Hey everybody.
Seems like fall has come in like a lion this year starting with a 100 year hurricane out East. First time I have ever seen 2 to 3 foot white capping waves on the river. The perch fishing up until this point has stayed pretty good on the Bay with a few people still catching some nice ones but keeping both the when and where a secret for the most part. We did see some perch being caught both at the mouth of the Saginaw river and in the river proper the other day when my girl friend Mary and I tried for some walleyes out on the Bay but ended up in the Hot Ponds catching bass. But even the people fishing at the boat ramp from shore had a few nice perch. All the weather signs that the walleyes should be in the river and biting are there.
And indeed their are walleye in the all the river systems now. But there seems to be a difference about how eager they are to bite given what river system they are in. This point was proven in spades to me this past Sunday 10-28-12 when a buddy of mine and I entered a local river tournament and came in second place weighing in what was the only 5 fish team limit in the whole field of entries. But catching any fish at all in the conditions the field of entries battled was an accomplishment. While 99% of the field fished the Saginaw and Shiawassee River system up to the Cass river, my partner and I decided to fish the Tttabawassee and waters I have become familiar with while fishing and guiding on it these past 25 years.
The one-way 26 mile run from the tournament ramp and starting point to our first spot on the Tittabawassee was the hardest part. Lucky every one of the shallow water pinch point famous for stopping a trip up river from the Saginaw into the Tittabawassee were open and the water levels high enough for safe passage in my Jet Boat. Even when using my Jet Boat this is often not the case in recent years with our low the water levels are now. I have been turning down requested walleye charters thinking the real run of walleye into the river hasn’t started yet. And indeed the bay walleye bite has not been very good yet this fall. But if your looking for a decent trip on a small river, give me a call. I think we can catch a few right now.
Capt. Dan.
Walleye Express Charters
