Mainstream Guides - Wellston
Mainstream Guides - Wellston
Mainstream Guides will take you fishing on Michigan’s most productive rivers and streams where an abundance of fish life awaits! Guide Aaron Spence has fished these rivers professionally for over 15 years and is able to show you just what Michigan river fishing is all about.
Depending on the season when you book your trip, Aaron will guide on one of the following rivers: the Muskegon, the Manistee, the Rogue, the Grand or the Jordan River. You’ll be able to fish for Chinook and Coho Salmon from end of August through the end of October; Brown Trout is here May 1st to July 31st; and Steelhead is here most of the year - from September 1st through may 1st.
There is a whole wealth of wildlife to seen here, too. You can see an array of birds that flock to the waters in the hope of finding lunch, secluded parts of the river that offer perfect backdrops to posing with your catch, and more.
Guide Aaron will take you fishing on his 16’ Wooldridge Jet boat with a capacity for up to three persons. The jet boat is powered by a 150 HP Mercury Outboard engine and equipped with a fishfinder to locate the best fishing spots, life jackets for safety, and an icebox.
Mainstream Guides provide everything you need for your fly fishing adventure. Orvis and Redington fly fishing gear, a variety of tackle and bait all avait on the boat. You will have snacks, drinks, and even lunch since you’ll be fishing the whole day. Trips are eight hours long from dock to dock, and include about seven hours of fishing, and one hour or spot changing and rest for lunch.
Note: Fishing locations and start time will need to be decided based on fish migrations and stream activity. You must obtain a valid Michigan freshwater fishing license prior to the trip.
Customer reviews
Rating summary
Photos & videos by reviewers (39)
+36Angler rating
Anglers claimed
Good experience
91%
Appropriate for children
95%
Friendly captain
100%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Recommend this charter
97%
Caught fish
93%
Carrollton, TX
Jul 20, 2022
Evening Salmon Trip
Half-Day Trip with Aaron Spence
My son and I were on a family vacation, and I wanted to take him out on a half-day trip since he's only 8. Being from Texas, I didn't know too much about the Manistee River, but Aaron was very responsive and helpful to answer my questions. I had initially thought about using an expensive charter on Lake Michigan for salmon, but I'm certainly happy we made the decision to fish for small-mouth bass and trout with Aaron on the Manistee. He explained that even though this was intended to be an evening salmon trip, it was a little early for the salmon to be in the river. I appreciated his transparency. He was a great instructor for my son, and I highly recommend taking children out with this guide. He did a great job with both taking us to where the fish were with his A+ boat and assisting with the equipment. We ended up catching quite a few nice small-mouth bass, rock bass, and my son ended the day with a really nice steelhead trout. It was a thrill to watch him reel it in. The weather was also perfect, and we even saw a bald eagle along the way. I can't recommend Aaron enough, and we will certainly seek out his assistance when we travel back to Michigan!
My son and I were on a family vacation, and I wanted to take him out on a half-day trip since he's only 8. Being from Texas, I...
Jul 7, 2024
Evening Salmon Trip
Aaron is a great guide!
Aaron took my father-in-law and I out on the Manistee for an afternoon fly fishing trip 4th of July weekend. We had a great time. Caught one of the biggest brown trout I’ve ever seen, about 22 inches. Bunch of bass and smaller trout as well. We’d love to go out with him again!
Aaron took my father-in-law and I out on the Manistee for an afternoon fly fishing trip 4th of July weekend. We had a great time....
Sep 6, 2024
Evening Salmon Trip
Great experience learning to salmon fish at tippy dam
Had an excellent time with Aaron on the Manistee river. My wife caught a beautiful salmon using the chuck and duck method. He was patient taught us several techniques and had different lure types available for different situations.
Had an excellent time with Aaron on the Manistee river. My wife caught a beautiful salmon using the chuck and duck method. He...
Sep 21, 2024
Evening Salmon Trip
Fall Salmon Trip
Aaron was a great guide. The river was busy, but he was able to put us on some fish. My two boys had not used fly rods before, but he was able to coach them up quickly. I will definitely be booking with him again.
Aaron was a great guide. The river was busy, but he was able to put us on some fish. My two boys had not used fly rods before,...
United States
Sep 29, 2022
Evening Salmon Trip
Half day trip with Aaron
Awesome trip! Aaron is very knowledgeable and a great guide. He knows where all the honey holes are located and the spots guaranteed to see salmon. He’s very attentive to every need we had, kept us up and fishing after snags and breaks and offers skilled tips and tricks. He was a pleasure to ride with and we had 4 hours of nonstop fun out on the Manistee. He offered snacks and drinks but we were too engaged with the fish to even bother with taking a break. Highly recommended for every angler!
Awesome trip! Aaron is very knowledgeable and a great guide. He knows where all the honey holes are located and the spots guaranteed...
Trip availability and prices
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Customer reviews
Rating summary
Photos & videos by reviewers (39)
+36Angler rating
Anglers claimed
Good experience
91%
Appropriate for children
95%
Friendly captain
100%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Recommend this charter
97%
Caught fish
93%
Carrollton, TX
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Half-Day Trip with Aaron Spence
Evening Salmon Trip on July 20, 2022
My son and I were on a family vacation, and I wanted to take him out on a half-day trip since he's only 8. Being from Texas, I didn't know too much about the Manistee River, but Aaron was very responsive and helpful to answer my questions. I had initially thought about using an expensive charter on Lake Michigan for salmon, but I'm certainly happy we made the decision to fish for small-mouth bass and trout with Aaron on the Manistee. He explained that even though this was intended to be an evening salmon trip, it was a little early for the salmon to be in the river. I appreciated his transparency. He was a great instructor for my son, and I highly recommend taking children out with this guide. He did a great job with both taking us to where the fish were with his A+ boat and assisting with the equipment. We ended up catching quite a few nice small-mouth bass, rock bass, and my son ended the day with a really nice steelhead trout. It was a thrill to watch him reel it in. The weather was also perfect, and we even saw a bald eagle along the way. I can't recommend Aaron enough, and we will certainly seek out his assistance when we travel back to Michigan!
My son and I were on a family vacation, and I wanted to take him out on a half-day trip since he's only 8. Being from Texas, I didn't know too much about the Manistee River, but Aaron was very responsive and helpful to answer my questions. I had initially thought about using an expensive charter on Lake Michigan for salmon, but I'm certainly happy we made the decision to fish for small-mouth bass and trout with Aaron on the Manistee. He explained that even though this was intended to be an evening...
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Aaron is a great guide!
Evening Salmon Trip on July 7, 2024
Aaron took my father-in-law and I out on the Manistee for an afternoon fly fishing trip 4th of July weekend. We had a great time. Caught one of the biggest brown trout I’ve ever seen, about 22 inches. Bunch of bass and smaller trout as well. We’d love to go out with him again!
Aaron took my father-in-law and I out on the Manistee for an afternoon fly fishing trip 4th of July weekend. We had a great time. Caught one of the biggest brown trout I’ve ever seen, about 22 inches. Bunch of bass and smaller trout as well. We’d love to go out with him again!
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Great experience learning to salmon fish at tippy dam
Evening Salmon Trip on September 6, 2024
Had an excellent time with Aaron on the Manistee river. My wife caught a beautiful salmon using the chuck and duck method. He was patient taught us several techniques and had different lure types available for different situations.
Had an excellent time with Aaron on the Manistee river. My wife caught a beautiful salmon using the chuck and duck method. He was patient taught us several techniques and had different lure types available for different situations.
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Fall Salmon Trip
Evening Salmon Trip on September 21, 2024
Aaron was a great guide. The river was busy, but he was able to put us on some fish. My two boys had not used fly rods before, but he was able to coach them up quickly. I will definitely be booking with him again.
Aaron was a great guide. The river was busy, but he was able to put us on some fish. My two boys had not used fly rods before, but he was able to coach them up quickly. I will definitely be booking with him again.
United States
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Half day trip with Aaron
Evening Salmon Trip on September 29, 2022
Awesome trip! Aaron is very knowledgeable and a great guide. He knows where all the honey holes are located and the spots guaranteed to see salmon. He’s very attentive to every need we had, kept us up and fishing after snags and breaks and offers skilled tips and tricks. He was a pleasure to ride with and we had 4 hours of nonstop fun out on the Manistee. He offered snacks and drinks but we were too engaged with the fish to even bother with taking a break. Highly recommended for every angler!
Awesome trip! Aaron is very knowledgeable and a great guide. He knows where all the honey holes are located and the spots guaranteed to see salmon. He’s very attentive to every need we had, kept us up and fishing after snags and breaks and offers skilled tips and tricks. He was a pleasure to ride with and we had 4 hours of nonstop fun out on the Manistee. He offered snacks and drinks but we were too engaged with the fish to even bother with taking a break. Highly recommended for every angler!
FAQs about Mainstream Guides - Wellston
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