Hey everybody.
Seems old man winter might actually stick around this time around and give the Saginaw Bay hard water fishermen a chance to harvest a mixed bounty. As of this report, there is a qualified 4 to 6 inches of solid ice (with very little snow) on the Saginaw River and the Bay will soon fallow. Both the walleye and perch fishing was pretty darn good on open water for an extended period of time this fall/early winter. Both the rivers and the Bay was giving up some impressive catches of both species, both before and after we had that false start to winter in December.
The walleyes were especially willing biters in the Saginaw River during that first ice episode and have continued their willingness now with the new ice we have. Many of the smaller walleyes we have been seeing and catching these past 3 years are now legal to just barely legal size and are in the river continuing to gorge themselves on our massive shad populations still there as well.
I’ve included two pictures of some friends catch after fishing on the first ice we had in December. As of now, like then, Jigging Rapala’s and simple firetiger colored jig heads dead sticked and fished 3 inches off bottom and tipped with shiners are taking the most fish From Saginaw waters all the way to the mouth of the river in Bay City. No saying how long our winter will actually stick around and keep conditions safe this year, so if you’ve been waiting 2 years like many around here have, might be a good idea to get out the shanty and spud. And especially during ice fishing season, be safe fish smart and tight lines.
Capt. Dan.
Walleye-Express.com