This slows the drift down the river, while providing good boat control.  I've used this approach for years on the river and as far as I know, I'm the only one crazy enough to do it.  It really does provide great boat control for casting in some tricky spots.  Although the running motor does not seem to affect the fish, it does become annoying hearing the engine and breathing the exhaust.

On this evening, we only managed to hook a large underwater stump and loose one of Seth's lures.  Normally we have a 90%+ success rate retrieving lures using our special pole, but this one was under the log and it was bound to lower our average.

As it began to get dark, we once again tried running some flatfish in Taylor's spot.  We even tried glow-in-the-dark technology, since both of our lures had this magic paint.  My Q-Beam was the charging station and soon our lures became like the bait fish from the nuclear plant.  We both wondered if this eerie glow would really work with the salmon (Seth said he would do some research when he gets back home).  Although this approach did not result in any hits for the evening, it was a fun distraction from the fishless evening.

Thursday was our last day on the water.  Since fishing was once again slow and we were getting tired of fishing the same spots near camp, we decided to venture up river.  Chris, Seth and Phil did the same, so we followed them without any real destination in mind.  I figured that we would just see how many boats were fishing the holes around Rainbow Bend and then see if there was a spot that attracted us. With the lower water level this year, and the wind on the water, I proceeded very slowly.  This year I hit more stumps with my motor than I had in the previous decade, so it seemed best to be cautious.

I asked dad if we were close to "Cemetery Run" and he confirmed that it was just around the corner and we should give it a try.  Although this is a very popular "up river" spot we were surprised that it was almost devoid of boats, but then again it was a Thursday afternoon.  We anchored and ran back some flats.  Dad had switched to one of his old favorite rods, hoping that the extra power would provide for a better hookset.  On this afternoon, it seemed to work.  After only a few minutes, dad hooked a nice fish.  This run has few snags, but fairly fast water.  We knew if we had a good hookup, we had a good chance to land the fish.
There was a boat heading up toward us and it was clear that they did not see that we had a fish on.  The guy in the front of the boat seemed to be asleep and the guy driving could not even see us.  I waved the landing net and we yelled "fish on".  They eventually saw us and steered to the other side.  Even though they should have stopped below us, they continued past us like they were watching TV.

This was a nice fish and it really worked the current to it's advantage.  After a couple of attempts to find the prop, dad persuaded the fish back around to the side of the boat.  I put the net in the water looking for the right time to make my move.  The fish decided to turn and head back down river which put him right into the net.  Bingo, dad had his second fish in the boat!

This proved to be the last fish of the trip for our group.  Although we fished until early evening, there was no more stories for this adventure.  Since we were leaving in the morning, we pulled out the boats and packed up.  It turned out to be a wise move, since the rain started again while we were eating a very late dinner.

It was not our best year, nor our worst catching fishing, but we have enough for the smoker, which is always one of the goals.  More importantly, we added to the great memories of fishing this beautiful river with family and life-long friends.

Scott, Frank, Phil, Seth and Chris - Manistee 2012

South Manitou Island - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park

Camping during the summer months in Michigan can be hot, buggy and crowded in many of the state parks.  Not so, if you are willing to put all your stuff in a backpack and venture out into Lake Michigan via a ferry.  South Manitou Island provides some of the most breath-taking sights in Michigan, south of Pictured Rocks.  The island is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and administered by the National Park Service.  The three designated camping areas are "walk-in only" and provide rustic camp sites, so you won't have your tent next to an RV with the TV on full volume all night.  For many of the sites you will not even see your neighbors, and we rarely heard anyone.  The camping areas are only a few miles from the ferry landing, yet provide a very secluded setting.  Some of the sites offer a fantastic view of Lake Michigan and the others are only a few steps away from the beach.  The island is small enough to day hike, so your heavy pack can be left at camp and you can enjoy the rest of the walks with simply water and most certainly a camera. To me, it is really an ideal situation.

Although we usually prefer to camp in the spring and fall, we decided to give it a shot in July due to our busy fall schedules.  Trying to avoid the weekend island visitors, we elected to head over on Sunday and then returned mid-week on Wednesday.  The plan seemed to work, since we really had our pick of premium camp sites.

The only way to reach the island, except for private boats, is via the Manitou Island Transit ferry.  The staff that operate the ferry service are very friendly and make it extremely easy to stow your gear and have a great ride to/from the island.  During check-in an NPS Ranger at the ferry office helps visitors secure camping and park permits before leaving for the island.  The trip is about 1.5 hours and provides great views of North Manitou and the navigation light before watching South come into view.

Once you arrive at South Manitou, the Ranger at the landing will help you select a camping area and then provides a short overview of the regulations and guidelines before you head to the "wilderness".

We elected to stay at the Weather Station campground, which was reported to have some nice bluff sites above the lakeshore.  Pleased to find several of the premium sites open, it was a good choice for us.  The hike was very easy, yet we were outside of the village and still had a ready source of drinking water.  All of the camping areas on the island are really nice and offer some advantages, depending on your preferences.

We found a great site with a view of the water and a path that led to the beach, while still having a well shaded spot to get out of the sun. It was really ideal and provided a great base camp for the rest of our stay.

 

If you have done any reading about the island, you may have read something about the vicious chipmunks.  These accounts are true!!!  They are not really vicious, but they are certainly bold and will do just about anything we find some food.  Per the instructions from the rangers, be prepared to secure your food from a tree to try a protect your valuable meals.  We had our food in some small dry bags and which were hung from a line between two trees, left by some previous campers.  Although this approach sort of worked during the day, by the end of the week we had one bag with three holes in it from stealthy night attacks.  This targeted food stash happened to contain the snacks, which included highly prized pistachios.

From our camp we ventured on both some inland trails and some extensive beach walks.  Although there is plenty of poison ivy along the wooded trails, most of the paths are pretty wide (some being old wagon roads) and with care, you can avoid the menace if you watch your step.

One potential hike takes you straight up through the center of the island past the cemetery and the old school house.  It is an easy hike following one of the old roads, but sure seems like 3x the posted distances.  It is from this trail that you can also take a side tour to the old farm ruins.

I must say that our favorite hikes were to see shipwreck of the Francisco Morazon. Coming from the inland approach, you can view the remains of the wreck from a high bluff that is really spectacular.

From the Weather Station campground, you can also reach the shipwreck via a beach hike. We really enjoyed the view, so we did both. There is a steep path from the bluff to the beach, so it would be possible to take different routes to and from the wreck. I'd recommend starting at the top, the sandy path up the bluff looks like it would not be an easy climb.

Past the trail to the shipwreck is the path to the "Giant Cedars".  This is a nice trail that is partially a boardwalk, through some of the large cedars that somehow avoided the loggers.  

Although the map shows this route as a down and back, it actually loops up to the dunes trail. It is really a nice wooded trail that was a beautiful walk in the early evening and offered some cool relief from the sun.

Now, from this trail you can venture further out to the dunes. It was late in the day for us so we did not make it out to the dunes, but we heard from others that the views were well worth the extra distance. I guess we needed to leave something for the next trip.

Heading back to the village, the lighthouse is also a must see. Like the shipwreck, it seems like we just could not stop taking pictures of this landmark. At the time we were on the island, they were renovating some of the building but the NPS still offered tours of the lighthouse each day. The views from the top are well worth the long climb up the spiral staircase.

Depending on the ferry schedule, there is plenty of time on the last day to enjoy the sites around the village, including the lighthouse. The ranger asks all of the campers to be at the ferry landing by 11:00am to check the schedule, because the boat sometimes makes an early departure depending on weather and lack of day-trippers.

There are plenty more pictures to share, but I hope these provide incentive without taking away from your own discovery. This trip is highly recommended to anyone that wants to get away from the crowds and experience the "wilderness" without being a seasoned long distance backpacker.