(989) 225-2478
toddzwetzig@sbcglobal.net
         (989) 225-2478            toddzwetzig@sbcglobal.net
Ausable troutfitters strive to give up to date fishing reports for the Ausable River, Trophy Waters, Saginaw Bay, and Tittabawassee River. All fishing reports are first hand and current.
Help us protect this beautiful stretch of river by becoming a member of the ASBWPA today. Membership are free of cost. Visit the site to check out all the latest news and conservation opportunities to protect this very fragile stretch of river.
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Trout Babe of the Week!

Congratulations goes out to my wife Olivia on her recent success at her figure competition. Her hard work and dedication to her sport earned her the trout babe of the week status.
Good luck at Nationals!!!!!
Fishing Report 2-23-10

For recent steelhead and trout pics go to the fish porn page



Trout Report

Look for mid-winter warm-ups and throw streamers or nymphs. Fish still feed all winter long and will hit a streamer or nymph but will not travel far to get it. Fish deep and slow and pick warmer parts of the day to fish.

Steelhead
Well we are back to low water and fluctuating river flows.Some much needed stain and higher flows would make for some ideal conditions. Plan your days around cloudy overcast weather. As always, look to the deepest darkest pools with lots of structure to find some of those elusive winter Ausable steelhead. Smaller black stones and lighter colored eggs are always a good bet this time of year. Now that it is February look for "Salmon Alvins" to hatch out of the gravel and create another solid food choice for the steelhead. These little guys still have their egg sacks attached so make sure your patterns imitate this feature. Indicators and floating line on a longer switch rod is a great way to suspend your flies just above woody structure where the steelhead like to live. This is a great way to pull some fish out of the wood when the start to disperse throughout the river and hold in places other than the deeper holes.

Pike

Pike are starting to become more active as they move into the "Hot Ponds" off Saginaw Bay. As we move into spring these big fish will get aggressive as they prepare to spawn. We have been getting a few on flies lately and will post more as this gets going. The "Hot ponds" are a warm water discahrge that does not freeze in the winter creating for some fly fishing opprotunities for pike and walleye.

Thanks,
Capt. Todd


*Conservation Alert*

Take The 70 Degree Pledge

When the morning temperature at Mio Dam is 70 degrees or more then I will not fish for trout on that stretch of the Au Sable River, Mio to Alcona Pond.  If I choose to fish that day, it will be on other streams with cooler water, further downstream for warm water fish such as smallmouth bass, or on the many lakes in the area.  If I catch a trout I will let it go immediately.  When the temperatures fall below 70 degrees at Mio Dam I may consider fishing the stretch again, but will do it early in the morning, at twilight, and at night.  I will use a thermometer to fish runs with cooler water so the trout have a better chance at surviving catch and release.  I recognize that this is a necessary practice during the hottest part of the summer, late June through mid August, and I am helping the fishery when I do it.

Thanks to Kevin, Jason, Adam, Mike, Casey, and Matt for another great group outting this year !
Nice fish Connor !
Kevin showing the fish some love!
Look for Ausable Troutfitters on a television near you !!!!!  To view the show got to http://www.duenorthoutdoors.tv/watch-the-show/2009/5/20/may-28-2009.html

Click on the fish porn page for recent pictures !!!!!
Here is the latest addition to our fleet !!!!! This is a 16' jet sled that is capable of getting us into some great smallmouth and trout waters. It worked great on dark hex tonight !!!
What do guides do on a day off ? They try and prove all the bull they've talked all season long true !!!!!!!!!!!!  This fish should do just that !!!!!!! Nice fish Jeff. This brown trout was over 30" and went 21 pounds on the scale!!!!!!!!
View more pics on the fish porn page
Past Reports

11-8-08
Well after having a 120 to 130" Buck bust me while drawing my bow at 15 yards this morning I decided the only thing to do is call my friend Mike Bachelder and float the Rifle River for some brown trout action. We caught a couple and saw some nice fish stripping streamers. Lots of little reds in the river so be careful not to disturb spawning Brown Trout. Lake Huron will start producing some nice Browns and Lakers now that the cold winds of November will start blowing.

11-24-08
Remember the Trophy Waters from Mio - 4001 is now closed!!!!!!!!
Steelhead fishing was a little slow yesterday but we did manage one 4-5 pounder. The bonus of the day was the whitefish that were in just about every run in the river. They are mighty tasty and fun to catch on a fly!
Good streamer fishing can be found on rivers throughout the state! Look to the South Branch, Rifle, Manistee, and Holy Waters of the AuSable for some great fall/Winter action.  If you have never landed a fall brown you are missing out on one of mother natures prettiest creations.  These fish will become a bit sluggish as November wans on. Small sculpin patterns fished through slow pools,out of the way pockets, and along the bank can move big fish. The key this time of year is to go slow and deep when retrieving your presentation.
Egg sucking leeches can be deadly fished through pockets behind spawning salmon. Steelhead, rainbows, and Browns love sucking down fresh salmon eggs this time of year. Remember to leave spawning females (Salmon and Browns) alone this time of year and focus on pocket water behind the girls to find aggressive males. As fall creeps closer to winter start looking to the wood if you are in search of steelies.

Fishing Report 12-5-08

Director Humphries has put a hold on any changes to Regs below Mio for 2009. This is a big step in the right direction in hopes of protecting the Trophy waters section. More creel surveys will be conducted and continued communication with stakeholders will continue in an effort to formulate a solid plan for future regs!

Today we started striping streamers for large Lake and Brown Trout on Lake Huron at first light. Conditions were tough and we only had one solid hit with a swing and a miss. We then moved up to Foote Dam and swung streamers through deep runs in search of winter steelhead. The streamer bite was slow but we did go 3 for 3 on egg patterns in the deeper darker holes. Top pattern was a multi-colored clown egg. We saw a dozen or so steelies that looked very fresh. The river was very low and clear and could use some more water. Things are shaping up well and the river should continue to fish well.

12-7-08
Wow!!!!!! Five degrees and windy. The cold weather made for some very tough steelheading conditions. Guide Mike Bachelder and I floated the lower AuSable for ducks and steelhead yesterday. My stubborn tendencies found me swinging streamers for the majority of the time adding to the already tough challenge of winter fishing. There is just nothing like a steelhead strike on a streamer! We did see a few fish and talked to a couple guys that hooked a few.

Fishing Report 12-22-08

Happy Holidays!
This recent cold spell has slowed things down to a crawl. The snow has made it difficult to get around the boat launches and walk the banks. Keep an eye on the weather for any warm-ups and get on the river the minute the mercury rises. The fish are just looking for an excuse to go on the feed again!
There is something to be said about fishing for steelhead in the winter. Strangely enough, catching fish is the least of it. Just being out and braving the elements with good friends create memories which last forever. Putting a fish in the net is just an added bonus.
If you have never tried this you are missing out on a unique experience. Best of all you are almost assured of having the river to yourself. Just be prepared to chip ice of the rod and everything in the boat freezing!

The setup for streamer fishing winter steelhead  is the same as summer trout using sink tip lines and weighted streamers to get the flies down to the bottom of deep holding pockets and runs where steelhead like to hide in the winter. The major difference is you cast across or slightly upstream and swing the fly deep and slow with a subtle strip motion. Natural colors that imitate gobies and baitfish are good choices.

Winter steelhead below Foote Dam is going strong and is a great way to cure cabin fever!!!!

12-28-08


Saturday's trip to the river couldn't have started out any worse. The drive up was ridiculous due to the fog, I hit a deer about half way there smashing up my grill and bumper, and arrived to a sheet of ice for a boat launch! The good news is the fish wanted to play. We boated three nice steelhead and missed a few others. The river has fished exceptional this winter and today was no exception. Clown eggs are still the fly of choice.
There is something to be said about fishing for steelhead in the winter. Strangely enough, catching fish is the least of it. Just being out and braving the elements with good friends create memories which last forever. Putting a fish in the net is just an added bonus.
If you have never tried this you are missing out on a unique experience. Best of all you are almost assured of having the river to yourself. Just be prepared to chip ice of the rod and everything in the boat freezing!
1-22-09
There has been some major issues brewing right now below Foote Dam about the way the dam has been operated the past couple years. Thanks to the efforts of Tom Buhr and Kelly Neuman of the AuSable Big Water Preservation association www.asbwpa.org consumers powers along with the DNR have set a meeting for all stakeholders of the river to attend. This means a time for concerned anglers to speak. I along with many others feel this is a major contributor to winter fish kill and recent decline to our AuSable steelhead population. Please show your support and join us at the AmericInn at 7 p.m. Tuesday February 10th. Also a meeting has been arranged to visit the powerhouse the same day at 3p.m. to observe operations. The address to the AmericInn is

720 E. Harbor St.
Oscoda, MI 48750
989-739-1986

I hope you can make it up and help us protect this great river.

Fishing was slow today with only 1 hook-up. Clown eggs and small hex, caddis, and stones have all worked well this winter. Cold temps and decreasing flows made conditions very difficult. Most time was spent de-icing equipment and dodging ice flows coming down river. If you go make sure you have sand, salt, and a shovel in your truck. I spent a half-hour breaking ice and shoveling at the launch this morning. Make sure your equipment is in good working order and you have extra warm dry clothes. With the extreme temps on the way my efforts will be on Saginaw Bay chasing walleye on the ice until we get a warm up again.
The setup for streamer fishing winter steelhead  is the same as summer trout using sink tip lines and weighted streamers to get the flies down to the bottom of deep holding pockets and runs where steelhead like to hide in the winter. The major difference is you cast across or slightly upstream and swing the fly deep and slow with a subtle strip motion. Natural colors that imitate gobies and baitfish are good choices.
Au Sable flow frustrates anglers
Consumers Energy blamed for problem
BY ERIC SHARP • FREE PRESS OUTDOORS WRITER • January 22, 2009

Thousands of stream fishermen have bemoaned the collapse of the Lake Huron salmon fishery, where they used to troll for salmon offshore and intercept the chinooks when they entered the handful of rivers that offered some spawning gravel on the Michigan side.
However, there's a ray of hope for those anglers; in the past couple of years there has been a significant increase in the winter and spring steelhead fishery in the 11 miles of the Au Sable River below Foote Dam.
The fishing is still well below the peak of 10 years ago, and the steelhead have almost no chance of reproducing successfully because that part of the Au Sable gets too warm in summer.
Some of the few chinook salmon in the lake still make a fall spawning run and can produce young. And from about November to April the steelhead give it the old college try, and a number of dedicated anglers still brave frigid temperatures and knee-deep snow to try to catch them.
But that has been a lot tougher this winter, many say, because of rapid and wild fluctuations in the water flow caused by Consumers Energy Co. trying to maintain specified water levels in the pond above the dam.
Kelly Neuman, a salmon and steelhead guide from Fairview who fishes the Au Sable in winter, says the fluctuations are destroying the fishery and often leave large stretches of gravel exposed to sub-zero temperatures that no fish eggs can withstand.
"We've seen times when the river below the dam has gone from 1,000 or 1,200 cubic feet per second (CFS) to 500 or 600 CFS in less than an hour," he said. "And Consumers can't seem to get a handle on maintaining the levels in the pond. We had some of these same problems last year, and they said it was because a new employee made some mistakes. But now we're seeing the same thing again this winter. It seems like whenever they can't come up with another answer, Consumers blames it on operator error."
Foote is one of a series of hydroelectric dams built on the Au Sable between 1911 and 1924, but today they produce a total of about 41,000 kilowatts of electricity, or enough to run a town of about 20,000 people. That's insignificant considering Consumers' total production of 40-billion kilowatts. But all energy companies now fiercely protect old hydroelectric dams because the dams represent a significant portion of energy from renewable sources that are required under government mandates.
Kyle Kruger, a senior fisheries biologist from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, has been dealing with Consumers and complaining anglers, and he said one major problem is that the water levels above the Foote Dam are controlled by a manual system, while other dams upstream have automated systems that keep the water level more even.
"Another part of it isn't so much the size of the fluctuation as the speed at which the water goes up and down. If we came up with a system that changed the flow by 300 CFS over 12 hours instead of in 15 minutes, it would let the fishermen plan their day and let the fish settle down," he said.
And for the past two winters, large increases in the amount of ice forming on the river and snowmelt during thaws have made changes in the water flow even more unpredictable and difficult to manage. The extreme cold weather also requires that the hydroelectric plant at the dam run at higher capacity simply to keep the plant warm, Kruger added.
But Neuman said the erratic flows at Foote don't start until other dams upstream cut back their production during the winter ice season, and he believes some planning and operation modification on the part of the electric company could result in a far more natural flow in the Au Sable below Foote dam.
Bob Stuber, fisheries manager for the Huron-Manistee natural forest that lines much of the Au Sable, wrote in an e-mail that the problems at Foote were not anticipated when the dam was relicensed in 1992 under an agreement that most people thought would see environmental improvements.
Stuber has called for a public meeting of any and all interested parties for a "frank, open discussion."
Consumers Energy spokesman Kelly Hall said the meeting with interest groups would be held Feb. 14 in Oscoda. He added that because the company has a state mandate to double its renewable energy output from the present 5% to 10% by 2015, the hydroelectric plants represent a significant part of that goal.
Neuman and some angling and conservation groups want the DNR to charge Consumers with violating the 1992 re-licensing agreement, but Kruger said that anglers don't understand that a court would be unlikely to shut down the Foote hydroelectric plant.
But he said that because Consumers and other energy companies are so eager to retain these old hydroelectric systems, it gives environmentalists, anglers and state agencies a powerful bargaining chip in convincing to make changes that would improve the river flow.

Fishing Report 2-11-09

Thanks to the efforts of Tom Buhr and Kelly Neuman of the AuSable Big Water Preservation association www.asbwpa.org , MCTU, Huron Pines, and Anglers of The AuSable the meeting with Consumers Power went very well. Consumers proposed some plans to update the dam and showed intrest in improving current operations throughout the Ausable system. Thank you goes out to Steve Sendek of the DNR for his support and suggestions on how to improve operations. I would also like to thank all the fellow anglers who showed up. The great turn out showed how much everyone cares about the lower Ausable.

This warm up trend should create some good fishing opprotunities once the rain and run-off slows down. There have been a good number of steelhead in the system this winter and should only get better from here on out. Ice should not be an issue any more and the launches should be all clear in the next few days.

Fishing Report 2-15-09

Thanks to the efforts of Tom Buhr and Kelly Neuman of the AuSable Big Water Preservation association www.asbwpa.org , MCTU, Huron Pines, and Anglers of The AuSable the meeting with Consumers Power went very well. Consumers proposed some plans to update the dam and showed intrest in improving current operations throughout the Ausable system. Thank you goes out to Steve Sendek of the DNR for his support and suggestions on how to improve operations. I would also like to thank all the fellow anglers who showed up. The great turn out showed how much everyone cares about the lower Ausable.

Fishing was very slow today as we got skunked!!!! The current was flowing swift and strong today and the fish were not interested in our flies. Keep focusing on deep runs and slow pools out of the main current. Try dead drifting hex, stoneflies, caddis, and egg patterns. Indicator rigs are a great way to suspend the flies just above sunken structure when the fish are in the wood. Swinging streamers and nymph patterns will be more productive as the water temps come up as we get closer to spring.


Winter steelhead below Foote Dam is going strong and is a great way to cure cabin fever!!!!

Fishing Report 2-21-09

Fishing was very great today!!!! The current was flowing excellent and the water had a subtle stain that made the fish a little less spooky. As soon as the sun came out the fish moved out of the wood and into the more shallow runs to sun themselves. If the water clears don't expect the fish to be in those shallows so keep focusing on deeper runs and slow pools out of the main current until the spring run fish show up and the water temps get warmer. Try dead drifting hex, stoneflies, caddis, and egg patterns. Indicator rigs are a great way to suspend the flies just above sunken structure when the fish are in the wood. Swinging streamers and nymph patterns will be more productive as the water temps come up as we get closer to spring.

3-1-09

Fishing was very slow and cold today!!!! The current was flowing excellent and the water had a subtle stain that should have made the fish a little less spooky. Guide and great friend Mike Bachelder and I floated the trout water from Stephon to Wackeley Bridge in his long boat for a little change of pace. We only moved a couple of fish and they were not aggressive at all. The excitement of the day came when launching the boat and we buried Mike's truck.

3-7-09
We have been hooking more spring run fish as of late which is a good sign of things to come. There are enough fish in the system to hook one or two if you put your time in and fish hard. By no means is the run in we have just had a good number of winter fish in the system and the few moving up just help increase your odds of finding one. Keep focusing on deeper runs and slow pools out of the main current until the spring run fish show up and the water temps get warmer. Try dead drifting hex, stoneflies, caddis, and egg patterns. Indicator rigs are a great way to suspend the flies just above sunken structure when the fish are in the wood. Swinging streamers and nymph patterns will be more productive as the water temps come up as we get closer to spring. As the pond begins to thaw we will start to see more and more fish show up!
Thanks to the efforts of Tom Buhr and Kelly Neuman of the AuSable Big Water Preservation association www.asbwpa.org , MCTU, Huron Pines, and Anglers of The AuSable the meeting with Consumers Power went very well. Consumers proposed some plans to update the dam and showed interest in improving current operations throughout the Ausable system. Thank you goes out to Steve Sendek of the DNR for his support and suggestions on how to improve operations. I would also like to thank all the fellow anglers who showed up. The great turn out showed how much everyone cares about the lower Ausable.
3-16-09

Fishing was difficult today and we only caught one fish. The water was low and very clear. We have been hooking more spring run fish as of late which is a good sign of things to come. There are enough fish in the system to hook one or two if you put your time in and fish hard. By no means is the run in we have just had a good number of winter fish in the system and the few moving up just help increase your odds of finding one.

3-21-09
Well it seems the number of fish in the system have went down instead of up this past week. They were few and far. The ice on the pond is still holding on creating some cooler river temps. Once the ice starts to go and the river warms we should be back in business and the run will be under way. All indicators through this winter point to it being a strong run this spring! Keep focusing on deeper runs and slow pools out of the main current until the spring run fish show up and the water temps get warmer.
Fishing Report 4-1-09

Well the ice seems to finally be giving way on Foote pond which means the water temps should start to go up the next week or so. The ice was very gray and shore line was melting so one real good warm up and it should break up. Cooler water temps have really slowed things down. Now is a transition phase for the steelhead which means deep runs and out of the way pockets around gravel. The slow deep pools that were good in winter will be hit and miss as fish start to hold near good spawning gravel and the pocket waters by them. Fishing overall has been poor with a few isolated reports of guys getting a few in a day. But, the good news is it will only get better! There has also been reports of some bigger fish starting to show up in the lower system as well. Just a matter of time now and things will be off and running.






****Consumers Power Meeting Update****


Dam right: Consumers will act on water woes
February 12, 2009
OSCODA -- Last year, anglers believed that Consumers Energy blew off their complaints about huge fluctuations in water levels that screwed up steelhead fishing on the Au Sable River below Foote Dam.
However, there was no question that the company was taking the angler's complaints seriously Tuesday when about 50 fishermen met with a half-dozen Consumers engineers and dam operators to come up with a solution -- automate Foote dam.
The two dams that are the farthest upstream on the Au Sable have computer-controlled, automated systems to make constant small changes in the pond water levels in response to the amount of water coming downstream. But Foote, the last dam downstream, is among four that still rely on operators to gauge when to keep water in and when to let it out.
When those operators leave at night, they must try to predict what the water levels will do while they are gone and set the flow gates accordingly, and those predictions are based on information from U.S. Geological Survey gauges that measure the current flow at various places.
But sometimes because of conditions, accurate predictions are nearly impossible.
Company officials said they had decided that putting an automated system in at Foote would not stop fluctuations in river levels below the dam, but it should spread them out over a 12- to 15-hour period and dampen the amplitude of the swings in water level.
There's a simple reason that Consumers works so hard to keep the pond levels within the parameters set by the dam licenses. Each time the water goes above or below those levels, Consumers must file a report with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and too many such reports could result in penalties and even make it tough for Consumers to get the dams relicensed in 2034.
In other words, there are serious penalties for messing up the water levels above Foote Dam, but not for changes in the water levels below it.
The company also must keep the pond levels within given limits to satisfy people who have homes on the ponds and own docks and boat moorings, and to meet state and federal efforts to minimize erosion along the shorelines.
Officials from the U.S. Forest Service and Consumers said they hoped to see the new automated system installed at Foote by next fall, and while most of the anglers took a wait-and-see attitude toward that announcement, they were more hopeful.
"At least the company is listening," said Kelly Neuman, an Au Sable steelhead guide who lives in Fairview. "Last year we had a meeting, and all they did was talk at us, not with us. Now I think we'll work something out."
Contact ERIC SHARP at 313-222-2511 or esharp@freepress.com.

The show is done!!! Click on the link below and watch the May 28th show!!!!!!
http://www.duenorthoutdoors.tv/watch-the-show/
You never know what will snatch your fly in the Tittabawassee river. As long as the launch does not freeze this is a great time of year to cast streamers for pike and walleye.
Who needs waders? Not my daughter! She wants to catch fish with daddy no matter how cold the water is. I have the feeling this is the beginning of a life long passion for my little girl!
The only bright spot right now below Foote Dam is there is a good number of these little guys that represent our future and put a bend in the rod while searching for mature steelhead.