Catch. Release. Wander. Subscribe to follow our adventures fishing, guiding, rafting, kayaking, traveling, and exploring.
If you are interested in booking a fishing trip for smallmouth bass or musky please check out my website. There is nothing quite like catching the rarest fish in Michigan, the musky, from the independence of a drift-boat style raft or a kayak. I fish in as remote of areas as I can. My home base is the woods and waters of the great Upper Peninsula. Contact me with ANY questions.
This channel is for anyone that respects the outdoors: fishers (fly or gear), adventurers, nature lovers, travelers, and anyone that loves a relaxed family-friendly channel. My goal is to inspire Respect, Protection, and Conservation for our natural areas and the fisheries that they hold.
Next time you are in Florida, try fly fishing for reds and specks. Early in the spring, in the back bayous, you can catch both on bass poppers. I've had six kayaks. My last one was just like the Hobie Outback you rented. In large water, kayaks need a trolly anchor. I have taken my Hobie to the U.P. many times. Pedal drives suck in shallow rocky water but they are perfect for slow trolling on the big lakes. Also, Hobie pedal drives require regular and tedious maintenance. I love kayak fishing and have caught more fish in Florida in a kayak than any other way.
Great video! Hello from Southwest Michigan! You’re fishing in my home native state of Florida. Used to love catching those reds. We would surf fish for them on the Gulf side. How do I get info on your musky river charters? Been watching your videos for years. Keep them coming.
Would love to come up and fish with you. Have done a few charters but never in the UP. Going into semi retirement next year and hope to do a lot more fishing.
Love your video! I have yet to fly fish the UP, but if you could put the links in the description where to purchase the flies you’re using, after reading Earnest Hemingway’s Big Two Hearted River, I would be more than happy to make the drive and hit the water with you. 😇
@m.h.english4773 Howdy, man. I am not sure of the ones I used in this video. I think maybe the CK baitfish and Tequeely fly. Both are fun little streamers when the streamer bite is working!
Man this is a great video. Wade fly fishing creeks and rivers for smallies is my favorite kind of fishing. Coukdnt get out there today, but this video is really scratching that itch. Thanks man!!!
I mean people are making flies and saturating them with silicone caulk and people buy flies, so this is really the intersection of those two things. Besides, if you aren't breaking a law and you are having fun, who really cares?
Its been a while. This was a great video with nice images of the river, hellgrammite and fish. Good to be back and look forward to fishing with you again soon. really good example of fishing hybrid style and thinking outside of the box. Keep up the great work - very entertaining.
You need a fly to flyfish. Its literally, in the name. I guess the old saying "it aint stupid if it works" applies here. Ill even concede it makes sense. But its not flyfishing.
@nicholasbabcock9384 That gets to a weird spot though with things like egg beads - would you consider that fly fishing? I always wonder if it's the fly or the act that makes it fly fishing. If it's the fly then you could use a fly on a spinning rod with a clear float and fly fish that way which some people do. I tend to think it's not quite so black and white and a bit more nuanced. But, to each their own,
If heard people say tenkara isn’t fly fishing, using streamers isn’t fly fishing, San Juan worm? Squirmy wormy? Resin “flies”? At some point it is just silly ego to say something is or isn’t fly fishing.
@TylerSchulsThisIsHe I don't give out spots on the internet because it's generally considered a bit rude to local anglers. But, I would suggest fishing any flowing water or lake. I know that is vague but there are fish to be found everywhere. Good luck!
@@HaightsWanderings Benjamin I’ve been talking like crazy about the trip I had an insanely cool time thanks for the ride and for allowing me to bet my first tiger musky!!!!
@@HaightsWanderings bro I’m SO stoked!! Just leaving Colorado where I got to fish the headwaters of the Arkansas River, a world class brown trout fishery and it was INSANE. I’ll show ya pics soon! Excited to meet ya and become RU-vid famous 🤣!
Aug 18 is my anniversary too, it may have been’12 on that date when I got arrested north of iron mnt heading to my camp , that’s a story for another day, be up in mid August for a couple weeks, as usual great video
Some incredible fishing! Yes, you are drawing more people up there to the land we love but I guess that's inevitable. That so called humongous largemouth was caught maybe on a lake that starts with K? If so, I caught nothing but 8" bass on that lake but it was May. We'll be up there next month for my 67th bday., love that area! Did you write anything in the book there? If so, what date? Hope we see moose, grouse, etc.
@peteshallcross787 Hi, Pete. Nope, that lake doesn't start with a K. I am not sure which lake you are referencing. The lake is a tiny one on a back country trail - it doesn't see much action. Good luck with your moose and grouse search :)
@tombrennan6583 Hi, Tom. No, I do not. I am strictly catch and release unless I have accidentally hooked the fish so poorly that it is going to die. If it can swim off, then I will always let it go. I am glad you liked the video!
Great video man. I recently discovered your channel. My family also owns a cabin in Iron County in the UP. I just returned from a week long trip up and slayed the smallies. The bite has been great for me this month and last! My wife and I too are looking to relocate up permanently. I live 12 hours away and while the drive doesn’t bother me I’ve wanted to live there my whole life. Thanks for the great content. 👍🏻
@northwoodsknifeguy2503 Heya - glad you enjoyed it. I have a lot of other videos similar to this one. Check them out when you have a chance. Glad you got on the smallies!
My family is from there my mother was born and Raised in Trout lake. And my sister has a cabin in Trout lake lake my son and i are heading up there first week in August on our annual. Trot fishing vacation. Love the upper
great video, Blessed to live up here in God's Country and raising my 5 year old boy and teaching him how to fish, camp and explore up here. LOVE the content! keep it going.. (btw i work as a cashier at a local gas station and pretty sure ive seen you pass through a few times ;) , anyways love watching your videos while im at work and appreciate you not giving away spots etc) Keep up the great content
@waltgr6470 It's better to visit in the summer. The winters are really not the best. If I could - I'd only live here from May to October. Good luck with your search!
You have some rare baits!! That sculler shad is no longer available and the big octopus in both sizes are very difficult to find. I regularly catch smallmouth and largemouth on Nikko's 6" octopus. They are definitely unconventional, but they work well for me.
@sbarrett8900 Wow, I had no idea. I found them in my box and had to take them out. I need to find a better way to rig the big octopus. My rigging of it doesn't seem ideal. I actually used the super ned and hellgramite today while guiding.
Dice up a vidalia onion mix with butter, and a little bit of breadcrumbs. Place the lemon slices on top of the splake on the skin and bake like you did. Can’t go wrong!
I'm from lower Wisconsin and I really like your videos and enthusiasm! The U.P. is a national treasure and you don't even have to fish, but if you can it's a plus!
I moved away from Michigan in 2008 and have fished Caifornia, Arazona, Alabama and Georiga, and there is no better fishing than in Michigan! I've fished all over Michigan, it's the best!
Got a couple of Tequeelys...never caught a smallmouth on them but the rockies near me can't stay away from them. Maybe I just need to try them above the bridge. Nice video.
@DeepNorthAdventures It's 50lb mono that is then attached to like 40lb steel leader. I am not sure of the exact stuff off the top of my head. It's a fairly common musky/pike setup.
@HaightsWanderings thanks! I haven't gotten to try musky or pike fly fishing. Only pike on a spinning rod. But now I have a house in the Keweenaw so I will have many chances to give it a whirl.
