Headed Up To The Manistee River Next Week

[ozark trout fisher]

I'm hesitant to even say anything, because just about every time I post about going somewhere on here the trip tends to fall through...But plans appear to be finalized to head up north, out of this terrible to only slightly less terrible heat next week to Michigan. The original plan was to go to the UP to fish for brookies, but that fell through due to drought conditions generally putting a lid on any trout fishing up there. So now, the plan is to fish the lower Manistee River in the lower peninsula for smallmouth. It's big water and we'll intend to float fish pretty much exclusively. If temperatures cool, or they get a lot of rain, we might head upriver to do some trout fishing, but right now that seems unlikely. The latter half of the trip we might head further north to fish the lower Platte and Boardmen for smallies as well, just depending on how things go on the Manistee. Anyway, I'll post a report hopefully with some big fish pics included when I get back...and if anyone has been up there any advice is surely appreciated.