Saginaw Bay fishing on the east side of the bay was hit or miss this week for yellow perch. Putting in hours and moving locations helped some anglers have better catches.
Fishing from Sebewaing to Bay Port was decent at times and slow at others. Anglers had to sort through some smaller perch to get larger fish to keep.
DNR Saginaw River Boat Launch Today 3/10/21 pic.twitter.com/L3w9UJgJuJ
— Saginaw Bay (@WalleyeFishing) March 10, 2021
Wildfowl Bay had lots of perch caught with many small in size. A few anglers were able to locate some larger perch. A lot of sorting was needed to get keepers. Beaded spoons and jigging spoons with minnow heads worked well.
From Whites Beach down to town line16, yellow perch were caught in five feet of water. On the east side of the Saginaw Bay yellow perch were being caught at Vanderbilt Park in five feet of water
As temperatures are expected to rise, ice conditions may start to get dangerous very quickly. Anglers will want to use caution.
- Saginaw River: On the Saginaw River there are only two boat launches open, one at Lee Street and the other at Cass Avenue. Walleye fishing has been poor on the Saginaw River with hardly any fish caught.
- Tittabawassee River anglers have started to fish from boats at Caldwell Boat Launch on the Tittabawassee, but walleye fishing has been poor, with only a couple caught jigging with a jig head and minnow combination at Dow Dam.
The lower Tittabawassee River is full of broken ice from State Street Bridge down to the confluence. The Saginaw River also has a lot of shore ice and broken ice in various places from Zillwaukee down to the mouth of the river. This past week the rest of the boat launches on the Saginaw River were iced in.
Au Gres Area there were a few ice anglers fishing off the end of Booth Road at Pt. Au Gres in 10-15 feet. Anglers have caught some whitefish, lake trout and walleye.
Hale Road to Sagatoo Road, there were some yellow perch and rock bass caught in 4-6 feet using minnows. There is a pressure crack that has opened up at times making fishing there unsafe. With the warmer temperatures and rain coming this week, ice fishing will most likely be done for the year.
Outer Saginaw Bay:
Tawas Area there hasn’t been anyone fishing on the remaining ice off the access road near Jerrys Marina for the last few days. The Tawas boat access is open at Gateway Park, but the ramp is not in yet. There were a couple of boats that fished out in front of the river and down near Aabaster in 20-22 feet with body baits. There were a few anglers in the river, casting body baits and still fishing with spawn and only one sucker was caught and released.
Fishing Tip: Storing ice-fishing equipment for next season
You may want to think about getting ready to store your ice fishing equipment. The key is doing it properly, so you’ll be ready to hit the ice next winter. Here is a checklist of things to do:
1. If you have an auger, check for any damage and dry all the blades before storing it. You may want to consult your power auger’s manual to know how to appropriately handle any leftover gas and how to protect the engine.
2. Remove batteries from any electronics to prevent any potential damage from leaking batteries.
3. Make sure your portable shelter is completely clean and dry before storing. You may want to put some moth balls in it or hang it to keep pests at bay.
4. Take a full inventory of your rods, reels and tackle to see what you might need/want next year. Also remove all bait or line from your hooks and lures for storage and make sure everything is dry.
By the time everything is properly stored, you’ll be itching to get out on your favorite stream, river or lake for some spring fishing!