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The Tale of Muck-Boy
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Saginaw Bay - Dock Reports |
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| Useful
Information: Inner
Saginaw Bay Marine Forecast, Outer
Saginaw Bay Marine Forecast,
Lake Huron Open Water Marine Forecast,
Surface Temp Map, Sebewaing
Bay Cam, Huron
County Caseville Beach Cam, Great
Saginaw Bay Map with Reef Locations, |
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| Saginaw Bay Dock Reporter: Paul Smith, Terry Murlick and Jose Saenz | |
| Report |
Pictures |
| July
-21 -2010 - Fishing
success on greater Saginaw Bay can best be summarized in the following
manner...the walleye apparently have gone deep, and anglers who want
to catch them should go deep also. Consistently hot weather during past weeks has apparently driven the walleye to seek cooler waters. Walleye fishing last week was best north of the Charity Islands in anywhere from 20 to 50 feet of water. Trollers from Tawas, Au Gres, and the Caseville area were all converging on that area and some good catches were reported, mainly on bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses. Some walleye were also being taken out around Buoys 1 & 2, and a few in the Slot and at other traditional areas of the inner bay, but fishing north of Big Charity Island and around the Steeples was definitely more consistent. Incidental catches of freshwater drum and channel catfish were common. |
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| July
-15 -2010 - Field
Reporter Paul Smith's Report
Got out last week
the walleye bite was slow but we did manage to boat 12 fish in about
6 hours. We fished the East side of the Bay in 16 to 22 foot of water.
All the fish came on Hot n Tots and Stinger Scorpion spoons. Blue/Silver
Tots and Kervorkian Scorpions were the hot lures. We were troling
1.8 - 2.2 SOG usually a litle fast for catfish but a few chunky cats
chased our lures down, they sure do pull hard.
Buddy Blue and his sons fished the East side the weekend of the 10th and 11th they reported a slow bite also bringing home 5 walleye on Saturday and a dozen on Sunday. |
click image for larger view
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| July
-14 -2010 - Very hot weather
drove surface water temperatures well into the 80's. since Saginaw
Bay does not temperature stratify to any great extent, these warmer
waters may be pushing fish out deeper and leaving the walleyes in
the inner bay somewhat lethargic. Reports
continue about large hatches of mayflies, especially around Tawas
Bay, and anglers report encountering vast schools of baitfish (probably
emerald shiners). In some areas, the fish may just be gorged on other
forage and not inclined to bite. Inner Bay: Most success was out fairly deep, in the aforementioned area just north of Buoys 1 & 2. Crawler harnesses were most productive, but some anglers were using assorted crankbaits with good success. Incidental catches of drum, catfish, and the occasional large perch were common. Walleye fishing was also good off the weedbeds on the Callahan Reef in 8 feet of water, particularly in the morning. A few 8" to 9" perch were taken near the Spark Plug (Buoys 11 & 12) with worms actually taking more fish than minnows. Walleye fishing in the Slot was on the slow side last week. It appears that for consistent success right now, going for deep water is the ticket. Au Gres: Fishing was tough last week. Most boats got fish, but few limits. Many boats were going 8 to 12 miles south into the inner bay and fishing 20 to 40 feet of water off the Saganing Bar. (This would be the area in mid-bay just north of Buoys 1 & 2. A lot of boats were converging on that area from all access points around the bay last week.) |
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| July
-06 -2010 - Windy
weather continued for most of last week and the weekend, and wind
and waves seems to be suppressing fishing effort on greater Saginaw
Bay. The fish are out there and can be caught whenever anglers get
out, but all DNR creel clerks report the fish to be scattered and
anglers are having to work a bit for them. One exception seems to
be Grindstone City, where walleye success was very good last week. Inner Bay: Good but not great catches of walleye were coming from most of the usual areas; the Black Hole, the Spark plug, the Slot and the Callahan Reef as well as 3 to 4 feet off Wenona Beach. Crawler harnesses on bottom bouncers were consistent producers, but crankbaits and spoons were also taking fish. Limits were rare, but most boats were bringing in a few fish. The Hot Ponds and the lower Saginaw River at Essexville continued to produce catfish. Smallmouth bass continued to hit in the lower Saginaw River also. Pier fishing at Caseville was slow over the Fourth. |
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| June
-29 -2010 - Yet
another week dominated by windy weather, rain, and storms. It appears
that the weather is suppressing fishing effort this year more than
in some recent years. Heavy rains in mid-Michigan this past weekend
have rivers running high and muddy, and Great Lakes anglers may have
to go out further to find clear water. Nevertheless, the fish are
out there and when the weather cooperates they bite will. It's just
a matter of hitting the right day. Inner Bay: Walleye are hitting at all the usual spots when the weather has been agreeable. Some trollers are going as far out as Buoys 1 & 2 in the search for fish and cleaner water. They continue to pick up fish closer to shore also; in 3 to 5 feet of water off Jones Road, and in relatively shallow depths on the Callahan Reef early in the morning (before the wind comes up) and out around the Spark Plug and over in the northern Slot later in the day. Silvers, purples, and blues are good colors for crawler harness spinner blades and crankbaits. There are reports of good catches of 8 to 10 inch perch from the vicinity of the Spark Plug last week. Channel cats have been taken in good numbers from the Hot Pond and the lower Saginaw River near Essexville. (Channel cats are one species where fishing often improves as waters rise after a big rain.) Pier anglers at Caseville are still taking some walleyes at night and smallmouth bass in the early morning and to a lesser extent during the daytime. At Au Gres: Walleye fishing remained good in 32 to 40 feet of water. Smallmouth bass fishing near shore also remained steady. River fishing for channel cats picked up with rising waters after recent rains. At Caseville - A few catches of bigger walleyes one measured at 28.7 inches and 7.4 lbs came from out deep straight in front to around the corner at Oak Pointe towards Sleeper State Park fishing down 35-40 feet in and around 50 feet of water. |
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| June
-24 -2010 - At
Bay City - Walleye are being taken off Knight Road in 5
feet of water. Between Parish Road and the State Park, walleye were
caught on crawlers and rapalas in 8 to 10 feet of water. Catch rates
were fair at the mouth of the Saginaw River.
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| June
-14 -2010 - It was another week
dominated by wind, waves, and rain on greater Saginaw Bay, but whenever
anglers could get out they did very well. The northern part of the
Slot out of Bay Port or Sand Point has been boom or bust just like
most of the rest of the area. At AU GRES: They had one really good day last week when the weather cooperated and all the walleye trollers got limits. Otherwise it was hit and miss and play the weather. Best fishing was down toward Pointe Au Gres in 30 to 40 feet of water. Lots of drum and catfish being caught incidental to walleye. Some catfish being taken at the mouth of the Au Gres River. INNER SAGINAW BAY: Fishing has been up and down with the weather. Popular areas include the general vicinity of the Spark Plug, fishing 20 to 25 feet of water, the Callahan Reef northeast of Finn Road (12' of water) and the Slot from At Quanicassee northeast to the outside of the islands (14' - 18'). Crawler harnesses work best in the shallower waters and both harnesses and hot-n-tots are being used out deeper. Good colors include pinks, purples, blues, silvers, reds and coppers. Catch a good weather day and you may limit out. Lots of incidental catches of drum, catfish, white perch, white bass and yellow perch along with the walleye. Good numbers of walleye are still being taken on jigs baited with crawlers in the lower Saginaw River, from the mouth upstream to the Independence Bridge. Good fall-back option if the bay is too rough for comfort. Catfish are hitting off the mouths of several local rivers and cuts, notably Allen Cut, Garner Road, and the Quanicassee and Sebewaing rivers. |
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| June -10 -2010 - From Dock Reporter Terry T - Have been out two times recently and both times we have limited fishing in 18 to 20 feet of water east of the spark plug - lot of small fish but did get a few nice ones. | |
| June -7 -2010 - Well,
it was another week of winds and storms on greater Saginaw Bay, but
anglers did pretty well when they could get out. Area rivers are swollen
and muddy from several rain events last week, so anglers on the bay
should move around and find clear water for best results. At Quanicassee straight out in 13 to 17 feet of water straight out towards Sebewaing produced some good numbers the last two days. They've also had varied success out on the north side of the Slot near North Island. Some days they knock the crap out of them other days its hard to buy a bite. Callahan has been better early mornings or late nights has the clear water makes the fish spooky in that shallow. At Au Gres - The river is high and muddy. Not much catfish action yet. Walleye trollers were doing well in 30 to 40 feet of water out between Pte. Au Gres and Point Lookout, with a fair number of limits taken. Bass fishermen were also doing well near the points and out at the Charity Islands when weather allowed them to get there. Inner Bay - Walleye fishing activity seems to be concentrated around the Spark Plug, on the Callahan Reef, and in the Slot. Crawler harnesses continue to catch the bulk of the fish, but some trollers are using hot-n-tots to good effect. Trollers report a lot of incidental catches of freshwater drum and channel cats, and some yellow and white perch. Good colors for crawler harness spinners and crankbaits include blues, purples, gold and silvers.Some smallmouth bass being taken off the pier At Caseville, and a few walleyes at night. Lots of carp around. Sunrise Side - Wind and rain kept a lot of boats ashore last week, but when they could get out the best port was Harbor Beach where blue-water trollers were getting lake trout, pink salmon, and occasional steelheads in 80 to 110 feet of water mostly on spoons and dodgers & squid. Pier fishing was slow, with only small panfish and the occasional pike taken. |
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| June -3 -2010 - Good
walleye action in all the usual locations. The Callahan Reef was good
in 5 feet of water in the early morning however the water was clear
so many were fishing deeper. The area around the Spark Plug was good
in 20 to 25 feet of water. The Slot between Quanicassee and Sand Point
was also producing fish. Most walleyes were being taken on crawler
harnesses, but hot-n-tots were getting fish out in the deeper waters.
Purple and blue were good colors. Lots of bass were caught around
the islands. Bow fishing for carp and gar was well underway near Geiger
Road. Good channel cat action in the Hot Ponds. |
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| Jun - 01-10 -
From
Dock Reporter Terry
T - Was out one day during the weekend
at Wildfowl Bay and we took eight nice fish - lots of little fish
in the slot from Quanicassee to Sebewaing. From
Dock Reporter Jose
Saenz - Saturday
we went out of Quanicassee
and fished 12 foot of water.
We took seven keepers all in the 16-17 inch range trolling bottom
bouncers and the hot color was Copper on the crawler harnesses.
Lost
5 and threw a couple small ones back. We also had to fight our way
through seven Sheephead and one cat as well. What a beautiful night
to be out fishing. |
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| May- 28 - 10 - Trolling
for walleye has been productive. Most of the boating activity has
been out near the Spark Plug in 20 to 22 feet of water or the Slot
in 13 to 15 feet of water. Off Finn Road, anglers are fishing in 3
to 8 feet of water or deeper when the sun comes out. Most are relying
on crawler harnesses off planer boards, but some did well with crank
baits in deeper waters. |
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| May- 23 - 10 - Field Reporter Paul Smith's Report Accompanied buddies Blue and Kevin as they had done well last weekend catching a 3-man limit in a few hours. The fish were not as cooperative this weekend. We trolled spinners and crawlers near the waypoints in SE Saginaw Bay that they had success fishing last weekend which produced only two walleye and a few hefty catfish. After a lengthy lull in the action we decided to pull lines and head north to some spots we've had success at in the past. In the next few hours we boated 5 more walleye including one nice 22" tagged fish. All fish were caught on Blue's Signature Series (homemade) spinner rigs and crawlers. We trolled some Hot n Tots for about an hour with not even one hit. Hot blade colors seemed to be anything with purple or gold. | click
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| May- 20 - 10 -
Windy conditions are not helping boaters. Those fishing off the piers
at night did catch walleye when casting crank baits such as rapalas.
Water temperatures are still very cold. |
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| May- 13- 10 - All
that needs to be said is bad weather. The Callahan Reef gave up a
few limit catches of walleye before the bad weather moved in. Fishing
in 5 to 12 feet of water seemed to be where the fish are holding.
Further up the Bay Shore fishing the Slot has produced a few walleye
and catfish. |
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May- 4- 10 -
At Linwood - Good catches of walleye have been
taken on calmer days in 16 feet of water. |
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| Apr- 29- 10 -
At Bay City - Most of the fishing activity was near
the mouth of the Saginaw River; especially in windy conditions. Walleye
were caught on jigs baited with crawlers. The Hot Pond was also producing
a few walleye for those using jigs or crank baits. At Quanicassee - catch rates for walleye improved on the Callahan Reef. Boat anglers were fishing in 3 to 12 feet of water with crawler harnesses and crank baits. At Bay Port - A few crappie have been taken at the public access site and Bay Shore Marina. Pier anglers At Caseville - A few walleye, trout or salmon have been taken from the pier.. |
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| Apr- 23- 10 -
At Linwood - Walleyes are being taken when trolling
crank baits or crawler harnesses in 14 to 18 feet of water. At Bay City - vertical jigging with minnows or crawlers near Spoils Island was working for walleye. At Quanicassee - near Callahan Reef trolling has taken walleye. At Caseville - Pier anglers caught walleye at night. Perch runs are just about done however warmer weather should turn the crappie bite on. |
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| Apr- 15- 10 -
Lots of post-spawn walleye have been caught off Linwood in 14 to 18
feet of water, around Spoils Island and in 7 feet of water from the
mouth of the Kawkawlin River to the mouth of the Saginaw River. Anglers
are trolling rapalas and crank baits or vertical jigging with crawlers
or minnows. Those trolling off the mouth of the Quanicassee River
were starting to catch walleye on crank baits or crawler harnesses.
At Caseville, crappie are in the marina and pier anglers caught salmon,
trout, whitefish and burbot. |
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| Apr- 08- 10 -
At Linwood - Trolling rapalas has taken walleye in 18 feet of water.
At Bay City - Near Spoils Island, boaters are vertical jigging with minnows or crawlers for walleye. At Caseville - A few salmon and trout were being taken from the pier. |
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| Apr- 01- 10 -Perch
fishing is underway all around the bay, but sorting out the small
ones will be required. |
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| Mar 25 - 10 - Boats are now trolling for walleye near the rivers. Fish were caught off the mouth of the Saginaw River on Husky Jerks and Shad Raps. Some perch were caught from the public access site at Bay Port. Pier anglers at Caseville caught a couple of whitefish however it is still a bit early for perch. | |
| Mar 24 - 10 - From Dock Reporter Terry T - Fish are biting all over when you can get the boat out-out of the mouth of the river boats at anchor casting jig heads-out of Linwood Beach my brother and along with 2 other fishing companions limited in two hours on stick baits. | |
| Mar 18 - 10 - Fishing activity has been slowed for now because of very bad ice conditions along with areas of open water and so-called ice mountains popping up everywhere. | |
| Mar
11 - 10 - Walleye
and perch were caught in 5 feet of water off White's Beach. Walleye
were caught off Linwood and Erickson Road. Some were fishing off the
Bay City State Park and near the mouth of the Kawkawlin River in 3
to 10 feet of water however the shore ice was deteriorating. Fishing
out near Spoils Island was spotty but the action at the mouth of the
Hot Ponds was good for those wading. Ice at the mouth of the Saginaw
River is getting bad. Perch were caught off Vanderbilt Park and Quanicassee
but walleye were taken off Thomas Road. Ice is getting bad in the
marinas. Both the Sebewaing and Pigeon Rivers could open up in a few
days given the weather. |
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| Mar
04 - 10 - At Linwood - Walleye were caught around the south end of the Black Hole. At Bay City - Walleye are being taken near the mouth of the Saginaw River, a few were also caught northeast of Channel Island and out to the Spark Plug in 15 to 20 feet of water. At Sebewaing - Perch fishing slowed on both sides of the river channel and out from the VFW Hall. There is still a lot of minnows in the marina. Walleye anglers going out to the Slot caught fish in 12 to 18 feet of water but it is hard to tell how long the ice will last. |
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| Feb 26 - 10 - Friend Jose and his buddy Jason went out Thursday evening and came away with 6 nice walleye. Left from the mouth of the Saginaw river and set up between the island and the spark plug. The bite did not start until 6:30pm but when it did they were hungry. Unfortunately we lost just as many in the hole but we managed to get a few and had some fun. | click
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| Feb
25 - 10 - Walleye
were caught in 13 feet of water off Cody-Estey Road and in 6 to 8
feet of water off Newman Road and Erickson Road. At Linwood - Try 18 to 22 feet of water however watch out for pressure cracks. At Bay City - Walleye were being taken between the mouth of the Saginaw River to northeast of Spoils Island and in 20 feet of water off Callahan Road At Fish Point - Fish were taken 24 to 28 feet of water off Thomas Road. At Quanicassee - Look for perch in 6 feet of water off Vanderbilt Park. At Sebewaing - Pike spearing is the game. The marina and the river have started to fill up with shiners. A few nice perch were caught between Bay Shore Camp and the factory. A few anglers have started to fish the ridge and weed beds straight out from the access site at Geiger Road in hopes of finding a few crappie. At Bay Port - Rumors of some nice perch caught in the channels and the marina. A few limits of walleye were caught off the Slot in 15 to 18 feet of water. Near Mud Creek, perch and walleye were small but a few nice pike were speared. |
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| Feb 22 - 10 - Friend Jose and his step-father fished on Saturday off of Vanderbilt Park in about 8 foot of water. Taking one nice fat 24" and two 21" Walleye and one great 13" Perch. Earlier in the day we had taken two smaller Walleye along with a Pike that we weren't able to land. The fat belly Walleye came just as we were packing up around 6:00pm. The Walleyes and the Perch were on tip-ups baited with lone minnows. The other walleyes came on a Tiger Stripe Jigging Rapala. We are going to try out of Bay City State Park on Thursday after work. | click
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| Feb 17 - 10 - Field Reporter Terry T's Report - On Monday I fished Lindwood and did 'ok' taking three fish by 10am - I was fishing with a party of eight and we took twelve fish total - right now on the bay there are good days and bad days. But one thing is for sure there are always lots of fisherman. | |
| Feb
13 - 10 -
Field
Reporter Terry
T's Report
-Fishing
has been good but the new problem is the trying to get through the
snow - we got stuck four times today and what a mess in some spots
- if your out stay on the trails. Went to Vanderbuilt today and moved
20 times and never seen a fish-they are spearing pike there that's
all I seen - my brothers limited out on Walleye today at the mouth
of the river. |
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| Feb
11 - 10 - Ice
conditions continues to be extremely variable, with active cracks
and thin ice over recently open water. Anglers need to be careful
and proceed with extreme caution! Some perch were taken in 6 to 8
feet of water off White's Beach and Newman Road. A few walleye anglers
caught fish off Linwood. Walleye and whitefish have been caught off
the Bay City State Park in 7 feet of water, the mouth of the Saginaw
River in 4 to 6 feet of water and near Spoils Island in 10 feet of
water. On the east side of the bay, a few nice perch and the occasional
walleye were caught in 7 feet of water off Vanderbilt Park and Thomas
Road. |
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| Jan 20 - 10 - Field Reporter Terry T's Report - Danger the ice is bad all over the bay. The Lindwood area is where you don't want to be - Last night over a hundred people were stranded and I talked to two of them and it wasn't fun trying to get over a hundred foot crack - watch the wind and don't go alone- | |
| Jan 07 - 10 - Field Reporter Terry T's Report - We fished yesterday afternoon at Vanderbuilt Park at Quanicassee - Lot of people fishing but very few fish, in the parking lot after we were on shore there were about 15 parties and no one caught or seen a fish. My nephews are fishing the mouth of the Saginaw River and are doing well getting limits - I just dont like 4 inches of ice and thirty feet of water. | |
| Jan 04 - 10 - Field Reporter Terry T's Report - Made a cold trip to Bay Port -there is a good ten inches of ice here and man are there lots of people out fishing - Wildfowl Bay is giving us a little of everything - walleyes, lake trout, white fish and a few keeper perch. I caught three lake trout-all over five lbs and two keeper eyes and seven perch - you cannot keep lake trout except in the river at Caseville. If you want to see a real circus you should see the lake trout being caught in the river at Caseville where you can keep them. The DNR makes daily checks because of the number of fish being caught. Hope to get out this week in the lower bay area. | |
| 12- 26 -09 - Terry - ALERT - The ice has left the east side of Saginaw Bay near Vanderbuilt Park. Some had to walk to shore through the water and a few shantys where set a drift this morning when the ice blew out. | |
| 12- 24 -09 - Terry - We had a heavy week of ice fishing - The Pine River and Palmer Road between Pinconning and Standish have been good for perch and walleyes -Vanderbuilt Park at Quanicassee was good but has been slow the last few days with very heavy traffic which I think has pushed the fish out - ice is not the best - large cracks are forming and everyone should watch the wind before going out - stay safe and don't leave your garbage on the ice | |
| 12- 03 -09
- Terry - reports that
his perch fishing has been going slow near Pinconning - the Muck Boy
Crew trolled the mouth of the Saginaw river out in to the bay with
Jr Thundersticks with out much success. Saginaw River - Has fair to good walleye action in the lower river however some of the fish were small. A few yellow perch were caught however anglers will need to sort out the small ones. |
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| 11- 26 -09
- Walleye were still hitting near the mouth of the
Saginaw River. Some were trolling body baits while others were casting
Hot-n-Tots. Perch fishing has been fair to good depending on the day . Saginaw River - Fair to good numbers of walleye remain in the lower river. Boat anglers usually do well when vertical jigging. |
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| 11- 19 -09
- Walleye have been caught in 12 to 16 feet of water
near the mouth of the Saginaw River and around the sailing buoys.
Most are trolling body baits. Saginaw River - Good numbers of walleye were in the lower river. Those fishing between Bay City and the mouth have been catching small perch. |
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| 11- 12 -09
- Very good walleye fishing in the lower part of
the Bay. Vertical jigging from boats was the most effective method.
Fish were caught in 13 to 16 feet of water when trolling body baits
near the sailing buoys. Saginaw River - Is producing some good numbers of walleye. Perch were caught near the mouth, but many were small. |
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| 11- 5 -09
- Some perch activity in the Eagle Bay Marina near Standish and off
the beach at Linwood.
Saginaw River - No reports have come in about any perch or walleye action. |
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| Oct 29 09 - Some decent catches of perch are being reported along the shipping channel, near buoys 17 and 18 and out by the Spark Plug. Some were 9 to 10 inches but a few were closer to 12 inches. Smaller perch are also being taken in the Linwood Marina and the Eagle Bay Marina. Activity on the east side of the Bay was slow except for a few perch caught in the marina and the river at Sebewaing. | |
| Oct 22 09 -
A few perch were caught along the shipping channel and up the old
shipping channel. Boats were lucky to get 5 to 8 keepers. Boaters
vertical jigging with jigs or spoons baited with minnows are taking
a few walleye at the mouth of the Saginaw River. Large schools of
emerald shiners are starting to show up near shore and in the mouth
of some rivers, so maybe the perch & walleye will follow.
Saginaw River - Shore anglers caught perch at Smith Park in Essexville. At Quanicassee - Perch fishing was hit-or-miss. More every half hour or so to locate a school of fish. At Sebewaing - Perch were caught by those willing
to move around. |
|
| Oct 8 09 -
When the weather permits a few walleye can be picked up trolling crawler
harnesses in front of the Hot Ponds. A few perch are being taken in
or near the shipping channel. At Quanicassee - Small perch were caught but overall the action was slow. At Sebewaing - Some perch are being taken however its hard work to get a dozen keepers. |
|
| Oct 1 09 -
The waters are stirred up after several windy days. Some perch and
a few walleye were caught straight off the mouth of the Quanicassee
River in 6 to 7 feet of water. At Bay Port, bass anglers caught some
nice smallmouth around Heisterman Island. Most were using minnows
under a bobber or artificial baits in shallow waters. |
|
| Sept 24 09 -
A few perch have been caught around various buoys along the shipping
channel. The best thing to do is to keep moving until you find an
active school of fish. Walleye were caught near Buoy G which is the
sailing buoy off the mouth of the Saginaw River. Good numbers of smallmouth
bass have been caught around Spoils Island and catfish are still hitting
in the Hot Pond. At Sebewaing - just a few perch were caught in the boat channel. Walleye fishing was slow. At Quanicassee - A few perch and occasional walleye have been caught. Some perch were caught in shallow waters just off the mouth of the river. Sorting will be necessary as there are still lots of small ones for every keeper. |
|
| Sept 17 09 -
Walleye action has slowed with only a couple fish taken in 14 feet
of water off the Pinconning Bar. A few perch were caught on minnows
near buoys 8, 15, 16 and 18 or in 15 feet of water off Linwood and
near the Spark Plug. Most were 8 to 10 inches but some were closer
to the 12 inch range. A few walleye were caught near Quanicassee when
slow trolling crawler harnesses north of the channel. Hot-n-Tots were
also taking fish. A few perch were also caught along the weeds in
8 feet of water. Anglers are working hard to keep a dozen but the
fish caught were in the 8 to 11 inch range. |
|
| Sept 10 09 -
Limits of walleye have been caught off Pinconning and Linwood when
trolling crawler harnesses or Hot-n-Tots in 12 to 15 feet of water.
The action was slower a few miles east of the Spark Plug and the Black
Hole. At Bay City - Perch were caught in the shipping channel, around the Spark Plug and near Buoys 9 and 10. At Quanicassee - Walleye fishing was slow with boats only taking 1 or 2 fish off the Callahan Reef. At Sebewaing - Try here for better walleye fishing but you will still have to work to get them. Target 15 feet of water in the Slot off Fish Point use crawler harnesses and Hot-n-Tots. At Caseville - Fishing has been quiet except for a few smallmouth bass caught off the breakwall. |
|
| Sept 3 09 - Walleye fishing is shutting down, as it usually does around Labor Day. As for catch rates, walleye are being taken 2 to 3 miles east of the Black Hole in 23 feet of water. Other spots were the Callahan Reef and out near the Slot however anglers are fishing a long time to get a couple walleye. Perch fishing is still slow, with better action about a month away. A few fish were caught around the Black Hole and Buoy H. Enough fish 7 to 10 inches long were caught to make the trip worthwhile | |
| Aug 27 09 -
Walleye catches are still good on the Callahan Reef
in 4 to 10 feet of water. Trolling crawler harnesses without weights
in this shallow water to avoid fouling in the weeds. Fishing was slower
in the Slot but a few walleye were found in 15 feet of water. Walleye
were caught about one and a half miles northeast of Spoils Island
while perch were caught east of the island and west of the Spark Plug.
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|
| Aug 19 09 -
Walleye fishing is still good around the end of the shipping channel,
the dumping grounds west of the shipping channel, the Callahan Reef,
and the Slot. If fishing around weedbeds, try trolling crawler harnesses
without bottom bouncers in order to keep the bait above the weeds.
This works best in 8 to 10 feet of water where the weedbeds are thickest.
All the usual areas are still producing fish, but early morning is
the most productive. A few perch are starting to show up about a mile
west of the Spark Plug in 20 feet of water. Perch were running 7 to
9 inches for the most part, with a few up to 13 inches. Those trolling
for walleye were picking up the occasional large perch on crawler
harnesses. |
|
| Aug 13 09 -
Best reports came from out around buoys 1 through
4, which is at the end of the marked shipping channel in around 24
feet of water. Boats were converging on this area from all the various
launch sites around the bay. Crawler harnesses continue to be the
most consistent bait, but crank baits were also taking fish. They
were also doing well on the Callahan Reef and in the Slot 5 miles
north of Quanicassee. |
|
| Aug 6 09 -
At Linwood -Walleye were caught in 15 to 20 feet
of water. At Quanicassee - limit catches of walleye are being reported in 5 to 8 feet of water straight out from the mouth of the river and and a couple miles northeast of the Callahan Reef when using crawler harnesses. At Sebewaing - Good fishing can be found in 14 feet of water, between here and Fish Point, also in the Slot in 16 feet of water. At Bay Port - Good walleye action is around North Island. At Caseville, a few walleye were caught near Oak Point. |
|
| Aug 03 09 -
- Field
Reporter Terry
T's Report
- Fishing has slowed - mainly because of the
weather - and now the gales have set in. On our last two trips we
have only managed 2 hours on the water and only took 6 fish, off Oak
Point. All points on the lower bay have had a rough time finding fish also -you will see an occasional limit but not like it was. Also perch are starting to show up in Caseville from 30-50 off Oak Point in small numbers. |
|
| Jul 30 09 -
Near Bay City, the best areas have been close to the edge of the shipping
channel and between the Spark Plug and buoys 1 and 2. Anglers looking
for perch can try near the Spark Plug or out from the Quanicassee
River. The fishing around Bay Port has been very spotty. The most
consistent fishing has been beyond Sand Point with Hot ‘N Tots
as the bait of choice. Out from the Standish area, anglers are finding
success near the sand bar. The best attracting colors have been pinks
and purples. The occasional perch is being caught as well. Fish were also caught in the Slot off Sunset Bay in 14 feet of water and outside the islands north of Sebewaing. |
|
| Jul 23 09 -
Walleye catch rates were spotty but fish are still being taken
out near the Black Hole, the Shipping Channel, Callahan Reef, the
Slot and the sailing buoys. Average catches were 2 to 3 fish per boat.
At Linwood - head straight out to the edge of the shipping channel in 20-25 feet of water for some nice perch action. Fish are averaging nine inches. At Bay City - Fish straight out from three to four miles, near Finn Road and the Spark Plug the walleye fishing is good. Perch activity is decent near the last buoy bout 13 miles out. At Bay Port - Sand Point is a good location when the winds are calm for some good walleye fishing in deeper water with crawlers and harnesses. |
|
| Jul 21 09 - Field Reporter Terry T's Report - The fishing has been real slow, we were out yesterday and worked hard to take ten fish. At the ramp three boats had no fish at all. The weather is so messed up. Where we normally fish off the Charities this time of year, in 38 feet of water the bite has not happened yet -you really have to move around to find fish right now. | |
| Jul 16 09 -
Excellent largemouth bass fishing off the mouth of the Pine River
in shallow waters. At Bay City - Perch are being taken near Buoy’s 1 and 2 off the channel. In the same location walleye are hitting on bottom bouncers, popular colors include chartreuse, pink or purple and south of the Spark Plug anglers are obtaining limits. Limits are also being taken on the west side of Callahan Reef in 9-12 feet of water. Crawler harnesses 10-20 feet back with quarter ounce in-lines running 1.3-1.5 seems to be working well with purple, pink, red and chartreuse bead combo’s with various #6 Colorado blades, gold or copper backed. At Bay Port - Anglers are finding good fishing despite windy conditions and rough water. Walleye are in deeper waters past North Island and taking a little longer to get limits. Perch are hitting on minnows and closer in. The At Sebewaing - Is on fire for Walleye they are still hitting however the weather did mange to slow the bite. |
|
| Jul 9 09 -
Saginaw Bay anglers have been dealing with windy conditions for several
days now limiting angling activity. At Bay City - 12 feet of water seems to be the hot depth for walleye. Again this week, Callahan Reef is producing fish in 8-10 feet of water, most anglers are trolling quarter to half ounce in-line weights and crawler harnesses 10-20 feet behind planer boards.Gold blades with Chartreuse beads are still working well. Southeast of the Sparkplug is a hot area. Anglers are trolling 1.0 to 1.2 mph using crawler harnesses with gold #6 Warrior spinner blades on two ounce in-lines about 20-40 feet back. Also try out by Buoys 1 & 2 at the end of the shipping channel. |
|
| Jul 2 09 -
Walleye fishing remains Great in many areas. Fish can be found from
8-16 feet and deeper depending on the area using crawlers harnesses,
spoons and crank baits. Purple, Chartreuse and bright colors seem
to be best. At Bay City - Walleye continue to bite in 8 to 10 feet off Finn Road and 7 to 14 feet on the Callahan Reef. Linwood - Walleyes are being taken at Buoys 1 and 2 and the Spark Plug and 6 to 8 feet off the Kawkawlin River, Trolling quarter to half ounce in-line weights on crawler harnesses trolled 10-20 feet behind boards. Gold blades with Chartreuse beads continue to work well. A few anglers are starting to pick up fish casting crank baits around the weeds. At Bay Port - Anglers continue to do well for walleye around North Island with crawlers. Bass activity is very good and the fish are good size as well several five pound fish have been caught right off the docks. |
|
| Jun 25 09
-Walleyes are hitting in waters 5-24 feet on crawler harnesses
and Hot-N-Tots. |
|
| Jun 18 09 -Pretty
much wherever anglers went they caught walleye as long as they were
in 10 feet of water or deeper, and most were getting their limits. At Bay City Walleye were being taken at the Spark Plug, Finn Road and the Callahan Reef area. At Linwood - Walleye can be taken in 16 to 20 feet of water. off Kitchen Road in 10 feet of water and the mouth of the Kawkawlin River. At Quanicassee Walleye are being taken straight out and limiting out on perch using minnows. At Bay Port- The area around Sand Point is producing good numbers using Hot-N- Tots and crawler harnesses A few walleye are being caught close to shore off the Long Dock. Walleye are good size too. |
|
| Jun 16 09 - Field Reporter Terry T's Report - Fishing has been outstanding - the slot west of North Island has been good - just off of Sunset has been great and Augres has been real good - this is the time - everyone is having some luck - We will be spending more time off Caseville in the next few weeks. | |
| Jun 14 09
- Field
Reporter Paul Smith's Report
- 6/13/09 - Headed back up with my old buddy Blue and Kevin, it was another beautiful calm day on the Bay. Went out of Sunset and fished 14 - 17 fow, we pulled Blue's homemade spinner rigs with meat 20' - 35' back with 1oz - 1.5oz in-line weights, blades with red or purple seemed to be the hottest. Boated a lot of undersize walleye, some white bass, a cat, and a few sheepshead including a humongus one which measured 27". The walleye seemed to want it slower today at about 1.4 -1.6 mph (GPS ground speed) which contributed to the fact that we caught more trash fish today. Took us about 7 hours to cull our limit of keepers, but we didn't mind with the mild weather and a good supply of snacks and cold beverages.. The walleye we kept averaged 16" - 22". |
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image for larger view 
"humongus sheepshead" |
| Jun 11 09 -Overall
walleye on Saginaw Bay is strong and steady out of many areas. At Bay City - Walleye continue to hit near the Spark Plug, off of Jones Road, and near the Callahan Reef. At Sebewaing - Good numbers of walleye are being taken in about 15 feet of water in the Slot and outside the islands. At Caseville - anglers are heading south to the Slot off Sand Point or the weeds in Wildfowl Bay. Crawler harnesses in green and yellow seem to be working well. At Linwood - Continues to be hot for walleye in 16-feet of water. Plastics, spoons and crawlers are very popular. At Quanicassee - Try Finn and Thomas Roads in 7-10 feet of water, try using crawler harnesses with gold blades. |
|
| Jun 5 09 -
Field
Reporter Paul Smith's Report
- What difference a few days makes, it was a bright sunny
day, not overcast, and the water had cleared considerably since our
last trip, 5 days ago. A lot of smaller fish were caught this trip
as we tossed back about 20 undersize walleye before boxing 15 keepers,
our 3-man limit. It took us 6 hours to limit out as we had about a
3 hour dry spell between our first and second keeper. We finally hit
a school of decent fish in 15 - 16 fow, after which it only took a
few hours of working the school to get our fish. We fished the Eastside
of the Bay out of Sunset Bay Marina. We caught fish on both Tots and homemade spinner rigs. The hot colors for the Tots were Blue/Silver and Purple/Gray. Hot blade colors were Silver/Chartreuse and Purple. We ran the 1/4 oz Tots 50' back and the spinners 35' back with 1 oz inline weights. The fish averaged a little bigger than our last trip as we had some in the 20" - 22" range. |
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image for larger view 
 |
| Jun 4 09 - Walleye
fishing has been excellent all over the bay. At Quanicassee - Walleyes are being taken in 6 to 8 feet of water straight out from the river or in 9 to 14 feet if water on the Callahan Reef. At Sebewaing - Good walleye action can be found in the slot in 14 feet of water. Those fishing off At Bay Port - The walleye are in 20 feet of water off the tip of Sand Point. At Linwood - Walleye action remains steady, try using a crawler harness in about 12 to 20 feet of water. For those anglers fishing the northern portion of the bay try trolling with stick baits in 25 to 30 feet of water. At Bay City - Good to excellent walleye action can be found at the Spark Plug, Black Hole, Sailing buoys G & H, off Jones and Finn Roads, the Callahan Reef and the mouth of the Saginaw River. |
|
| May 30 09 - Field Reporter Paul Smith's Report - Buddy Blue, his son Kevin and I fished 15 -17 fow on the eastside of the Bay near Fish Point. We began setting lines at 8 am and were picking up at 10 am with our 3-man limit of walleye in the box. We trolled Blue's homemade spinners with meat 35' to 40' behind boards and used 1oz in-line weights. Gold, purple, and chartreuse blades were all effective. We only had two throwbacks (undersize) and the keepers averaged 16" - 19". The overcast skies and 1 foot chop contributed to the good bite. | click
image for larger view  |
| May 28 09
- At Linwood - very good walleye fishing is northeast
of the Spark Plug and off in 20 feet of water. At Bay City - Walleyes can be taken off the Callahan Reef in 8 to 14 feet of water, At Bay Port - For Walleyes fish the Slot in 15 feet of water and between Sand Point and the North Island. Planer boards and crawler harnesses were good but some did just as well on Hot-n-Tots or crank baits. Limits were the norm with many limiting out in two hours or so. |
|
| May 23 09 - Field Reporter Paul Smith's Report - My first trip to the Bay this year and the fishing picked up right were it left off last year, with a steady walleye bite. My buddy and I fished out of Sunset Bay Marina about 2 - 3 miles. We trolled spinner rigs and Eyeliminator harnesses with crawlers in the 11' to 14' depths, from about 8:30 am til 11:30 am. The walleye averaged from 16" through 19". The hottest lure was the Eyeliminator with the Aphrodite color scheme as pink seemed to a hot color. We also caught a bonus pair of perch that measured 10.5" each and a chunky channel cat in the 6# range. Looks like it's going to be another banner year for walleye on Saginaw Bay. | |
| May 20 09
- Despite the windy conditions this week, area anglers
are doing well for walleye and the weather for holiday weekend is
anticipated to be good for fishing. At Bay City - Walleye action is strong near Finn Road. At Quanicassee - Walleyes are rangeing in size from 17 to 22 inches. With limits being taken two to three miles out and in about 8 to 10 feet of water. Anglers are finding success with spinners and gold blades. At Linwood - The walleye action is straight out in 12-20 feet of water and using crawler harnesses. Good walleye fishing around At Bay Port - Walleye limits are being taken near the buoy at Sandpoint. At Sebewaing - Walleye limits were being taken straight out, off Lone Tree Island or Thomas Reef |
|
| May 14 09 -
Saginaw Bay is giving up nice numbers of walleye in several
locations. At Bay City - Walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses in 14 to 22 feet of water at the Spark Plug (Buoys 11 & 12), in 4 feet of water off Finn Road, the mouth of the Saginaw River and jigging around Gull Island. At Quanicassee - Walleye are best straight off the mouth in 10 to 14 feet of water. using crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers. A few pike were also caught. At Bay Port - Walleye fishing was very good off the tip of Sand Point and out in the Slot. Some are jigging around the weed beds while others are trolling planer boards with crawler harnesses. At Linwood -Crawler harnesses are taking good numbers of walleye in 12-20 feet of water. At Sebewaing - Good walleye activity is in 13-feet of water. Fish can also be found at Sunset Bay Marina and Fish Point in 11 feet of water. Good channel cat action is reported off the mouth of the river. |
|
| May 5 09 - Walleye
are everywhere around the Bay City area and anglers are giving a thumbs-up
for good action. Saginaw Bay is producing good quantities in 10-feet
of water on crawlers.
At Bay City - Trolling and drifting east of Spoils
Island caught Walleyes when using crawler harnesses and jigs with
crawlers. At Quanicassee - Fair to good walleye
action is near the mouth of the river. |
|
| Apr 30 09 -
After all the rain this past weekend you will want to find areas of
clear water far away from river mouths, or fish along the line where
clear and muddy waters converge. Walleyes had been hitting good on
crawler harnesses fished off planer boards. |
|
| Apr 23 09 -
Walleye fishing is starting to pick up as the water in the bay warms
and the winds subside. At Caseville - Small perch are in the river and the marina. A few walleye were caught off the end of the pier in the early morning. At Quanicassee - Shore fishing has been very slow. Walleye were caught off the mouth of the River when using thundersticks in 10 feet of water. At Sebewaing - Still has a few small perch, a few nice bluegills and rock bass were caught around the docks in the marina. At Bay City - Boaters are headed to the Kawkawlin River for walleye action. |
|
| Apr 21 09 -
Field
Reporter Paul Smith's Report
My freind Blue and his son fished
Saginaw Bay April 18, 2009, the bite was slow all morning but picked
up some in the afternoon. All their fish were caught trolling with
stickbaits (Husky
Jerks, Rebels, and Thundersticks)
behind in-line boards in 6 - 12 fow. The largest was over 28"
and in the 7+ lb range, it would have weighed more but was freshly
spawned out. Apr 18 09 Field Reporter Terry T's Report Was out today - took two eyes-not a lot of action- water is still cold at 49 degrees - it needs to warm up a little. |
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image for larger view 
|
| Apr 9 09 -
Perch fishing is starting
to pickup all around the bay when the weather is right. |
|
| Apr 5 09 - Field Reporter Paul Smith's Report We have been trying all week to fish but high winds and lots of dirty water have made it very hard to fish and nothing to show for it - The boat is ready to go - just send warm weather soon! | |
| Apr 2 09 -
The cut at the end of Palmer
Road near Standish is producing lots of perch
but many are small. Perch were caught in the cut along Thomas
Road. At Bay Port whitefish and burbot were being caught. At Quanicassee - Perch action slowed with the cooler temperatures but should rebound with a warm up. Rifle River - is giving up suckers and steelhead are picking up. |
|
| Mar 27 09 - Field
Reporter Paul Smith's Report A lot of small perch are in the cuts all around the bay. The perch
runs are just getting started so the action should only get better. |
|
| Mar 22 09 - Field Reporter Terry T's Report - Perch (small) can be had in many of the ditches and cuts around the bay. As the muddy water clears and Ice piles at the mouths move or melt away the fishing should pick up. | |
| Feb 19 09 - Field Reporter Terry T's Report - The ice is beginning to move around with the river now open - rain and strong winds have also made bad spots in the ice - still fishing has been good all over with the walleyes moving up to the river - Good catches all along the western shore and perch are hitting out of Vanderbilt Park about a mile out. Lake Trout are being taken in the river at Caseville - Its time to be very careful on that ice. | |
| Jan 30 09 - Field Reporter Terry T's Report - Fishing has been good all over Saginaw Bay with good catches out of Linwood and Pinconning - just about any road that will get you out to 16-24 ft of water will do the trick - Thomas Road is still hot 8 miles out, long ride but lots of fish. On the Saginaw River things are heating up, Shiver on the River starts Saturday and it will be busy all over but there is lots of room to fish - get your kids out they will enjoy hooking a big old eye. | |
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