It has not been”business as usual” when fishing Saginaw Bay walleye this summer. For the first time in several years, traditional “hot spots” have not produced for extended periods of time. Fishing in the inner bay (AuGres south) has been spotty at best although fish are still being caught. Many anglers are finding it doesn’t hurt to get an early start and are headed out to their favorite fishing grounds at first light.
One bright spot right now is the long expanse of water from the “Bell Can” north of AuGres all the way to Alabaster. North of the Big Charity Island has also been good but has experienced heavy boat traffic, especially on weekends. It doesn’t take the fish long to shut down once a lot of boats move into the area. I’ve always found it’s best to stay on the perimeters of the “packs” and often revisit my favorite areas once the boats have moved elsewhere.
While crawler harnesses are still the dominate tactic, plastic baits are also producing well. We’ve had good success running a mix of crawlers and Deep Little Rippers when the fish are willing to take crawlers trolled as high as 1.7 to 1.8 mph. Two to three colors of lead core has also been very productive as long as you stay well away from other boats. Some anglers are also experiencing good success pulling spoons behind a size 20 Jet Diver. Like a Major League pitcher, the more tactics an angler has in his arsenal the more success he is likely to have.
Good fishing and Think Like a Walleye!
Capt. Terry R. Walsh
Termar Charters
(989) 450-5365