We here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula wait all winter for the thaw. The thaw brings our steelhead and our pre-spawn lake-run smallmouth behind them.

This year's steelhead season has been very tough as mother nature kept her heavy hand on us bringing us very fast thaws and rain and more snow to thaw keeping our rivers running super high and fast.

A few steelhead were brought to hand but our saving grace has been a phenomenal smallmouth season. This year's pre-spawn smallmouth has been the largest I have ever seen with every single angler catching their personal best.

These fish have been super aggressive, smashing at everything we have thrown at them and pushing the boundaries of our 7 and 8-weight rods, bending them right into the cork!

With that being said it's time to start thinking trout as the beginnings of the Hendrickson hatch is showing itself along with some stoneflies and caddis.