Pappy's Bait & Tackle

09/18/2026

Currently going on with Nova Tackle Company and Bloop Bead Co. Fishing on the Big Manistee? Think you caught a monster fish? Bring it on by when the shop is open, slap it on scale, and enter it in the Big King Bonanza!

09/15/2026

🚨🎣 MICHIGAN SALMON REPORT — SEPTEMBER 14, 2026 🎣🚨

The fall salmon run is underway, but warm water has fish spread out and the bite has been turning on and off!

🐟 Pere Marquette River: Good numbers of kings are throughout the system. They aren’t always biting, so covering water and working the deeper holes has been important.

🐟 Big Manistee River/Tippy Dam: Kings are in the river and being caught. Skein, beads and stickbaits have all been producing fish.

🐟 Platte Bay/Frankfort: This is some of the hottest verified action right now! Very good coho catches have been reported in Platte Bay, while Frankfort anglers are catching Chinook with spoons, plugs, jigging spoons and skein.

🐟 Ludington: Pier fishing remains slow because of warm water, but boats are catching scattered Chinook, coho and steelhead farther offshore.

🐟 Manistee: Kings are being caught in deeper Lake Michigan water, but the warm temperatures have kept the action around the pierheads slow.

Overall, the salmon are here—but it isn’t wide open everywhere yet. Cooler weather, rain and the right wind could bring another big push at any time!

Let’s hear some firsthand reports! What river have you fished, and what are you seeing? You don’t have to give away your secret spot! 👇🎣

— Dakota Chinn
Hunting Michigan Public Land Bucks

09/14/2026

That bobber means more to a lot of us than it probably should.

Before we knew anything about sonar, waypoints, water temperature or what the fish were “supposed” to be doing, we knew one thing:

If that red-and-white bobber disappeared, something magical was about to happen.

For a lot of us, that’s where fishing started. A cheap rod, a little hook, half a worm and Dad telling us to keep our eyes on the bobber.

Funny how something that cost almost nothing ended up creating a hobby we’d spend the rest of our lives—and a ridiculous amount of money—chasing. 🎣

Every fishing obsession has to start somewhere.

09/11/2026

Are you Ready???

09/05/2026

09/04/2026

Nova Tackle Company is ending the reign of Blue Packs, so we are having Feeling Blue Sale. All Soft Beads in the Blue Packs are $4.

08/17/2026

‼️Important information for the BIG KING BONANZA‼️

Here’s the full list of rules and prizes for the Big King Bonanza!
$500 CASH for 1st place + tons of other great prizes! 🎣
The competition runs September 1st–26th, so get ready to hit the Manistee River and CHASE THAT KING! 👑🐟
You’re definitely not going to want to miss out on this one! 🔥

08/17/2026

Just an FYI — the Sea Lamprey treatment will be taking place on the Big Manistee River today (8/17/26).

If you notice the river looking green or yellow, this is why!

For more information check out SeaLamprey.org⁠

Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up!