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Testimonials
Ever taken a muskie on a topwater lure? Are you addicted to smallmouth bass fishing?? Then you need to
fish with Jeff Joseph at Hemlock River Guide Service. You simply will not find a friendlier, more
knowledgeable guide than Jeff. Let him introduce you to the little-known, underfished rivers of the Upper
Peninsula. They are teeming with chunky smallmouth bass and aggressive muskies.
Most Great Lakes area anglers have spent many days fishing lakes - but NEVER tried the rivers. Several
years ago I started exploring UP rivers, and was amazed to find little if any angling pressure. And even
more amazing was the size and numbers of smallmouth bass and muskies I found. Remember the talk
among muskie anglers about "ten thousand casts per fish"?? That old addage is mostly true with lake
fishing, but doesn't apply in the rivers Jeff fishes. In our most recent outings, we raised several muskies a
day, and hooked about one-third of those we saw. Jeff knows the rivers of the UP, and when and where to
fish them.
Jeff specializes in my favorite technique of topwater
angling, with spinning rods, baitcasters or flyrods. And
he uses a couple different styles of boats, depending on
river conditions.
Whether you're a veteran angler or beginner - or have
caught a ton of these 2 favorite species, or have just laid
awake at night dreaming about them - go spend a day or
two on the water with Jeff. And just like me, you'll be
hooked on chasing smallmouth and muskies in the wild
and beautiful rivers of the UP.
Merritt Benson
Casper, Wyoming
Jeff - Thanks for the twice in a lifetime fishing
trips last Saturday and Tuesday. My son Jim
went from a never-fished-for-muskies to an
expert in one day. His buddy cannot believe 4
muskies landed, another one lost as well as the
strikes he had. Forget Hayward. The Tuesday trip
was even better as far as I was concerned. How
often do we have a muskie and a 19 inch
smallmouth on at the same time, land them
both, take pictures and release them all in the
first ten minutes of fishing. Jerry and I think we
caught 40-50 smallies on wacky worms, surface
lures, stick baits and everything else we tried. All
this was accomplished while you tutored us on
logging, wildlife and reading the rivers. Thanks
again for the continuous highlight reel of what
wilderness fishing in the U.P. is like.
Jim Haran the tenderfoot from Chicago
As a father, taking my sons on a guided fishing
trip is about more than just catching fish; it is an
opportunity to spend memorable time together,
to have fun, and hopefully, to leave the day
better fishermen than when we started. We
accomplished all that and more on our day-long
adventure with Jeff Joseph of Hemlock River
Guide Service.
Over the years, we have had guided fishing
experiences in some incredible locations around
the world. Our time with Jeff surpassed them all.
It was easily the best guided fishing experience
any of us have had.
We spent a day on some of the most picturesque
Upper Peninsula water we’ve ever seen. Jeff
floated us through miles of rivers literally
untouched by man. We did not encounter
another fishing boat the entire day. Jeff was
exceedingly patient with us (all first-time fly
fishermen and first-time muskie fishermen) and
freely shared his extensive knowledge of the
water, the fish, and strategies on how to catch
the big ones. Everything was top quality from the
boats to the fly gear to the casting rods and
tackle. That each of the boys caught massive
muskies (not to mention smallmouth bass, pike
and a walleye of all things!) was icing on the
cake.
If you are looking for a fishing experience unlike
any other, with a top-notch guide, through some
of the most beautiful land on earth, on water full
of fish, book a trip with Jeff Joseph.
Dean G.
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
My wife and I recently hired Jeff to guide us for
muskies and smallmouth bass in the U.P. (one of
the most wonderful places on earth.) I've been
fishing the U.P. for 30 years, but Jeff took us to
some amazingly beautiful places that I hadn't
found. The fishing was fantastic! In one half day,
we raised 16 muskies! I've fished with guides
and charters in Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington,
and Costa Rica. Some of them were great. Jeff
was the best I've fished with though. He's
intelligent, personable and hard-working and he
knows the rivers. Five stars!
Tom Wiensch
Rhinelander, Wisconsin
I have booked a fair number of guides in
Wisconsin, Florida, Mexico, and the Bahamas;
and found out for myself how the quality of the
guide service and the personality of the guide
makes all the difference in the world when it
comes to having an enjoyable day of fishing.
Here's a quick comparison between Hemlock
River Guide Service and some of my other
experiences:
Some guides can sometimes bully the client into
fishing the way they want. I tried switching lures
once, and a Florida guide said, "No, stick with
this one - it's idiot-proof". Jeff understands that
it is YOUR TRIP, and will let you fish however you
want. He'll put you on the fish. He'll make
suggestions, but it's all up to you. That's how I
like it.
Some guides care more about babying their
boat/gear than the client's fishing success. I
actually once had a guide who made me take my
shoes off to get on his precious boat! Jeff will
take you where the fish are, and if that means
his boat bangs into some rocks getting through
some skinny water, then his boat will bang into
some rocks.
Some guides provide inferior rods, reels, or
lures. Old line that comes off the reel in
twists/coils and lures with half the paint missing
are surprisingly common. The tackle Jeff
provides is top notch, and you know muskies
aren't very easy on lures.
Anyway, the important thing is we caught a good
number of muskies and smallmouth fishing with
Jeff. It was so much fun to see my nephew catch
his first musky ever, then his second musky ever,
then his third.... And Jeff was such an enjoyable
guy to fish with, very knowledgeable and happy
to share info. Whether you want to fish hard all
day, or spend a leisurely day on an absolutely
beautiful stretch of river with some fishing mixed
in, you will have a great time with Jeff. I
encourage you to book a trip with him today.
Cory Marinan
Stow, OH